Freeman Teen Zone

New HCPL Website & Good-Byes

2009-08-10T09:04:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Graffiti Girl Photo by: poolski

If you didn't know already, HCPL has a brand new website featuring loads more features and several topical blogs (everything from Teens to Movies to Audiobooks to Websites).

Because the new website allows more features, the Teen Zone blog will no longer be regularly updated. You can still check out our Freeman Library blog for program updates or you can e-mail me for a program calendar.

I've enjoyed creating this blog and working with our teen volunteers to bring Freeman teens news, updates, and reviews. I will miss it, but you can still check out my postings on the HCPL blogs.

Until then - best of luck :o)
meredith

End of the Teen SRP Party!

2009-08-06T13:24:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Houston at Sunset Photo by: Stuck in Customs

Friday, August 7th @ 2:30 pm
Saturday, August 8th is officially the end of the Summer Reading Program. Join us on Friday afternoon to celebrate the Teen Summer Reading Program with a party DJ from Hot 95.7, food, games, music, dancing, prizes, and more!

Game On!

2009-08-02T16:03:00.003-05:00

Flickr CC: New Game :) What does a Scrabble game you played in tell about yourself? Photo by: garlandcannon

Thursday, August 6th @ 2:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or considering joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Anime Club

2009-08-02T15:48:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Churuya-san Photo by: unforth

Wednesday, August 5th @ 2:30 pm
Come share with us your favorite anime shows and characters. What have other people been watching? What will we be watching this month? Find out all this and more in the Zone! +++Vote for next month's selection at this month's meeting!

Time Twistin' Retro Crafts: Open Crafty Day

2009-08-02T15:12:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Jump jump Photo by: Jolante

Tuesday, August 4th @ 2:30 pm
Got a project of your own that you're working on? Just want to come and join us for a "create whatever you want from the supplies we have" day? Come on up to the Teen Zone!

All Day Gaming in the Zone

2009-08-02T14:50:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Playing Cards Photo by: ccarlstead

Monday, August 3rd
Come to the Teen Zone and play games anytime, all day!

Cyber Camp: Play Day and Online Gaming

2009-07-29T10:45:00.007-05:00

Flickr CC: Tony Googles for the Answer to a Reference Question Photo by: ShellyS

This is the last week for our Teen Summer Cyber Camp! If you have attended any of our other Cyber Camp courses, we hope you have discovered something you've enjoyed. If this is your first Cyber Camp, you might want to take a look at everything we've explored so far!

Flickr CC: DT Online: Game 2 Photo by: Gamethyme

Today's Cyber Camp is an opportunity for you to look back at the other modules and have fun! Maybe you want to work some more on your personal blog or webpage, play around with Microsoft Publisher, edit some recent photos, or create your own music or video!

And what makes a summer more complete than having fun? Check out some free online games, while you're at it:

What are some of your favorite online games? What has been your favorite part of Cyber Camp or the Teen Summer Reading program? Leave us a comment!

Game On!

2009-07-25T15:05:00.008-05:00

Flickr CC: coasters Photo by: theogeo

Thursday, August 30th @ 2:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Freeman Teens Read

2009-07-25T14:57:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Using more iPod book Photo by: Brian Lane Winfield Moore

Wednesday, July 29th @ 2:30 pm
Come visit us in the Teen Zone for delectable literary conversation and delightful snacks! Who are your favorite authors? What have you recently read? What do you recommend? What might be fun to read as a group?? Join us in the Teen Zone for this and more!

Time Twistin' Retro Crafts: Tie-Dye

2009-07-25T14:51:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Zoe's Tie-Dye Photo by: psd

Tuesday, July 28th @ 2:30 pm
Meet us on the front porch of the Library with some gear you'd like to tie-dye - maybe an old shirt, a bandana, or a pair of (clean) socks! Additional t-shirts will be provided for those who may have forgotten their own, but supplies are limited. First come, first served.

Monday Movie Matinee: Aliens with Weird-Shaped Heads

2009-07-25T14:42:00.007-05:00

Flickr CC: coneheads_duo Photo by: nofredo

Monday, July 27th @ 11:00 am
Come down and join us in the first floor community room for a movie about aliens (with weird-shaped heads)! Enjoy a snack and an alien (with a weird-shaped head) craft. Questions about prospective titles, running times, or ratings? E-mail me or call or visit us @ the Library!

VIDEO EDITING CYBERCAMP

2009-07-23T08:36:00.009-05:00

Friday July 24 @ 2:30pm (Training Lab)
We have always been amazed by pictures, but these days the popularity of VIDEO has been quickly rising and even inspired some really neat online and local PC tools for you.

You've seen those videos posted all over the Internet in, YouTube, Hulu, even news pages are now all about video. While we will not show you"professional" video editing, some of the principles you will learn today will help you get there if that's your goal.

There are many software packages out there you can buy for this project, but if you want to just practice and find out if this is for you, then we'll show you some simple but very good and inexpensive ways of editing your video clips.

WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER
After you download your video from your digital video camera to Windows Movie Maker, you can polish your video by adding transitions, special effects, titles, credits, background music, and narration. These special features add mood and depth to your movies, making them even more fun to watch.
See it in action
Watch the video now to see how easy these features are to use. Watching the video requires that you have Windows Media Player.
Do it yourself
Now that you've seen what Movie Maker can do, read these articles for more detailed instructions on how to add a professional touch to your movie:
Add transitions and special effects. Transitions fade, flip, or slide one scene into the next. Special effects change the way a video clip appears by changing the speed or brightness, or by making the video look old. Movie Maker has dozens of fun and useful transitions and special effects.

Add titles and credits. With just a few clicks, you can add a professional-looking title to your movie and list the stars in rolling credits at the end. You can also use titles in the movie to introduce people or places.

Add music. Nothing sets the tone of a movie like music. Add some tropical music to set a relaxing tone for a vacation movie, or use a hip-hop beat to set a fast pace for a sports highlights movie.

Add narration. If you were to watch a home movie with friends in your living room, you'd probably describe where you were in each scene and tell funny stories that happened off-camera. With narration, your stories become part of your movie, so your friends across the Internet and around the world can hear them, too.
Once your movie is polished, learn how to save your movie and share it with your friends.

ANIMOTO.COM

"The end of slideshows"

Animoto is a web application that automatically generates professionally produced videos using their own patent-pending technology and high-end motion design. Each video is a fully customized orchestration of user-selected images and music. Produced on a widescreen format, Animoto videos have the visual energy of a music video and the emotional impact of a movie trailer. The heart of Animoto is its newly developed Cinematic Artificial Intelligence technology that thinks like an actual director and editor. It analyzes and combines user-selected images and music with the same sophisticated post-production skills & techniques that are used in television and film.
What you may not know about Animoto
With Animoto you can create videos so fast and easy that it only takes a matter of minutes to upload some pictures, upload a song and click create. Furthermore you can even add their Facebook application to use the pictures you already have uploaded to Facebook to create Animoto videos.

JAYCUT.COM

JayCut.com is a website that enables people to upload video, audio, and more in order to create “mixes” or movies. People can create their own profile page and groups of friends who can view their mixes or they can make them public. Users can add movies, photos, titles, transitions, and effects. Students make videos, audio files, or slideshows for educational purposes. . The website gets users to have fun and take pride in their work or presentations.

Jaycut is quick and easy to use. It’s fun and interactive, has clear instructions on how to use everything the website offers. The product is completely free, so give it a try!

Game On!

2009-07-17T14:46:00.009-05:00

Flickr CC: Caravaggio's Guitar Hero Photo by:Roberto Rizzato ►pix jockey◄

Thursday, July 23rd @ 2:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a commnet, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or considering joining TCK-TAB!

All Day Gaming in the Zone

2009-07-17T14:37:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Cookie checkers, starting out Photo by:oskay

Wednesday, July 22nd
Come to the Teen Zone and play games anytime, all day!

