Category Archives: books

Calling all Teen Authors! Bored this winter break?
Grades 6-12
Multnomah County Library is holding a Teen Writing Contest. Up to 1500 words, prose only. The contest will run until January 10, or until 200 entries are received. More Information!
You could win a Powell’s Gift Card!!

In another lifetime, I mean, during this lifetime but a long time ago, before we had kids and a mortgage, I was a storyteller. I told stories for audiences, around campfires, and at dinners. And I was pretty good; not the best, but getting some practice and finding some comfort in it. One question, [...]

Are you an artist? Is your kid? Does your family enjoy the Summer Reading Program? How would you like your artwork to be seen by teens across the county?
Illustrate the cover of the 2009 Teen Summer Reading gameboard. The winning artist will receive a $50 gift certificate to Art Media. The [...]

You may think of “science” as the cold hard facts that make up the body of our knowledge. However, science is more than that. Learning about science includes data, but also ethics, peculiar personalities, hunches, obsession, and perhaps the most important trait for a human to possess.
Curiosity
OMSI educators and local scientists will lead four different [...]

Iron Jaw and Hummingbird by Chris Roberson is good. Not great, somewhat better than average.

Mars is controlled by the Chinese, who call their civilization the Celestial Empire. But for teenagers Gamine and Huang, it is anything but heavenly. Gamine was taken off the street by an aristocrat, schooled as a fine young lady—then abandoned [...]

This was a fun book. I’m mildly worried that the protagonist will be one of those “I can do anything” kinds, like the one in Eregon, but the ride there will be fun. At the moment, it’s enjoyable and fun. And an easy read- I finished it in a few hours. It’s probably [...]

This was a great story.
First, you should understand that I like stories about superheroes. I like superheroes. However, I abhor flawless heroes. I can’t stand the “I can fly, I have super speed, you can’t shoot me, I’m super strong” hero that can whip anything into shape and has no problems at all. I’m looking [...]

I wanted to like this book. Kathleen Bryan’s use of stained glass as a container or structure for magic is refreshing. The characters are interesting. The structure of the plot is interesting- not too unusual, and yet different enough from the normal “princess has to leave the kingdom and return to save it” sort [...]

Rick Riordan is coming!
He’ll be doing the October Teen Author Lecture for the Multnomah County Library. It’s 7PM on Oct 13; tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. He’s the author of the fun Percy Jackson series, a fantasy about a son of Poseidon.

When my daughter heard the news, she squealed as if [...]

I like this book and its predecessor, the Sea of Trolls. I like it because I enjoy the ancient Irish history. These novels bring together Saxons, Vikings and the Irish. It also brings together the “old faith” and the “new faith” of Christianity.
These stories work with Jack, a young man who is learning [...]