SPOOK-TACULAR YA MOVIE REVIEWS

 

BEETLEJUICE

After Barbara and Adam Maitland die in a car accident, they find themselves stuck haunting their country residence, unable to leave the house. When the unbearable Deetzes and teen daughter Lydia buy the home, the Maitlands attempt to scare them away without success. Their efforts attract Beetlejuice, a rambunctious spirit whose "help" quickly becomes dangerous for the Maitlands and innocent Lydia.

My rating: 5/5 stars

This movie review was brought to you courtesy of an anonymous person in our YA community

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

The film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown's beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the "real world." When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life -- he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry.

My rating: 5/5 stars

This movie review was brought to you courtesy of Molly Harman.

HOCUS POCUS

After moving to Salem, Mass., teenager Max Dennison explores an abandoned house with his sister Dani and their new friend, Allison. After dismissing a story Allison tells as superstitious, Max accidentally frees a coven of evil witches who used to live in the house. Now, with the help of a magical cat, the kids must steal the witches' book of spells to stop them from becoming immortal.

My rating: 5/5 stars

This movie review was brought to you courtesy of an anonymous person in our YA community.

SCREAM 2

Sydney and tabloid reporter Gale Weathers survived the events of the first "Scream," but their nightmare isn't over. When two college students are murdered at a sneak preview of "Stab," a movie based on the events from the first film, it's clear a copycat killer is on the loose. Sydney and Gail, as well as fellow survivors Deputy Dewey and Randy have to find out who is behind this new murder spree, before they all end up dead.

My rating: 3/5 stars

This movie review was brought to you by Raven Krugler.

Creative Writing Club 2022

 

The Bremen Public Library is happy to announce that we are bringing back our Creative Writing Club this November (2022) in celebration of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! Students in grades 6-12 are invited to participate. FREE writing journals will be provided while supplies last. No registration is required.

Participants will meet in the downstairs programing room every Tuesday in November at 4:00-5:00 PM. Here are the dates...

• November 1st
• November 8th
• November 15th
• November 22nd 
• November 29th 

What is NaNoWriMo?

National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel during the thirty days of November.

Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand-new novel. You may know this mass creative explosion by the name National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo—but that's not all that NaNoWriMo is!

NaNoWriMo is a nonprofit organization that supports writing fluency and education. But it's also a social network for writers like LinkedIn is for job professionals, or DeviantArt is for artists, or Facebook is for moms whose kids accept their friend requests only to provide them with "limited profile" access. It tracks words for writers like Fitbit tracks steps for the ambulatory. It's a real-world event, during which 900+ volunteers in places like Mexico City, Seoul, and Milwaukee coordinate communal writing sessions in thousands of partnering libraries, coffee shops, and community centers like… well, like nothing else.

It's internet-famous. It's a community-powered fandom (before there was the Beyhive, or Nerdfighters, there were Wrimos). It's a start-up incubator for novels (books like Water for Elephants, Fangirl, and WOOL began as rough drafts in November!). It's a teaching tool, it's a curriculum, and its programs run year-round.

Whatever you thought NaNoWriMo was, it is more than that.

For more information about NaNoWriMo please click the image below. 

TeenTober Week 3

Oh my gourd! Did these teens have fun during week 3 of TeenTober! Teens made some spooky new friends during our Zombie Doll activity, and attended our weekly Anime Club. There is still plenty of time to register for TeenTober: Freak Out at Your Library. Teens in grades 6-12 can register at the front desk. 

 

HOT YA Movie Recs for the cold weather!

It may be getting colder outside, but these movie recommendations are HOT as summer! Stop by the library to checkout these HOT YA movie recs! 

Lilo & Stitch

A lonely little girl makes a very unusual friend -- a ukulele-playing alien who likes to toss around small automobiles -- in this antic animated comedy from Walt Disney Studios. Lilo (voice of Daveigh Chase) is a young Hawaiian girl being raised by her teenaged sister Nani (voice of Tia Carrere) after the unexpected death of their parents in an auto accident. While Nani tries to hold their household together, Lilo is a child with unusual interests and a distinctive sense of humor, which makes it hard for her to bond with her peers, as well as her big sister. Nani decides Lilo might be happier if she had a pet, so the sisters go to the animal shelter to adopt a dog; however, the critter which catches Lilo's fancy is a fuzzy blue creature she names Stitch (voice of Chris Sanders). Nani isn't so sure Stitch is really a dog, and it turns out she's right; Stitch is actually "Genetic Experiment 626," a mutation created by extraterrestrial mad scientist Dr. Jumba (voice of David Ogden Stiers) to be used a weapon. Stitch is an intelligent but gleefully destructive little creature with superhuman strength who has escaped to Earth and crash-landed in the Hawaiian islands, but Lilo sees him simply as a fellow misfit and attempts to teach him to behave like her favorite American icon, Elvis Presley. Meanwhile, Nani struggles to keep Lilo and Stitch on their best behavior as stern social worker Cobra Bubbles (voice of Ving Rhames) tries to determine if Nani is fit to raise a child, while Dr. Jumba and Pleakley (voice of Kevin McDonald) attempt to capture "Experiment 626" and bring him back home. Chris Sanders, who provides the voice of Stitch, also co-wrote and co-directed the film, which features numerous Elvis Presley tunes on the soundtrack, as well as a new recording of "Burning Love" by country star Wynonna. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