Have other ideas of great gaming events the Library can host? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Time Twistin' Retro Crafts: Candy-Wrapper Art

2009-07-17T14:30:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Candy Wrapper Wheel Photo by: terrapin

Tuesday, July 21st @ 2:30 pm
What exactly can you create out of candy wrappers? Join us in the Teen Zone to find out! Candy wrappers (and candy!) will be provided, or you can bring your own. Supplies are limited; first come, first served.

All Day Gaming in the Zone

2009-07-17T14:19:00.009-05:00

Flickr CC: Clue Photo by: TimmyGUNZ

Monday, July 20th
Come to the Teen Zone and play games anytime, all day!

Have ideas of other gaming events the Library can host? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Friday July 17th - AUDIO EDITING & PRODUCTION TOOLS

2009-07-16T13:50:00.008-05:00

Whether you want to just convert a song or piece of audio into an IPOD compatible file or MP3 or you want to start creating your own music, you are sure to find lots of options out there. We are going to list a few here, but I would surely try out some of the tutorials on YOUTUBE.
These are some that we have tried and loved. I am sure you can find some more out there on places like http://www.cnet.com/ or even going to your favorite technology store. Either way, have fun with your music and be creative!

SONY ACID MUSIC STUDIO

The application displays a graphic interface similar to a true musical recording studio, ideal for people wanting to compose music.The program obtains audio from different sources: microphone, aux and line in inputs, etc. creating a new track for each of the input signals. The user can drag and drop audio samples to the timeline window, and the application will adjust it to adapt it to the tempo of the previous recording.Looping is another interesting function the program offers to the user for arranging the recordings to fit their music needs. In addition, volume level curves and changes on the track pitch are also available and easy to use.User can copy (or cut) a part of the timeline curve and add it or insert it wherever (s)he wants. Silence intervals can be created and inserted anywhere in the time line graphic.It supports MIDI keyboard input and the possibility of mixing this input along with the already recorded music.Volume level normalization, MIDI edition tools, effects addition, etc.

AUDACITY SOUND FORGE

The multiplatform, open-source FREE editor Audacity has leaped to the top of our list with its clean interface, excellent features, and support for 32-bit floating-point audio. Audacity succeeds at being both feature-rich and flexible, while keeping the toolbar and work space uncluttered. It does this by relegating most functions--such as effects, edits, and project management--to handy drop-down menus.
Audacity supports uncompressed audio standards such as WAV and AIFF in addition to OGG and MP3 files. A full complement of basic effects such as reverb, delay, and compression are included. Virtual Studio Technology (VST), Linux Audio Developers Simple Plugin Architecture (LAPSDA), and Nyquist plug-ins also are available if you're looking to expand. Another eye-catching feature is the Beat Analyzer, which helps you peg the beats per minute of a phrase.
The performance of most functions is quick--even CPU-hogging tasks such as exporting to MP3 or adding complex effects. Though Audacity doesn't offer advanced effects or features out of the box, its usability and price set this freeware wonder above the crowd

ACOUSTICA MP3 AUDIO MIXER

This is another multiplatform mixer that allows you to bring in different audio files to chop, mix, and edit. You can use almost any type of audio format listed on the other programs above, but it’s a lot cheaper than the Pro Versions above. A good way of exporting and converting files as well.

ONLINE MIXERS (these are a lot of FUN!)

LOOPLABS http://www.looplabs.com/

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BEATBOX DJ MIXER http://www.ss7x7.com/

Game On!

2009-07-10T12:18:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Nintendo Super Mario Bros Cupcakes Photo by: clevercupcakes

Thursday, July 16th @ 2:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or considering joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Weird Science

2009-07-10T12:12:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: science Photo by: Kerrrrrrrie.

Wednesday, July 15th @ 2:30 pm
Check out some wacky and weird science experiments in the Teen Zone!

Time Twistin' Retro Craft: Decoupage

2009-07-10T11:50:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Decoupage 1 Vertical Photo by: TheatricAL 03

Tuesday, July 14th @ 2:30 pm
What exactly is decoupage? Well...you can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary! Join us in the Teen Zone for a fun craft! Supplies are limited; first come, first served.

Have other ideas of awesome crafty events we can host? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Monday Movie Matinee: Behaving Badly

2009-07-10T11:44:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: TV; "Brainwashed" Photo by: Aaron Escobar™

Monday, July 13th @ 11:00 am
Join us in the first floor community room for a movie, an interactive game, and snacks!

Questions about prospective titles, running times, or ratings? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, or call or visit us @ the Library.

Cyber Camp: Photo Editing & Online Art

2009-07-07T10:40:00.022-05:00

Photo Before Editing

It can be a lot of fun sharing pictures online with family and friends, but you might want to consider editing those pictures before you share them!

There are several sites on the web that are free of charge and are loaded with lots of fun features. Most of these sites will have basic features which allow you to crop, resize and rotate. Some sites will allow you to do much more than basic editing.

Photo After Editing

For example, you can make pictures come to life by adding animation, share your photos through other social networking sites, or create posters, postcards, mousepads and more!

Most of the sites require registration and are free, unless you want to upgrade to a paid account to access premium features.

Pixer.us is great for a beginner. It has a variety of features and is very easy to use and understand. Best of all there is no registration required and it is free.

Flickr CC: Photo editing Photo by: alirjd

Picnik.com is tons of fun. There is no registration required and it is also free. You can get premium features with a paid (for-fee) account. This site offers a lot of free features such as making scrapbook pages, cards, and collages. You can also add text and animated effects to your pictures with this site.

Fotoflexer.com will allow you to connect to certain online photo-sharing accounts and edit your pictures. This site is easy to use when you stick with the basic features. The great part about Fotoflexer is that it offers advanced features. These features may take a bit of practice to master.

Flickr CC: Swallowing the Ruins Photo by: Stuck in Customs

photoshop.com/express/landing.html requires registration, but it’s great because it serves as storage for your pictures. This site is also very basic and easy to use.

Walgreens.com also has a few great features, but it does require registration. You can edit your pictures before sending them to be printed. You can add borders and effects to your pictures or make a request for your picture to be made into a mouse pad.

The possibilities are endless when you are editing your pictures. Have fun!

Flickr CC: The State Capitol of Texas at Dusk Photo by: Stuck in Customs

Exercises:
- Pick one of the photo editing services described above and experiment with the editing features.

- Know of some other great online photo editing tools (either free or for a cost)? Leave us a comment and tell us about them!

Game On!

2009-07-07T10:22:00.009-05:00

Flickr CC: Back to Back Photo by: Chris Fritz

Thursday, July 9th @ 2:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or considering joining the TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Anime Club

2009-07-02T08:55:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Leah+Moogle=Adorable Photo by: Willrad

Wednesday, July 8th @ 2:30 pm
Come share with us your favorite anime shows and characters. What have other people been watching? What will we be watching this month? Find out all this and more! +++Vote for next month's selection at this month's meeting!

Time Twistin' Retro Crafts: Bottle Cap Jewelry

2009-07-02T08:49:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Bottlecap Portrait Photo by: B_Zedan

Tuesday, July 7th @ 2:30 pm
Who knew that bottle caps could make such interesting jewelry? Join us in the Teen Zone to make your own unique necklaces, pendants or bracelets! Supplies are limited!

Have other ideas for great crafty projects? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

All Day Gaming in the Zone

2009-07-02T08:39:00.007-05:00

Flickr CC: playing uno extreme Photo by: Hc_07

Monday, July 6th
Come to the Teen Zone and play games anytime, all day!

Have ideas of other cool gaming events? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Game On!

2009-06-28T14:20:00.007-05:00

Flickr CC: Rampage Wario Photo by: drumecho

Thursday, July 2nd @ 2:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming every Thursday - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

All Day Gaming in the Zone

2009-06-28T13:45:00.009-05:00

Flickr CC: Trivial Pursuit Photo by: unloveablesteve

Wednesday, July 1st
Come to the Teen Zone and play games anytime, all day!

