Teen Council and Drum Circle

Join us today at noon for our monthly teen council and at 12:30pm, professional drummer Marcus Miller will lead a drum circle.

Teen Council and Halloween Cupcakes

Just a reminder that the teen council is meeting today at 1pm to set up for the Halloween cupcake decorating program which starts at 1:30pm..

Multiple Wounds by Alan Russell

Bonnie Gill, an art gallery owner, has just been murdered. Its up to Detective Cheever to figure out who her killer is. When Holly Troy walks into the crime seen he regards her both as a potential witness and a suspect. He soon finds out that Holly has dissociative identity disorder, means that she has multiple personalities. One of her personalities might have been the killer of Bonnie. He meets with Holly’s doctor to discuss her condition. He soon finds that he is attracted to her and she to him. Can they team up to help Holly overcome her past? And can they move on from their own pasts and start a life together? 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I read this book earlier during the summer and have been meaning to recommend it..  It's an urban fantasy about a seventeen-year-old blue-haired girl named Karou who leads a dual life in dual worlds and doesn't really know who she is.  The only "family" she has ever known are demon-like creatures who she helps collect teeth for reasons unknown to her.  When not collecting teeth she spends time with her only friend and attends art school.  Her life comes to a complete halt when she and a warrior angel trying to put an end to the teeth trade and the creatures who traffic them cross paths.  Even though the angel should kill her, he cannot bring himself to do it for reasons he cannot understand at first but become clearer to him as the story unfolds. What follows is a fascinating tale of forbidden love in a stunningly imaginative world.

Nominate your three favorites books!

http://www.ala.org/yalsa/teenstopten

The Hunger Games

Come join us on Thursday, August 30 at 4:00 PM to watch the movie "The Hunger Games" based on the book by Suzanne Collins and starring Jennifer Lawrence.

The movie is rated PG-13.

Popcorn and refreshments will be provided.

Changes to SAT and ACT testing rules

Hey everyone!

As many of you might have heard, there was an incident involving around 20 Long Island students cheating on their SAT and ACT exams. Here's a link to the story, in case you haven't heard of it - http://abcnews.go.com/US/BacktoSchool/11-surrender-sat-cheating-ring-long-island/story?id=15008380#.T599FqttqSo
In the wake of such events, the College Board and ACT Inc. have now strengthened their security measures. Let's take a look.

Changes to the SAT:

1. When you sign up to take the SAT, you will have to submit a recognizable photograph of yourself that will be sent to your school for verification.
2. A copy of this photograph will be printed on your admission ticket, and be made available to the testing center.
3. No more stand-by (walk-in) testing shall be allowed.
4. No changes to the testing center or test type will be made the day of the exam. They will have to be requested in advance.
5. Showing a photo ID as a proof of identification will be mandatory for all test takers.
6. Students' identity will be checked and rechecked between breaks, and upon completion of the test.
7. Students will have to sign a certificate acknowledging that any impersonation could lead to persecution.

Changes to the ACT:

1. Students will be required to submit a head-shot of themselves with their registration.
2. Students must present a a valid photo ID along with their photo admission ticket to gain admission into the testing center.
3. If the student completes the test, the uploaded photo will be sent to his/her school.

These measures are meant to ensure incidents of cheating can be avoided, but they will also consume more time. Do these say something about the new ethical and moral standards adopted by young Americans? What are your thoughts and opinions? Share them with us - comment! We look forward to hearing from you.

Here is the main source I used to write this entry - http://www.princetonreview.com/sat-act-security.aspx?utm_source=HS&utm_medium=email&utm_term=HSsecurity_email&utm_content=BL&utm_campaign=HS_Security_Changes_April_2012_Email

Wingardium Leviosa :)

Testing Tips

So I'm sitting here at 1:37 am, trying to contemplate how to calculate the orbital velocity of an asteroid around the sun, and I want a break, so I'll just write this.
AP exams and SATs are around the corner, and with all the home work, practice tests and projects, students are swamped! In these challenging times, here are a few ways to help you succeed -

1. Start early. Don't start preparing a few days before the exam. Not only will you be panicked at that time, and hence more likely to forget what you read, you will also not be able to cover the immense syllabus of the course. Like the Scouts say, "Be Prepared!" 
2. Stay healthy! It's easy to overlook your health in times like this, but be sure to stay hydrated(there's a discount on vitamin water at Ralphs :P) and munch on fruits and veggies. Avoid too much caffeine as it can be harmful, and get a few hours of sleep daily.
3. Study in groups. Meet up with friends once a week and study together. That way you can help each other with problems, and discuss new strategies to approach the coursework. But be sure you are studying! It's not cool to end up discussing Drake's latest album instead of finishing that home work.
4. Ask questions! You teachers understand that you're nervous, and since testing is so close, make sure to clear any doubts and have questions answered well in time. Find out your teacher's office hours and drop by with questions, if you have any. Who knows, they might be impressed at your efforts and give you a better grade ;)
5. Stay calm. This isn't the end of the world. If you do well on your tests, great! If you don't even better! Always remember, academic success doesn't always determine how successful you'll be in the "real world", but don't let that be a reason for not working hard.