My Rating: 4/5 stars

This movie review was brought to you courtesy of Addison Sobol

Sponegbob Square Pants Season 1

Spongebob Squarepants revolves around the denizens of Bikini Bottom and a sweet square yellow sponge with the tongue twister name of SpongeBob SquarePants, who lives in a giant pineapple with his cookie-loving pet snail Gary. His two best friends and comrades-in-misadventures, are Patrick, a gullible starfish and a temperamental, thrill-seeking squirrel named Sandy Cheeks who lives in an underwater dome complete with a large Texas tree house and picnic area. SpongeBob is the "best fry cook ever" at the Krusty Krab, where he has to deal with his miserly boss Mr. Krabs and the grumpy cashier Squidward Tentacles. SpongeBob is always landing himself (and his friends!) in hot soup despite the best of intentions. His enthusiasm and optimism are endearing and infectious, making him one of the best-loved characters by children and adults alike.

My Rating: 5/5 stars

This review was brought to you courtesy of an anonymous person in our YA community. 

The Spongebob Movie: Sponge out of Water 

When pirate Burger Beard steals the secret recipe for the beloved Krabby Patties, SpongeBob and friends come ashore to bring back the missing formula. To succeed, they must team up with former rival, Plankton, but soon realize that to defeat a super-villain, they must unleash their inner superheroes.

My Rating: 5/5 stars

This review was brought to you courtesy of Summer Young. 

YA Book Reviews

 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Boys don't keep diaries--or do they?

"The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to

It's a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you're ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary.

In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley's star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend's newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion.

Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, "Just don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that." Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won't do and what he actually does are two very different things.

Since its launch in May 2004 on Funbrain.com, the Web version of Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been viewed by 20 million unique online readers. This year, it is averaging 70,000 readers a day." 

My opinion of the book: 

"It's a W!"

I give this book 5/5 stars! 

Treasury of Norse Mythology: Stories of Intrigue, Trickery, Love, and Revenge by Donna Jo Napoli

"Coinciding with the new Rick Riordan Magnus Chase series and the Marvel Age of Ultron DVD, featuring Thor, comes a new look at Asgard and the timeless tales of ancient Scandinavia.

Classic stories and dazzling illustrations of gods, goddesses, heroes and monsters come to life in a stunning tableau of Norse myths, including those of the thunder god Thor, the one-eyed god and Allfather Odin, and the trickster god Loki. The lyrical storytelling of award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli dramatizes the timeless tales of ancient Scandinavia. This book is the third in the trilogy that includes the popular National Geographic Treasury of Greek Mythology and National Geographic Treasury of Egyptian Mythology."

What I thought about the book: 

I thought most of it was good, there was just a part in the Theseus part that tickled my feathers. Near the end it says "Lycomede, threw him off a cliff." When in most tails they have him dying because the place where he was from had seen him slay the minotaur and killed him in fear."

This book will appeal to the following: 

People following Hellenism, Greek fans, people that aren't afraid of gore. 

I give this book 4/5 stars!

Book Review by Mary Smith

 

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 

"Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed.

Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil's name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr.

But what Starr does--or does not--say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life."

My Opinion of the book: 

My opinion of The Hate U Give is it's a great way to inform yourself of what happens to different races and other topics such as gang violence, discrimnation, etc. 

My learnings from the book: 

From this book I learned that the stereotypes of black people and th eway society uses them to justify violence and racism against black and other races.

This book will appeal to the following: 

People who are into topics such as black history and also people who love to dive into deep topics. 

I give this book 5/5 stars! 

TeenTober Week 2

Week 2 of TeenTober: Freak Out at Your Library was a SCREAM! Teens participated in our Teen Horror Movie event by watching A Quiet Place. Teens were also invited to our Book Brunch, food for the belly and the brain. They talked about their current/favorite reads while eating some delicious treats! As well as our regularly scheduled programs. Anime Club and Let's Get Sketchy. There is still time to register for TeenTober! Students in grades 6-12 can register at the front desk. 

Getting to Know... Lilly

Introducing another volunteer of our YA volunteer team, Lilly Phillips! An 12 year old 7th grader, Lilly has volunteered over 2 hours since the 2022 Summer Session. 

Favorite genre: Adventure 

Someone I look up to: Keanu Reeves 

Favorite TV show:  Stranger Things

A topic I can talk about for hours: Animals

An invention that I want to uninvent: Plastic 

Person I would want with me on a deserted island: Captain Jack Sparrow/Johnny Depp

My happy place: My bed 

My spirit animal: a cat 

Something interesting about myself: I can wiggle my ears.

Future plans: Go to the Army, get married, get dream job, and travel the world. 

Are you interested in joining our YA Volunteer Team? Click here for more information!

TeenTober Week 1

 Week 1 of TeenTober was a success! With over 20 teens signed up so far for our reading challenge. And with our first event, Mini Golf at the Library, in celebration of National Golf Lovers Day! We are excited to bring back our paint by sticker board! Care to take a guess at what it will be? Here's a hint.... IT'S A SCREAM! :) 

WINNER WINNER!

 During the month of September the teens voted on who our Mii character would be for our Nintendo Switch. It was a very close vote. With over 50 votes summitted the winner is... DONKEY KONG!

Donkey Kong - 13 votes
Yoshi - 11 votes
Princess Peach - 9 votes
Mario - 5 votes
Bowser - 5 votes
Toad - 5 votes
Toadette - 3 votes 
Luigi - 1 vote

Thank you to everyone that participated in this passive program! Be sure to stop by the YA room for more fun passive programs!