Thankfulness

By Chris Scandling, Young Adult Librarian

As 2017 winds to a close, I look back at the year we’ve had in the Young Adult department and reflect on thankfulness. Far more than can be listed, but a Top 20 is in order.

1. The blessings of our volunteer team. 29 individuals contributed 338 hours towards the betterment of library services.

2. Launching the blog, A Series of Fortunate Events, your go-to source for Recommended Reads, Book Quizzes, Conference Highlights, Movie Reviews, the latest in Bremen Happenings, and General Musings. Catch us weekly for the latest submissions!

3. Partnering with Bremen High School and the Functional Skills class. Our read-aloud sessions of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and Wonder have made Tuesdays a weekly highlight.

4. Partnering with the Boys & Girls Club, yielding the opportunity to take programming on the road.

5. Continuation of the longstanding Monopoly Tournament.

6. Brick Club themes ranging from Tallest Tower, Ship Building, Medieval Times, DC and Marvel.

7. Co-hosting Trivia Night, repeat champions, and Shelli Kauffman.

8. Wii Gaming with the assistance of Nintendo representative, Nathan Hilbert.

9. Color Your World for general wellness, brain stimulation, and auditory delight.

10. National Library Week, The Man with the Yellow Hat, and Curious George.

11. Teen Read Week and Bremen’s first Young Adult author visit. Shout-out to Tracy Korn for making it possible.

12. Flash Fiction Challenge, the imagination and creativity brought to life by young writers.

13. Indiana Library Federation conference at IUSB. Networking and collaboration.

14. American Library Association conference in Chicago. Panel discussions, book signings, free swag! Networking and collaboration on a much larger scale.

15. Summer Reading Program. Cup Stacking with Mr. Jim, Become a Water Warrior, Photography Walk, Reward Party!

16. Serving on the Bremen Public Schools counseling committee.

17. The courtesy of Multimedia Journalist Julia Palazzo and ABC57 for promoting all that YA has to offer.

18. Bremen Public Library hosting an official United States Chess Federation tournament.

19. Overseeing development and acquisitions for the YA collection.

20. Wrapping up LC5 certification.

Holiday Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to this week’s blog posting! How well did you do in matching each quote with the correct movie?

1) "Oh Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind and that's what's been changing. That's why I'm glad I'm here, maybe I can do something about it."

               A. It's a Wonderful Life

               B. Miracle on 34th Street

               C. The Polar Express

2) "If I wasn't such a mean old biddy, I'd break down and cry."

               A. Christmas in Connecticut

               B. Holiday Inn

               C. White Christmas

3) "I gotta tell you, Santa, there's something about this place that doesn't seem quite…Kosher."

               A. Jingle All the Way

               B. The Santa Clause

               C. The Nightmare Before Christmas

4) "I think you're really beautiful and I feel really warm when I'm around you and my tongue swells up. So…do you want to eat food?"

               A. Elf

               B. Christmas with the Kranks

               C. Fred Claus

5) "That's what Christmas memories are made from, they're not planned, they're not scheduled, nobody puts them in their Blackberry, they just happen."

               A. Scrooged

               B. Deck the Halls

               C. The Holiday

6) “Surprised, Eddie? If I woke up tomorrow morning with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn’t be more surprised than I am right now.”

               A. Bad Santa

               B. The Ref

               C. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

7) “We evil magicians have to make a living, too.”

               A. Frosty the Snowman

               B. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

               C. Ernest Saves Christmas

8) “Is this toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association?”

               A. Home Alone 2

               B. Home Alone

               C. Four Christmases

Holiday Quiz

Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, Robin Laid an Egg. If that doesn't have you humming along and in the holiday spirit, you just might be Ebenezer Scrooge. Yes, that infamous Scrooge who eventually came around to utter, "Yes! Yes, I do! I like Christmas! I love Christmas!", in the classic A Christmas Carol. With that in mind, what perfect opportunity to test your knowledge of seasonal flavor then with a Movie Quote Quiz! Submit your guesses in the comment section, answers will appear in the December 22nd blog.

1) "Oh Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind and that's what's been changing. That's why I'm glad I'm here, maybe I can do something about it."

               A. It's a Wonderful Life

               B. Miracle on 34th Street

               C. The Polar Express

2) "If I wasn't such a mean old biddy, I'd break down and cry."

               A. Christmas in Connecticut

               B. Holiday Inn

               C. White Christmas

3) "I gotta tell you, Santa, there's something about this place that doesn't seem quite…Kosher."

               A. Jingle All the Way

               B. The Santa Clause

               C. The Nightmare Before Christmas

4) "I think you're really beautiful and I feel really warm when I'm around you and my tongue swells up. So…do you want to eat food?"

               A. Elf

               B. Christmas with the Kranks

               C. Fred Claus

5) "That's what Christmas memories are made from, they're not planned, they're not scheduled, nobody puts them in their Blackberry, they just happen."

               A. Scrooged

               B. Deck the Halls

               C. The Holiday

6) “Surprised, Eddie? If I woke up tomorrow morning with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn’t be more surprised than I am right now.”

               A. Bad Santa

               B. The Ref

               C. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

7) “We evil magicians have to make a living, too.”

               A. Frosty the Snowman

               B. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas

               C. Ernest Saves Christmas

8) “Is this toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association?”

               A. Home Alone 2

               B. Home Alone

               C. Four Christmases

Movie Review

Spider-Man: Homecoming

Featured Actors

Tom Holland (Peter Parker/Spider-Man)

Michael Keaton (Adrian Toomes/The Vulture)

Robert Downey Jr. (Tony Stark/Iron Man)

Marisa Tomei (May Parker)

Peter Parker is a nerd-freshman in high school with his best friend, Ned. He has a crush on a senior, Liz. And a loner-type friend, Michelle. But Peter has a secret, one he keeps from even Aunt May – he is the hero known as Spider-Man! When Peter sees illegal weapons being sold – weapons made seemingly out of Chitauri parts scattered over New York by The Avengers – he wonders if he's up to the challenge. Despite Peter's doubts, he yearns to be a hero like Iron Man. Yet, Tony Stark believes that Parker's place should be as a friendly neighborhood protector (unlike Tony's global team). Can Peter keep this supersized secret from everyone, even his enemies?

Even though the setting changes many times, the story centers around Peter Parker and Tony Stark.

I liked how there are other things happening within a scene other than the camera's main focus.

My favorite scene would be when Peter is interrogating a witness and he freaks the witness out. This shows that Peter is still learning how to be a savior, while not being scary or intimidating. However, this soft side of Peter helps him protect more people, unlike some of the heroes in The Avengers.

Rating:  4 out of 5

This review brought to you courtesy of YA volunteer, Johanna.

Getting to Know ... Selicia

Introducing another valuable member of our YA Volunteer Team, Selicia Lacher! A 15-year-old 10th grader, Selicia has accumulated 24.5 volunteer hours since December 2016. Possible career paths for Selicia include obstetrics or "something to do with books."

FAVORITE BOOK GENRES:  Romance, fiction, historical fiction, anything really
FAVORITE TV SHOWS:  Psych! Warehouse 13, Leverage
A TOPIC SHE COULD DISCUSS FOR AN HOUR:  Books, really anything
ROLE MODEL: Her youth pastor
HAPPY PLACE: A comfortable chair with a blanket and a book
SPIRIT ANIMAL: Koala or wolf
DESERTED ISLAND FRIEND:  Her sister Brooke
FAVORITE QUOTE: "As long as I have my friends, I can face my enemies."