Have other ideas for cool gaming events we can have at Freeman? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Time Twistin' Retro Crafts: Hair Clips & Headbands

2009-06-26T16:39:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: hair clip Photo by: Lydiat

Tuesday, June 30th @ 2:30 pm
Meet us up in the Teen Zone for another retro craft - making and decorating your own hair clips or headband! Supplies are limited :)

Have other ideas of cool crafts we can offer? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Monday Movie Matinee: Super Heroes & Comic Strips

2009-06-26T16:21:00.007-05:00

Flickr CC: I'm the Real Iron Man. No, I Am. No... Photo by: ShellyS

Monday, June 29th @ 11:00 am
Meet us in the first floor community room for a comic book hero movie! Enjoy eating snacks and making your own comic strips!

Questions about prospective titles, running times, or ratings? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, or call or visit us @ the Library!

Recent Reads

2009-06-26T15:50:00.001-05:00

Blogging & Online Publishing

2009-06-23T11:04:00.025-05:00

Flickr CC: FACEBOOK Illustrations Photo by: escapedtowisconsin

Have you ever wanted to create your own website? Are you tired of MySpace or Facebook (and the fact that your teachers and parents have their own profiles now) and are looking for a new space? Do you want to share your opinions, dramas, stories, poems, music, or videos? Then check out some of these web publishing tools!

In this week’s Cyber Camp, we’re going to cover:

Online publishing – What is it and why should I care?
What are my options? Is it free?

Flickr CC: Transparent Screen Photo by: yohann.aberkane

Online Publishing: What is it and why should I care?
Online publishing is in some ways like print publishing (of magazines, newspapers, books), but the web has expanded how and what kind of content can be accessed. Online publishing also allows almost everyone to create an online presence, to connect with friends and family, to share one’s opinions and talents with the world, and to explore personal interests.

Back in the Dark Ages you might’ve made a homemade magazine or newspaper and gone over to Kinkos and made copies on a Xerox copy machine and then hand-delivered or mailed your awesome opinions and ideas to like-minded people. Fast-forward to today and we live in a world where web and related technical skills are a must-have. If you wanted to, you could broadcast your voice to the world and, in developing an impressive web presence, you can also demonstrate to future employers or college admissions boards the variety of technical, graphic design, and/or writing skills you possess.

Flickr CC: bullhorn Photo by: Duchamp

If you have not already completed the “Internet Safety” section of Cyber Camp, you might consider doing so. Before creating and publishing your own website, blog, or wiki, you might want to consult with your parents or other adult mentors about your options and safe Internet use.

Blog – Or ‘weblog” refers to a website usually maintained by an individual with regular updates and perhaps additional audio, video, or other multimedia content. Some blogs require software downloaded by users; others are “developer hosted,” meaning they require no software installation.

Wiki – A collection of web pages, which allows anyone to contribute, modify, edit, or reverse content; wikis are often created as collaborative or community websites. Some wikis can be password protected, allowing only authorized users to see, adapt, or change content. Wikis can be used on a free or for-fee basis. The most popular or well-known wiki is Wikipedia!

Flickr CC: Physical Wiki Photo by: OnTask

Free Site-Builders and Web Hosting – There are several free webhosting services, html editors, and website builders available, such as Lycos and Weebly. Some of the services are free, some use positioned advertising within your pages to fund free services, some require downloadable software, and others require monthly fees.

Blogging & Social Networking
What’s the big deal about blogging? Check out this YouTube video:

Although Lee talks about Blogger and Wordpress in his video, there are several other free blogging services available, all with different features and functions.

LiveJournal, unlike some of the other blogging tools available, provides both online journaling and social networking features. You can form and join communities based on common interests; send and receive updates on friends and family members; integrate multimedia content into your journal; and make voice and instant messaging updates to your journal. Want to know more? Take the LiveJournal Tour!

With Blogger one user or a group of users can create and add content to the blog. With blogger you can: integrate text, audio, video and images into your blog; manage comments, control who can add content and who can read your blog; and upload text and images from your cell or post photos from Flickr. The Freeman Teen Zone Blog is a blogger blog! For more information, you can take the Blogger Tour.

Flickr CC: Twitter - New 'Over Capacity' Graphic Photo by: Shovelling Son

Twitter is referred to as a “micro-blogging” and social networking site. Twitter allows posts up to 140 characters (just like when you send a text) and you can follow what your friends are twittering and your friends can follow you! What I think is super awesome about twitter: I can post a tweet from my cell!

If LiveJournal, Blogger or Twitter don’t look like what you want (or if you already have an account), you can check out some of these other sites:

Flickr CC: Wordpress Schawg Photo by: Peregrino Will Reign

Wordpress offers many of the same services as Blogger, but has a few nifty features of its own, like: a free integrated statistics system (a way to track who is viewing your blog); the ability to add tags to your posts and put your posts into categories; and automatic spell check (if you care about that sort of thing).

Insane Journal is sort of like LiveJournal, except “insane” and with fewer bells and whistles.

Vox, also like LiveJournal, offers social networking functions, as well as blogging.

Wikis

As mentioned before, Wikipedia is one of the most popular and best known of public wikis. What makes Wikipedia different from other websites? Well, first, it is a social space and an online knowledge base created, modified and managed by its users. Whether organizing a camping trip, working on a group project for school, or creating a public encyclopedia, wikis can be awesome at bringing multiple people together to accomplish a common goal.

Lee’s instructional video on wikis mentioned several free services available to create your own wiki, including: wetpaint, pbwiki (now known as pbworks), and Wikispaces. Although each provides many of the same features, the look, feel and ease of use is different with each site. Because some of these wiki sites offer free and fee-based wikis, comparing what you can get with a free account on each might help you determine which is best for you.

Free Site Builders and Webhosting
Although there are probably a bazillion different tools available to build your own website or that provide free webhosting, two that I have found (and I think are easy to use with fairly impressive results) are: Google Sites and Weebly.

Flickr CC: Keyboard Photo by: J_D_L

Google Sites advertises itself as “a free and easy way to create and share webpages,” although many of the functions that Google Sites offers (such as controlling who can access your site and who has permission to create, upload or edit content) make the platform function much as a wiki does. Super cool feature: you can make your site searchable with “Google search technology”!

Weebly is an easy to navigate and easily customizable tool for webpage creation. Unlike some of the other tools and sites discussed above, Weebly allows you to integrate your own blog into your website. And, whether or not you want to publish your webpages through Weebly for free, you can always use their site builder and publish your finished product another free or for-fee webhosting service.

Exercises:
- Try signing up for an account with one of these services and explore the functions. Again, I would recommend discussing your choices with your parents or other adult mentors before making any of your content “public.”

Flickr CC: long shutter experiment Photo by: Tahmid Munaz ™

Or – if you are not in the mood to sign up for an account with one of these services today, publish a comment to this post about something you’ve learned, what looks cool, or whether or not you might want to blog or publish on the web in the future!

Game On!

2009-06-21T12:21:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Mario Stencil Photo by: Dr Case

Thursday, June 25th @ 2:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Freeman Teens Read

2009-06-21T12:13:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Late Night Read Photo by: trazomfreak

Wednesday, June 24th @ 2:30 pm
Come visit us in the Teen Zone for delectable literary conversation and delightful snacks! Who are your favorite authors? What have you recently read? What do you recommend? What might be fun to read as a group?? Join us in the Teen Zone for this and more!

Time Twistin' Retro Crafts: Origami

2009-06-21T12:07:00.007-05:00

Flickr CC: origami Photo by: Claudia M Montecino

Tuesday, June 23rd @ 2:30 pm
Join us in the Teen Zone for origami and other paper crafts!

Have ideas for other crafty events? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

All Day Gaming in the Zone

2009-06-21T11:58:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Mastermind Photo by: unloveablesteve

Monday, June 22nd
Come to the Teen Zone and play games anytime, all day!

Have other ideas for teen events or games we can offer? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Microsoft Office 2007 Overview

2009-06-17T16:25:00.025-05:00

You'll be amazed at all the new features MS Office 2007 has to offer. It now supports about 16,000,000 millions colors, includes tons of new and exciting templates, and it is easier to use.

So what's the change?

When you first open any MS Office 2007 program, you may be surprised by its new look. Most of the changes are in the Ribbon, the area that spans the top of Word.

The Ribbon brings the most popular commands to the forefront, so you don't have to hunt in various parts of the program for things you do all the time.

Why the change?

To make your work easier and faster. The Ribbon was thoroughly researched and designed from users' experiences so that commands are in the optimal position.
There are three basic components to the Ribbon. It's good to know what each one is called so that you understand how to use it.

Tabs. There are seven basic ones across the top. Each represents an activity area.

Groups. Each tab has several groups that show related items together.

Commands. A command is a button, a box to enter information, or a menu.

Everything on a tab has been carefully selected according to user activities. For example, the Home tab contains all the things you use most often, such as the commands in the Font group for changing text font: Font, Font Size, Bold, Italic, and so on.

The Microsoft Office Button
The place to start a document is the Microsoft Office Button.
Once you press the button, a menu appears. You may notice that this menu, shown here, looks a bit similar to the File menus in previous versions of MS Office (Word, Excel, etc). On the left of the menu, you see all the commands to work with a file. Here's where to create a new document or open an existing one. You've got your Save and Save as commands here, too.
The right side of the menu lists your recently opened documents. These are always conveniently visible so that you don't have to search your computer for a document you frequently work on.

Additional tabs appear

In this new version of Office, certain tabs appear only when you need them. For example, let's say you've inserted a picture. But now you want to do more with it. Maybe you want to change how text wraps around it or you want to crop it. Where are those commands found?

1. Select the picture.

2. The Picture Tools tab appears. Click that tab.

3, Additional groups and commands appear for working with pictures; like the Picture Styles group.

When you click away from the picture, the Picture Tools tab disappears, and the other groups come back.

Note: On-demand tabs appear for other activity areas, like tables, drawings, diagrams, and charts.

The Mini toolbar
Some formatting commands are so useful that you want to have them available whatever you are doing.

Let's say you want to quickly format some text, but you're working on the Page Layout tab. You could click the Home tab to see the formatting options, but here's a faster way:

Select your text by dragging with your mouse, and then point at the selection.

The Mini toolbar will appear in a faded fashion. If you point to the Mini toolbar, it will
become solid, and you can click a formatting option there.

The Mini toolbar is great for formatting options, but what if you want other types of commands to always be available? Use the Quick Access Toolbar.

The Quick Access Toolbar
The Quick Access Toolbar is the small area to the upper left of the Ribbon. It contains the things that you use over and over every day: Save, Undo, and Repeat. You can add your favorite commands to it so that they are available no matter which tab you are on.

Opening Templates
The steps for opening templates from the Office Online Web site are very similar. As the animation shows, you open the New Document window under the Office Button , but in this case you look in the area under Microsoft Office Online. Click one of the categories to see thumbnails of all the templates offered. As with installed templates, a large preview of each is given. Some categories, such as Letters, have subcategories that you choose from — for example, Academic, Business, and Cover Letters.

To download one of the templates, you select the thumbnail and click Download. That's it. The template opens as a fresh new document on your computer for you to add to as you want and then save.

The original template is not changed; it remains on Office Online. However, a copy of the template itself is saved to your computer. If you want to use it again, you don't have to go to Office Online again.

MS WORD 2007
Microsoft Office Word 2007 is a program that is available to use on most computers that allows you to create, modify and save documents.

There are many features associated with Microsoft Word.

You can use MS Word for other things than just typing out letters. For example:

· Resumes
· Flyers
· Letterheads
· Faxes
· Memos
· Documents with built in Charts
· And many more!

Office Word 2007 helps information workers create professional-looking content more quickly than ever before. With a host of new tools, you can quickly construct documents from predefined parts and styles, as well as compose and publish blogs directly from within Word. Advanced integration with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 and new XML-based file formats make Office Word 2007 the ideal choice for building integrated document management solutions.
This document provides an overview of Office Word 2007, with an emphasis on new and improved features. It also covers Office Word 2007 in action to demonstrate its exciting new capabilities.

For training courses, videos and general help on MS Word 2007 click here.

MS EXCEL 2007
Microsoft Office Excel 2007 is a powerful tool you can use to create and format spreadsheets, and analyze and share information to make more informed decisions. With the Microsoft Office Fluent user interface, rich data visualization, and PivotTable views, professional-looking charts are easier to create and use. Office Excel 2007, combined with Excel Services, a new technology that will ship with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, provides significant improvements for sharing data with greater security.

You can share sensitive business information more broadly with enhanced security with your coworkers, customers, and business partners. By sharing a spreadsheet using Office Excel 2007 and Excel Services, you can navigate, sort, filter, input parameters, and interact with PivotTable views directly on the Web browser.

Improve spreadsheet analysis
New data analysis and visualization tools help you analyze information, spot trends, and access your company information more easily.
Use conditional formatting with rich data visualization schemes to discover and illustrate important trends and highlight exceptions in your data with colored gradients (heat maps), data bars, and icons. Sorting and filtering are two of the most important types of basic analysis that you can do with data. New options for sorting and filtering, such as multiselect in AutoFilters, sort or filter by color, and “quick filters” for specific data types make Office Excel 2007 the ideal tool for working with large amounts of complex data.

Create aPivotTable or PivotChart view more easily by using data fields to reorient data quickly to summarize and find the answers you need. Simply drag the fields to where you want them to display.

For training courses, videos and general help on MS Excel 2007 click here.

MS POWERPOINT 2007

Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007 enables users to quickly create high-impact, dynamic presentations, while integrating workflow and ways to easily share information. From the Microsoft Office Fluent user interface to the new graphics and formatting capabilities, Office PowerPoint 2007 puts the control in your hands to create great-looking presentations.

Create dynamic presentations
Quickly create dynamic and great-looking presentations using the Office Fluent user interface and new graphics capabilities.

Get better results faster with the Office Fluent user interface. The Office Fluent user interface in Office PowerPoint 2007 makes creating, presenting, and sharing presentations an easier and more intuitive experience. You now have all of the rich features and capabilities of PowerPoint in a streamlined, uncluttered workspace that minimizes distraction and helps you achieve the results you want more quickly and easily.
Create powerful, dynamic SmartArt diagrams. Easily create relationship, workflow, or hierarchy diagrams from within Office PowerPoint 2007. You can even convert a bulleted list into a SmartArt diagram or modify and update existing diagrams. It’s also easy for users to take advantage of rich formatting options with the contextual diagramming menus in the Office Fluent user interface.

Help ensure that your content is up to date. With PowerPoint Slide Libraries, you can easily repurpose slides from existing presentations stored on a site supported by Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. Not only does this cut down the time you spend creating presentations, but any slides you insert from the site can be synchronized with the server version, to help ensure your content is up to date.

Create presentations quickly and easily by re-using custom layouts.

In Office PowerPoint 2007, you can define and save your own custom slide layouts, so you no longer have to waste valuable time cutting and pasting your layouts onto new slides or deleting content on a slide with the layout you want. With PowerPoint Slide Libraries, it is easy to share these custom slides with others so that your presentations have a consistent and professional look and feel.

Apply a consistent look and feel in one click. Document Themes help you change the look and feel of your entire presentation with just one click. Changing the theme of your presentation not only changes the background color but the colors of diagrams, tables, charts, and fonts, and even the style of any bullet points within a presentation. By applying a theme, you can be confident that your entire presentation has a professional and consistent look and feel.
Dramatically modify shapes, text, and graphics with new tools and effects. You can now manipulate and work with your text, tables, charts, and other presentation elements in much richer ways than ever before. Office PowerPoint 2007 makes these tools readily available through the streamlined user interface and contextual menus, so that in just a few clicks, your work can have greater impact.

For training courses, videos and general help on PowerPoint 2007 click here.

Game On!

2009-06-12T16:48:00.007-05:00

Flickr CC: Guitar Hero (02-071) Photo by: woordenaar

Thursday, June 18th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, email me, call or visit us @ the Library, or considering joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Weird Science

2009-06-12T16:40:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Sun Glass (Extreme RAW Edition + BW Transform) Photo by: onkel_wart

Wednesday, June 17th @ 2:30 pm
Check out some wacky and weird science experiments in the Teen Zone! For this month's weird science experiment, bring along your sun screen or a pair of sunglasses!

Father's Day Craft

2009-06-12T16:31:00.010-05:00

Flickr CC: Fat ties are so in Photo by: -po

Tuesday, June 16th @ 4:30 pm
Can't figure out what to get Dad for Father's Day? Stop by the Zone and make him a special and unique craft!

Have ideas on other crafty programs we can host here @ the Library? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Monday Movie Matinee: Scary Movie & Special Effects Make-Up

2009-06-12T16:20:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Plastic Make-up Shots #2 Photo by: Tasslehoff Burrfoot

Monday, June 15th @ 11:00 am
Join us in the first floor Community Room for a scary movie! Enjoy snacks and learn some tips and tricks about scary and special effects make-up!

Questions about prospective titles, ratings, and running times? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Cyber Camp: Library Research & Internet Safety

2009-06-08T12:37:00.078-05:00

Flickr CC: Sour Candies Photo by: DSemeniuk

Friday, June 12th @ 10:30 am & 2:30 pm
I remember going to the school library – every single year – for a “special” library introduction. It was always so boring and I thought the librarians were crazy; I mean, come on, how hard is it to type in keywords and find what you need? I had Google, right?

But then a research project would inevitably be assigned and, for some reason, I couldn’t find what I needed. I wasn’t really sure where to start. I knew the information I needed was somewhere, but typing in keywords wasn’t working for me. Sometimes research seems real easy, but when it comes time to actually do research for an assignment, you might feel in over your head.

Flickr CC: Uris Library Stacks Photo by: eflon

In this week’s Cyber Camp, we’re going to cover:
1. Library databases – What are they? Why should I care?
2. Library catalog – What is it? How do I make it do what I want to find what I need?
3. Free web – How is this different from the library databases? How do I determine what is a “good” website for research and what isn’t?
4. Internet safety – What are some ways that I can be safe online?

Library Databases
A database is just a really fancy way of describing a bunch of electronic information that has been organized. One of my favorite databases is the Internet Movie Database, a free web resource about movies and television shows.

Flickr CC: Bauer 88B Photo by: John Kratz

Library databases are different than IMDB in a few ways:
· First, much of the information available in library databases has been pulled from printed resources – meaning that the databases have information that you could (at some place, at some time) have found in a magazine, an academic journal, a reference book, a newspaper, etc.
· Second, library databases provide information from trusted (or “authoritative”) sources, making your teachers happy :o)
· Third, while anyone can access IMDB, library databases are only accessible to those with a library card.

Helpful Database Terms:
Abstract – a brief summary
Authentication – process where the database checks to verify that you have permission to use it (asking for your library card number)
Citation – smallest amount of information that allows someone else to find the same source you’ve found
Full-text – complete content of an article (PDF=image, html = just words)
Index – back of the book, system of organizing information access points to get to the information you need
Keyword Search – search that matches the exact language used in an article, citation, or abstract
Periodical = Journal = Magazine = Serial
Subject Search – controlled vocabulary search

Where can I find these databases, you might be asking? From the library website!If you’re on the library’s homepage, you can see a tab across the top labeled Databases.
You can choose which database you want in 3 different ways:
• By Subject
• Alphabetically by the Name of the Database (i.e. Academic Search Complete, Learning Express Library, etc.)
• By Journal/Magazine title
Most of the time you’ll probably be finding your database by Subject; maybe you have a paper you need to write for Language Arts (check out Literature & Literary Criticism!) or perhaps you just need a newspaper or magazine article to fill out your works cited (check out Magazines & Journals or Newspapers). Looking for databases by Subject can help you with any of these types of questions.

Sometimes you might know the name of the journal, magazine or newspaper and just want to see if you can find it @ the Library. For this you’ll search By Journal, entering in the title you’re looking for in the search box. Say, for example, that you’re searching for the New York Times. Once you’ve searched your title, you’ll see a list of what the Library has.

**Remember: Most of the library databases you can access from anywhere you have an internet connection (at home, at work, at school); which means you can potentially do research at home in your pajamas. If you log into a database from outside the Library, you will be asked for your library barcode number (to prove you’re one of us). What a good reason to get a library card!
Library Database Exercises:

Flickr CC: I need more Photo by: bark_it

- Pick one of the databases in a subject that interests you (perhaps history, literature, biographies, science….) and play around with the search functions.
- Does the database you chose give you results in full text? Some databases allow you to limit your results just to full-text. What does that mean exactly? Well, imagine you’re doing a Google search for Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. Some of the results will give you a review someone has written, where as others just show you pictures of the cover and how much you will pay for a copy of the book. Full-text provides everything included in an article or book (text, pictures, links, etc.). If the database does not provide full text, you'll just see a synopsis and citation.
- Does the database you chose have an advanced search feature? What does this feature do – can you tell? Most advanced search features use what are called Boolean operators. What exactly are those? Check out the video below to learn more about Boolean operators:

Library Catalog
What exactly is the catalog? The catalog allows you to see what the Library physically has in its buildings (books, audiobooks, movies, music, etc.) and what digital content you can access through the Library website (downloadable ebooks, audiobooks, external websites, etc.).

Where can you find the catalog? From the library website! You can select the link to the catalog or search directly from the homepage.
If you click the link to the catalog, the first thing you’ll see are several basic search options, including: keywords, title keywords, author keywords, or subject keywords. My two favorite ways to search are using the Power Search feature and Advanced Search.

Power Search is a really great and easy way to browse titles or to get ideas on related subjects. The Power Search is also helpful when you only know part of a title or are not quite sure how to spell something. Power Search also makes it really easy to find what is @ Freeman, what is available on DVD, or what we have just in Spanish.

Advanced Search allows you to use those awesome Boolean operators! When you know an exact title, the author’s exact name, or when you want to limit your results to specific subjects, Advanced Search will keep you from having to sort through a bunch of titles that may or may not have anything to do with want you want.

Library Catalog Exercises

Flickr CC: venn diagram Photo by: Pawel C

- Try using the Power Search to find a topic of interest to you (i.e. American history, vampires, botany, etc.). Look at the left hand “Discover” tool while you search. What do you notice? On the right hand side, try limiting your results just to Freeman. Try limiting by language or year of publication.
- Think of a Boolean phrase that you can punch into the Advanced Search (i.e. Mexico AND United States NOT Immigration). What do you notice about your results? Try limiting your search results to Freeman or to non-fiction titles only.

The Free Web!

Flickr CC: Wikipedia - T-shirt Photo by: quartermane

The free web is made up of all the documents, sounds, images, movies, text, and other wonderful things freely accessible on the World Wide Web. Therefore, while Library databases are accessible through the web, because they cost money…they aren’t on the “Free Web."

Sometimes teachers or librarians or other adults will tell us about how bad it is to use Google or Wikipedia. I’m here to tell you that using what you’ve found through Google or an article from Wikipedia is NOT bad, you just have to know the right times to use them. If I want to know more about the JONAS television show, for example, I’m probably not going to go to the encyclopedia. I’m going to look at the Internet Movie Database, at Wikipedia, or find the Jonas brothers' homepage through Google.

Flickr CC: Jonas Brothers AMA's 08' Photo by: Nattiethebat

If I’m doing a research paper, I’m going to want to use the resources available through the Library or from free websites that I know are reliable (unless I happen to be writing a research paper on the Jonas brothers – in that case, I’m probably going to use free web and library resources).

There are a couple of search engines you can use to search for high-quality, trustworthy free websites:
Librarians' Internet Index
Intute
Whenever you are using a free website, it is always a good idea to evaluate the content you come across. You can find really great website evaluation guides online.

Free Web Exercises:

Flickr CC: thumbs up Photo by: joeltelling

- Do a search for something that interests you on Google. Once you’ve picked an interesting site, use this website evaluation guide to determine whether or not you would cite this source or rely on the information you’ve found.
- Using the Librarians’ Internet Index or Intute, pick a topic that interests to search. Do the same search on Google. What are the differences or similarities?

Internet Safety
I love surfing the web. I love updating my LibraryThing profile and sending messages to my book fiend compatriots. I could spend hours on YouTube watching and listening to music videos. I would rather shop online than go into a store.

Flickr CC: Pick Photo by: its*me*red

Whatever you enjoy doing online, you need to think about what footprints you’re leaving behind – is it really such a good idea to post that picture of yourself online? Would you want your grandmother, a parent, your teacher, the school janitor, or some random, creepy person looking at that picture? Would you want someone looking at that picture 10 years from now when you’re applying for a new job?

There are so many awesome things we can do online, but we need to be aware of how others might use the information we make available. Is it a good idea to post your address? Is it a good idea to friend someone you don’t really know? Is it a good idea to enter a random contest to win a free iPhone advertised on MySpace? One word: no.

There are several sources to learn more about internet safety and how to enjoy the benefits of being online without putting yourself, your friends, or your family at risk.

Internet Safety Exercises:

Flickr CC: Untitled Photo by: clip works

- Check out the Teen iHCPL post on internet safety or learn more about internet safety from the HCPL Teens Know website.
- Take a look at the Safe Teens website, an initiative of the Tech Parenting Group, a non-profit organization focused on the impacts of social technologies.

Recent Reads

2009-06-08T12:00:00.004-05:00

Everything I Ate: A Year in the Life of My Mouth by Tucker Shaw

Warning: Don’t read this book when you’re hungry! Author/photographer Tucker Shaw takes your taste buds on a journey throughout one of the fine dining capitals, New York. By photographing every morsel of food that entered his mouth, every day for an entire year, Shaw allows readers a unique and personal glimpse into a year of his life by way of food. The book is set up as a “food diary” that is candid and detailed. Each page is one day, and the pictures on each show exactly what Shaw ate that day, what it’s called, where he consumed it, who he ate it with, and even the exact time he devoured it. This book will be interesting to any foodies out there who wonder what other people eat on a regular basis, or anyone curious about people’s habits. Shaw, a New York denizen, is surrounded by world class restaurants and exotic dining, so he has his fair share of caviar, Kobe beef, fancy sushi, as well as your typical bowl of cereal, spaghetti, and midnight snack candies. Just like reading your little sister’s diary, Shaw’s quirky photo food diary gives you that sense of guilty pleasure, and allows you to enjoy food in a different way, without all the calories! - Reviewed by Michelle Truong

Sound interesting? Check it out @ HCPL - or - find out about more great reads!

Game On!

2009-06-07T15:55:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Mario Kart! Let's Gooo!!!! Photo by: Pixteca MX【ツ】

Thursday, June 11th @ 2:30
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Anime Club

2009-06-07T15:50:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Ouran High School Host Club Photo by: nielleborges

Wednesday, June 10th @ 2:30 pm
Come share with us your favorite anime shows and characters. What have other people been watching? What will we be watching this month? Find out all this and more! +++Vote for next month's selection at this month's meeting!

Have ideas on what else we can do in our Freeman Anime Club? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Time Twistin Retro Crafts: Lotions & Potions

2009-06-07T15:45:00.003-05:00

Flickr CC: my new gloss. Photo by: Forty Photographs

Tuesday, June 9th @ 2:30 pm
Join us in the Zone and learn how to make your own lip balms and body scrubs. Supplies are limited; first come, first serve.

**Don't forget! We have crafts every Tuesday throughout the summer!

All Day Gaming in the Zone

2009-06-07T15:35:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Miscellaneous Playing Cards Photo by: incurable_hippie

Monday, June 8th
Come to the Teen Zone and play games anytime, all day!

Have ideas for games we can get for the Zone? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, or call or visit us @ the Library!

Teen Cyber Camp

2009-06-04T11:31:00.015-05:00

Teen Cyber Camp

Flickr CC: A Computer, Spitting Discs Photo by: maxually

Library Research & Internet Safety - June 12th

Microsoft Office Suite - June 19th

Blogging & Web Publishing - June 26th

Photo Editing & Online Art - July 10th

Audio Editing & Production - July 17th

Video Editing & Production - July 24th

Play Day - July 31st

A new cyber camp module will be posted almost every week during the Teen Summer Reading Program. Check back for updates!

Questions? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, or call or visit us @ the Library.

Recent Reads

2009-06-02T10:37:00.003-05:00

Teen SRP Decades Dance Party!!!

2009-05-29T11:52:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: 1950s style Photo by: place light - flying not physically

Friday, June 5th @ 2:30 pm
Enjoy a whirlwind tour through time with our Teen Decades Dance Party! Join us for games, crafts, music, a costume competition, dance competitions and more!

Don't forget to register for the Teen Summer Reading program! Maybe you will be the next winner of a random drawing prize!

Teen Movie Night

2009-05-29T11:36:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Television Photo by: dailyinvention

Wednesday, June 3rd @ 4:30 pm
Celebrate the end of school with a movie! Relax and enjoy snacks.
Have suggestions for cool movies we can watch? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August, 31st)!

Time Twistin' Retro Crafts: Duct Tape!

2009-05-29T11:30:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: A selection of rfid blocking duct tape wallets and passport covers Photo by: quinnums

Tuesday, June 2nd @ 4:30 pm
Stop by the Zone to make anything and everything out of duct tape! Flip flops, wallets, jewelry, and more!

Recent Reads

2009-05-20T18:50:00.005-05:00

The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney by Suzanne Harper

The Secret of Sparrow Delaney is about a girl who switches schools before starting 10th grade. She lives in a town called Lily Dale, a town of mediums. Sparrow has always wanted to be normal but the ability to see, hear, sense, or smell Ghosts has ruined that for her. She hides the truth from her family members. Things get complicated when she keeps seeing a mysterious boy who is a ghost named Luke and he needs to pass on to the other side. The only way to do that is to pass on messages to his brother, the famous Jack Dawson and his parents that it was not there fault he died. The book continues with its interesting plot and ends with a bang. The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney is a fast paced and must read book. I could not put it down till I finished. This book is mysterious, adventure and a little bit of romance towards the end. People who watch the Television Show Ghost Whisperer and have read the book Breathe, will love this book. Suzanne Harper has a way of weaving the story together and painting realistic relationships between Sparrow and her family members. I would recommend this book to other readers because people will be sucked in through the plots twists and turns and by the Sparrow’s complicated life. - Review by Rama Imad

Sound interesting? Check it out! Or learn more about other cool reads!

Bead Crafts

2009-05-20T13:42:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Bead Palette Photo by: mollycakes

Friday, May 29th @ 4:30 pm
Celebrate the beginning of the weekend in style with a fun, relaxing beading craft! What can you make with beads? Join us to find out!

Have other ideas for fabulous, crafy events we can host? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting is August 31st)!

Henna Body Art

2009-05-20T13:37:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Henna Hands Photo by: adwriter

Thursday, May 28th @ 4:30 pm
In celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, join us in the Community Room for decorative henna body art! Signed permission slips are required, which can be found at the second floor reference desk or in the Teen Zone. Questions? Leave us a comment, call or visit us @ the Library, or e-mail me.

Freeman Teens Read

2009-05-20T13:33:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: for the love of books Photo by: Chocolate Geek

Wednesday, May 27th @ 4:30 pm
Come visit us in the Teen Zone for delectable literary conversation and delightful snacks! Who are your favorite authors? What have you recently read? What do you recommend? What might be fun to read as a group?? Join us in the Teen Zone for this and more!

Sock Puppets & Sock Crafts

2009-05-20T13:19:00.007-05:00

Flickr CC: Sock Zombie Puppet Photo by: Erin!

Tuesday, May 26th @ 4:30 pm
Come on up to the Teen Zone and make your own funky sock puppet - or - bring a pair of socks that you want to embellish and make unique and even more fabulous!

Have ideas for other crafty events we can have in the Zone? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB (our next meeting will be August 31st)!

Game On!

2009-05-16T12:28:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Frogger In Space Photo by: thescotty

Thursday, May 21st @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more! Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or considering joining TCK-TAB!

Bollywood Movie Night

2009-05-16T12:21:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Backview Bollywood #37 Photo by: Meanest Indian

Wednesday, May 20th @ 4:30 pm
Come on up to the Teen Zone and enjoy a bollywood movie (and snacks!) in celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month!

Have other ideas for themed movie nights? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

TCK-TAB

2009-05-16T12:14:00.007-05:00

Flickr CC: Monkey with cat Photo by: Salim Virji

Monday, May 18th @ 4:30 pm
Want your voice to be heard? Want to see your ideas be put into action? Join TCK-TAB (The Cook Kids-Teen Advisory Board)!! Get volunteer hours (and food!) by participating in our monthly board meetings. To participate or for more information: leave us a comment, e-mail me, or call or visit us @ the Library!

For this month's meeting we will be celebrating ourselves, each other and everything the TAB has accomplished this past school year with food, games, and fun!

Anime Mini-Con

2009-05-14T10:55:00.005-05:00

Hello all!
Robert, Daisy & I had a great time @ this week's Anime Mini-Con! Making kitty ears, eating pocky, watching Anime, playing our Japan Pop Culture trivia game...we had fun and hope you did too.
This is our second annual Mini-Con and we're always looking to hear from you about how we can make next year's events even better! If you have suggestions for next year, comments about this year or recommendations for our regularly scheduled Anime Club: leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Looking forward to hearing from you!
meredith

Anime Mini-Con: Gaming & Cosplay

2009-05-08T08:14:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Gothic Lolita Photo by: markii187

Thursday, May 14th @ 4:30 pm
Join us for Anime and Japanese popular culture-inspired gaming, as well as cosplay! Compete in our costume competition and perhaps you'll win a prize!

**This program is an iniative of the Freeman TCK-TAB

Anime Mini-Con: Anime Club

2009-05-08T08:08:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: ax2003-0210 Photo by: Clydesan

Wednesday, May 13th @ 4:30pm
Come share with us your favorite anime shows and characters. What have other people been watching? What will we be watching this month? Find out all this and more in this month's special Anime Mini-Con Anime Club! +++Vote for next month's selection at this month's meeting!

Anime Mini-Con: Anime Crafty

2009-05-08T08:00:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Cute plushy anime crab Photo by: Micah Dowty

Tuesday, May 12th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the Community Room to celebrate all things anime! The theme of today's events: anime crafty!

**This program is an iniative of the Freeman TCK-TAB

Recent Reads

2009-05-05T17:47:00.004-05:00

What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

Evie lives in New York City with her mother and stepfather, a soldier recently returned from Europe at the end of World War II. After a series of mysterious calls, Evie's stepfather announces to the family that he has planned a trip to Palm Beach - to pack their bags and get in the car!

Palm Beach is practically deserted, giving Evie a chance to develop a relationship with Peter - a man much older than she is and a "friend" of her stepfather's from the Army. Evie should have realized what was really going on the whole time. She saw the subtle hints, but she chose the ignore them. Find out what Evie saw and how she lied!

Sound interesting? Find out if this book is available! Or check out other cool titles @ HCPL!

Game On!

2009-04-29T17:49:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Playground tic-tac-toe and square Photo by: frozenchipmunk

Thursday, May 7th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Mother's Day Craft

2009-04-29T17:44:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Mumbai Flowers Photo by: Swami Stream

Wednesday, May 6th @ 4:30 pm
Mother's Day is this Sunday! Come to the Teen Zone and make a gift for your mother or another special woman in your life!

Have other ideas of some great crafty events we can have? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Cinco de Mayo Party

2009-04-29T17:39:00.003-05:00

Flickr CC: cinco de mayo Photo by: debaird

Tuesday, May 5th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room to celebrate Cinco de Mayo: with food, crafts, music and more!

Monopoly Tournament

2009-04-29T17:33:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Monopoly Justice Photo by: mtsofan

Monday, May 4th @ 6:00 pm
Set the tone for this year’s “The Big Read” selection, To Kill a Mockingbird, by enjoying one of the most popular games of the 1930s.

Have other ideas on some fun events we can host for the whole family? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Interest Project: Exploration!: Musuem Discovery

2009-04-29T17:26:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Fine Arts Houston Photo by: Sifter

Saturday, May 2nd @ 10:30 am
Come and complete steps towards the “Museum Discovery” Part II Interest Project! We will not earn the award but we will enjoy finishing certain steps.

Participation in “Interest Project: Exploration” workshops is free but please contact us @ the Library to register.

Game On!

2009-04-23T19:11:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: sorry! Photo by: sushiesque

Thursday, April 30th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or considering joining TCK-TAB!

Freeman Teens Read

2009-04-23T18:59:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Give a Hoot, Read a Book Photo by:Bunnyrel

Wednesday, April 29th @ 4:30 pm
Come visit us in the Teen Zone for delectable literary conversation and delightful snacks! Who are your favorite authors? What have you recently read? What do you recommend? What might be fun to read as a group?? Join us in the Teen Zone for this and more!

Have other ideas of some great events we could host @ the Library? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

TCK-TAB Meeting

2009-04-23T18:48:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Monkey Bot Photo by: ittybittiesforyou

Monday, April 27th @ 4:30 pm
Want your voice to be heard? Want to see your ideas be put into action? Join TCK-TAB (The Cook Kids-Teen Advisory Board)!! Get volunteer hours (and food!) by participating in our monthly board meetings. To participate or for more information: leave us a comment, e-mail me, or call or visit us @ the Library.

Interest Project: Exploration!: Museum Discovery

2009-04-21T19:46:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC:Girl Waiting Photo by: GP(MPK)

Saturday, April 25th @ 10:30 am
Come and complete steps towards the “Museum Discovery” Part I Interest Project! We will not earn the award but we will enjoy finishing certain steps.

Participation in “Interest Project: Exploration” workshops is free but please contact us @ the Library in order to register.

Karaoke Night!

2009-04-21T19:39:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: 18/365 -- A Little Sparkle for the Karaoke Hostess Photo by: vanhookc

Thursday, April 23rd @ 4:30 pm
If you love to sing, you should come join us. We will have our mic ready for you!

Have ideas for other awesome events we can have? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Earth Day Craft

2009-04-20T15:52:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Reuse Your Bag Photo by: keltickelton

Wednesday, April 22nd @ 4:30 pm

Celebrate Earth Day with an earth-friendly craft!

Have other ideas for some cool earth-friendly or other crafts? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Make It, Take It: Seashell Critters

2009-04-20T15:42:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Seashell Photo by: Darren Hester

CANCELLED Monday, April 20th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the Zone to make your own critters out of seashells!
***The Seashell Critters program will be rescheduled at a later date. Check back with us!***

Teen Cuisine: Candy Sushi

2009-04-09T12:35:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Caryn's Candy Sushi Photo by: revjim5000

Rescheduled Monday, April 20th @ 4:30 pm

Make sushi out of candy! It's fun! It's surprising! It’s delicious!

Game On!

2009-04-09T12:28:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Pac Man Photo by: joyrex

Thursday, April 16th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Teen Movie Night

2009-04-09T12:24:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Television Photo by: videocrab

Wednesday, April 15th @ 4:30 pm
You need to take a day to relax every now and then. Come have some snacks and watch a movie with us!

For questions about movie titles, ratings, or running times: leave us a comment, e-mail me, or call or visit us @ the Library.

Make It, Take It: Plants & Planters

2009-04-09T12:17:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Flower Pot Pin Cushion Photo by: brendajos70

Monday, April 13th @ 4:30 pm
Celebrate Spring by decorating your own flower pots!

Have other ideas for crafty teen events? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Open Online Gaming & Movie

2009-04-06T10:23:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: televisión lado A Photo by: (A3R) angelrravelor (A3R)

Thursday, April 9th @ 4:30 Pm
Join us in the computer lab to watch a movie while you play games or surf the net!

Share your opinions on what movies we should watch, what games we should play, or what kinds of technology events you want! Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Anime Club

2009-04-06T10:13:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Kabuto-Cosplay Photo by: Liz Micheleto

Wednesday, April 8th @ 4:30 pm
Come share with us your favorite anime shows and characters. What have other people been watching? What will we be watching this month? Find out all this and more in the Zone! +++Vote for next month's selection at this month's meeting!

Next month we'll be celebrating Asian-Pacific Heritage Month with our annual Anime Mini-Convention! Have ideas on what we can do to make this year's Mini-Con an awesome, action-packed anime celebration? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Teen Cuisine: Ice Cream Treats

2009-04-06T10:01:00.003-05:00

Flickr CC: Pink Loves Ice Cream Photo by: ittybittiesforyou

Monday, April 6th @ 4:30 pm
Do you like ice cream? If you do, this is the program for you! Join us in creating our own sundaes and ice cream sculptures. What better way is there to spend a Monday?

Recent Reads

2009-03-28T10:26:00.005-05:00

Luna by Julie Anne Peters

Regan considers herself a loser compared to her older brother, Liam. Liam is popular and loved by everyone. But he has a secret: Liam has been pretending to be Liam all throughout his life. Inside, he feels that he should've been born as a girl named Luna. The only time he can become Luna is at night, when nobody else is looking. Regan has to keep this secret from everyone, which has caused her to lose her friends. But now, while Luna struggles to break free from Liam, Regan is struggling to keep Liam's secret and finds herself falling for the new student in her chemistry class, Chris. Liam's attempts at freeing Luna have caused Regan to lose her friends, sleep, and her baby-sitting job. After Luna is finally free, she gains support from Regan (of course), Alyson (his/her childhood friend), and surprisingly, her mother. This story starts out as a bit confusing, but it flows along with the plot throughout the whole book.

Regan and Luna/Liam seem to be a bit annoying at times, but they're rather interesting characters; Luna is a bit self-absorbed but loves and idolizes Regan a lot, while Regan is the average insecure teenager who complains a lot, yearns for a normal family, but is nevertheless caring and helpful. Personally, I think the story should've been focused more on Luna/Liam rather than Regan, but it's a beautiful book about transexuality, the need for acceptance, the average teenager, and family relationships. Even if you're not gay/lesbian/transgendered, I really recommend you read this book.
*****(5)Stars, Review by TCK-TAB Member

Sound interesting? Check out Luna @ HCPL! Or find out about more great reads here!

Princeton Review Scores Back Session

2009-03-28T10:15:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Exams :( [Day 12] Photo by: Alex France

Saturday, April 4th @ 11:30 am
Join us to get your scores back from last week's Assessment exam and also get some helpful test-taking tips! Registration is required, so leave us a comment, call or visit us @ the Library, or e-mail me for more information.

Have some great ideas for other educational or information programs we can host @ Freeman? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

TCK-TAB Meeting

2009-03-28T10:07:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Psychedelic sock monkey Photo by: Mrs. Gemstone

Monday, March 30th @ 4:30 pm
Want your voice to be heard? Want to see your ideas be put into action? Join TCK-TAB (The Cook Kids-Teen Advisory Board)!! Get volunteer hours (and food!) by participating in our monthly board meetings. To participate or for more information: leave us a comment, e-mail me, or call or visit us @ the Library.

Princeton Review Assessment Exam

2009-03-20T11:01:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Studying Photo by: scui3asteveo

Saturday, March 28th @ 11:30 am
Come meet the SAT and the ACT in this combined, free Princeton Review Assessment Exam!

Registration is required, so give us a call, e-mail me, or visit us @ the Library for more information! You can also register yourself online!

Game On!

2009-03-20T10:43:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: video game night, invasion from space #1 Photo by: gnackgnackgnack

Thursday, March 26th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or considering joining TCK-TAB!

Freeman Teens Read

2009-03-20T10:36:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: kids' reading nook Photo by: ooh_food

Wednesday, March 25th @ 4:30 pm Come visit us in the Teen Zone for delectable literary conversation and delightful snacks! Who are your favorite authors? What have you recently read? What do you recommend? What might be fun to read as a group?? Join us in the Teen Zone for this and more!

Are you an avid reader? Do you enjoy creative writing? Do you like to paint, draw, sketch, dance, or sing? Consider contributing content to our Teen Blog! For more information: e-mail me or call or visit us @ the Library.

Bubble Crafts & Tea

2009-03-20T10:25:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: bubbles, bending Photo by: woodleywonderworks

Tuesday, March 24th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the Teen Zone to create bubble crafts and enjoy a beverage! Curious as to what kinds of crafts we can create with bubbles? Find out this and more in our Bubble Craft extravaganza!

Have ideas of other cool, crafty events we can have @ the Library? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Interest Project: Exploration! - Exploring the Net

2009-03-20T10:15:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: Internet Splat Map Photo by: jurvetson

Monday, March 23rd @ 4:30 pm
Come and complete steps towards the “Exploring the Net” Interest Project! We will not earn the award but we will enjoy finishing certain steps.

Participation in “Interest Project: Exploration” workshops is free but please call or visit us @ the Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library in order to register.

Game On!

2009-03-13T10:34:00.005-05:00

Flickr CC: 09/08/2007 (Day 252) - Holiday Games Uploaded by: Kaptain Kobold

Thursday, March 19th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the first floor Community Room for gaming - electronic, old-school board games, relays, trivia competitions and more!

Have some other ideas of cool games we can play? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or considering joining TCK-TAB!

Movie Night

2009-03-13T10:27:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: 138-365 - 5/17/08 Television Star Uploaded by: The Joy of the Mundane

Wednesday, March 18th @ 4:30 pm
You need to take a day to relax every now and then. Come have some snacks and watch a movie with us!

What will we be watching? How long will it last? What is the rating? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, or call or visit us @ the Library.

Make It, Take It: T-Shirt Crafts

2009-03-13T10:17:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: Wikipedia-T-shirt Uploaded by: quartermane

Monday, March 16th @ 4:30 pm
Want a custom t-shirt? Come make your own t-shirt whether you have a design in mind or not. Have another piece of clothing in mind for this craft? Just bring it and you can work on it here! We'll have some extra t-shirts available if you forget your own, but, as always - First Come, First Serve.

Have other ideas of cool, crafty events we can have @ the Library? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Teen Online Art Exhibition

2009-03-13T08:13:00.012-05:00

Check out some of the results of last Tuesday's Online Art & Photo Editing Event!

Open Online Gaming

2009-03-09T11:40:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: DT Online: Game 2 Uploaded by: Gamethyme

Thursday, March 12th @ 4:30 pm
Join us in the computer lab to watch movies while you play games or surf the net!

Have other ideas of cool tech programs we can have? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Anime Club & Avatar Social

2009-03-09T10:47:00.004-05:00

Flickr CC: My avatar Uploaded by: otakuchick

Wednesday, March 11th @ 4:30 pm
Come share with us your favorite anime shows and characters, as well as make your own Anime-styled avatar! What have other people been watching? What will we be watching this month? Find out all this and more in the Training Lab! +++Vote for next month's selection at this month's meeting!

Online Art & Photo Editing

2009-03-09T10:35:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: purple and white daisy, edited Uploaded by: Martin LaBar

Tuesday, March 10th @ 4:30 pm
Create your own online art pieces or recreate a new piece using your own photos! Join us and we will also have our Online Art Exhibition where you can show off your work!

Have other ideas of cool tech programs we can host? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!

Online Music Mixing

2009-03-08T16:53:00.006-05:00

Flickr CC: Feel Music Uploaded by: Xtreme_i

Monday, March 9th @ 4:30 pm
Be an online DJ! Make your own beats or re-mix your favorites with us in the Computer Lab!

Have other ideas of some great tech programs we can have? Leave us a comment, e-mail me, call or visit us @ the Library, or consider joining TCK-TAB!