Teens

Troy Public Library Teens now have their very own Facebook page! To check it out, go to facebook.com/troylibteens. We will be keeping you up to date on the latest events and the newest and most popular books, movies, and video games the Library's Teen Department has to offer.

Would you like a say in what gets posted on the page? Maybe you have read an awesome book you would like to recommend to other teens or you have a great idea for a new Library program? If so, email Teen Librarian Olivia Olson at O.Olson@troymi.gov with your recommendations and suggestions on how to make the Library's Teen Department even more awesome. If you would like, we will post the best comments on the Facebook page for all to see. Make sure to include your first name and your age if you want credit for your amazing ideas.

We cannot wait to hear from you!

Could you use a little help paying for college? The AXA Achievement^sm Scholarship offers college scholarships to high school seniors who have "demonstrated outstanding achievement in their activities in school, the community or the workplace." There will be one $10,000 winner chosen from each state, and from the pool of state winners another ten will be selected to receive $25,000 scholarships.

There is no cost to apply. The 2012 program will be accepting applications from September 1 through December 1, 2011, and interested students are encouraged to apply early! Check the AXA website for more information and how to apply online.

As students return to school, test preparation books, like those for the SAT and ACT, are in high demad.

Luckily, with your Troy Library card, you can access Learning Express Library, an eResource for all learners, available from the Library's website 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With Learning Express Library, you can explore skill-building lessons for Kindergarten through College and beyond. Practice with study guides for tests including ACT, SAT, TOEFL, GED and more. You can also learn career skills such as computer and internet basics, as well as job search, resume writing and interview skills.

While you are waiting in the queue for those test prep books, check out Learning Express Library. Click on eResources, on the left under Library Links, then on Education, then on Learning Express Library. Log in with your Troy Library card number.

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in partnership with Target, is again sponsoring the Letters About Literature competition for young people. In this competition, a young person writes a letter to an author as though she or he were having a conversation with the author. The letter should be about a piece of fiction or poetry that affected the young person in some way. It should be a correspondence, not just a compliment on the work.

The contest is open to students enrolled in grades 4-12 during the 2011-2012 school year. There are three competition levels: Level 1 (Grades 4-6); Level 2 (Grades 7-8); and Level 3 (Grades 9-12). The statewide winners each receive a $50 Target gift card and additional prizes, and are able to compete at the national level where they might win a $500 Target gift card and a $10,000 grant for their home library.

Letters must be submitted by Friday, January 6, 2012, using the required entry coupon, available online and in the Youth area of the Troy Public Library.

Winning entries from last year can be viewed here.

Have you checked out the Troy Library's graphic novel collection lately? Do you know how much variety there is in the graphic novel format?

Of course there are plenty of super hero stories, but there is also historical fiction, personal memoirs, re-tellings of classic books, and informative non-fiction. Come in and take a look.

Is there a graphic series or a particular book you wish the Library had that is not on the shelves? Stop by the desk in the Adult area or send us an e-mail. We want to hear from you!

Have you ever noticed most of the awards given to books for teens are chosen by adults? The Teens' Top Ten is different. This national contest gives teens a chance to choose their own favorite books, once a year. Twenty-five young adult titles published the previous year are nominated. Any reader ages 12 to 18 can vote online at: http://www.ala.org/teenstopten

Voting begins on August 15 and ends September 16, so go choose your favorite today. Winners will be announced during Teen Read Week in October. You can check out the full list of this year's nominees here, or stop by the Troy Librarys Teen area and check out a display of this year's nominated titles and past winners.