Alrighty, I'm tired and still have my English home work, so good luck and blow those tests away!

Henna Program

2012 Young Adult Award Winners

Printz Award Winner for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

• Whaley, John Corey. Where Things Come Back

Printz Honor Books

• Handler, Daniel. Why We Broke Up
• Hinwood, Christine. The Returning
• Silvey, Craig. Jasper Jones
• Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races

YALSA Top Ten Fiction for Young Adults

• Carson, Rae. The Girl of Fire and Thorns
• Cohen, Joshua C. Leverage
• King, A.S. Everybody Sees the Ants
• McCall, Guadalupe Garcia. Under the Mesquite
• Myracle, Lauren. Shine
• Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls
• Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray
• Stiefvater, Maggie. The Scorpio Races
• Taylor, Laini. Daughter of Smoke and Bone
• Zarr, Sara. How to Save a Life

YALSA Top Ten Graphic Novels

• Amir and Khalil. “Zahra’s Paradise” First Second, 2011
• Bendis, Brian Michael and Alex Maleev. “Scarlet.” Marvel/Icon Comics, 2011.
• Brosgal, Vera. “Anya’s Ghost.” First Second, 2011.
• Gladstone, Brooke, Josh Neufeld, and others. “The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media.” W. W. Norton and Company, 2011.
• Langridge, Roger, Chris Samnee, and others.“Thor: The Mighty Avenger V. 1.” Marvel, 2010. “Thor: The Mighty Avenger V. 2.” Marvel, 2011.
• McLeod, Kagan. “Infinite Kung Fu.” Top Shelf, 2011.
• Mori, Kaoru. “A Bride’s Story V. 1.” Yen Press, 2011.
• Nicolle, Malachai and Ethan Nicolle. “Axe Cop V. 1.” Dark Horse, 2011.
• Ralph, Brian. “Daybreak.” Drawn and Quarterly, 2011.
• Shimura, Takako. “Wandering Son V. 1.” Fantagraphics Books, 2011

Upcoming Practice SAT's and ACT's

Here are the dates for upcoming FREE Practice SAT's -


February 4, 2012, 12:30 - 5:00 pm – LAPL Sunland - Tujunga Branch Library
February 4, 2012, 12:30 - 5:00 pm – LAPL Will & Ariel Durant Branch Library 
February 11, 2012, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm – LAPL Baldwin Hills Branch Library
February 11, 2012, 12:30 - 5:00 pm – LAPL West Valley Regional Branch Library
February 18, 2012, 12:30 - 5:00 pm – LAPL Central Library, Downtown LA
February 18, 2012, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm – LAPL Alma Reaves Woods - Watts Branch Library
February 25, 2012, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm – Eagle Rock Branch Library 
March 3, 2012, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm – Junipero Serra Branch Library
March 3, 2012, 12:30 - 5:00 pm – Valley Plaza Branch Library
March 10, 2012, 12:30 - 5:00 pm – Playa Vista Branch Library


THERE IS AN ACTUAL SAT ON MARCH 10, 2012! Make sure to register at www.collegeboard.org by February 10, 2012.


Here are the dates for upcoming FREE Practice ACT's -


February 25, 2012, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm – Westwood Branch Library 
March 10, 2012, 12:30 - 5:00 pm – Lake View Terrace Branch Library 
March 10, 2012, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm – Wilmington Branch Library 
March 17, 2012, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm – Eagle Rock Branch Library 
March 24, 2012, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm – Hyde Park Branch Library 
March 24, 2012, 12:30 - 5:00 pm – Los Feliz Branch Library 
March 24, 2012, 12:30 - 5:00 pm – Teen'Scape/Central Library
March 31, 2012, 10:00 am - 2:30 pm – Palms - Rancho Park Branch Library 


THERE IS AN ACTUAL ACT ON APRIL 14, 2012! Make sure to register at www.actstudent.org by March 9, 2012.


I will post more information soon. Good luck to everyone taking these tests! (: