Amazing Artwork from our Teen Advisory Group!

Check out the completely awesome word collage made by the West Caldwell Public Library Teen Advisory Group! Sooooooo talented!!! Great work, guys!

New YA Books - September 2015

NEW YA TITLES – SEPTEMBER 2015

The Keeper by David Baldacci

YA FIC BALDACCI

Vega Jane was always told no one could leave the town of Wormwood. She was told there was nothing outside but the Quag, a wilderness filled with danger and death. And she believed it - until the night she stumbled across a secret that proved that everything she knew was a lie.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

YA FIC BARDUGO

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price--and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle by Katie Coyle

YA FIC COYLE

In this sequel to Vivian Apple at the End of the World, Vivian and her best friend Harp fall in with a militant group who is trying to take down the Church of America as the world approaches the (supposed) apocalypse.

The Shadow Behind the Stars by Rebecca Hahn

YA FIC HAHN

Chloe, Serena, and Xinot, the Fates, live on a secluded island spinning, measuring, and cutting the threads of human life, but when Aglaia, a mortal, finds them Chloe must try to keep her sisters from getting attached to the girl and involved in her dark fate that could unravel the world.

Hunter by Mercedes Lackey

YA FIC LACKEY

A teenage girl leaves home to join the legendary Hunters, who protect the people from the terrifying monsters that have overrun their world.

Infinite in Between by Carolyn Mackler

YA FIC MACKLER

Zoe, Jake, Mia, Gregor, and Whitney meet at freshman orientation. At the end of that first day, they make a promise to reunite after graduation. So much can happen in those in-between years….

Beastly Bones by William Ritter

YA FIC RITTER

In 1892 New England, things are never quite what they seem, especially when Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, are called upon to investigate the supernatural. Funny and exciting sequel to Jackaby.

Stand-Off by Andrew Smith

YA FIC SMITH

It’s his last year at Pine Mountain, and Ryan Dean should be focused on his future, but instead, he’s haunted by his past. His rugby coach expects him to fill the roles once played by his lost friend, Joey, and somehow he’s stuck rooming with twelve-year-old freshman Sam Abernathy, a cooking whiz with extreme claustrophobia and a serious crush on Annie Altman—aka Ryan Dean’s girlfriend.

A 52-Hertz Whale by Bill Sommer

YA FIC SOMMER

Reveals, through emails from various people, the growing connection between sixteen-year-old James, who is obsessed with the fate of a juvenile humpback whale he adopted, and Darren, a would-be filmmaker who once did community service in James's Special Education classroom.

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld

YA FIC WESTERFELD

Don’t call them heroes. But these six Californian teens have powers that set them apart. Take Ethan, a.k.a. Scam. He’s got a voice inside him that’ll say whatever you want to hear, whether it’s true or not. Which is handy, except when it isn’t—like when the voice starts gabbing in the middle of a bank robbery. The only people who can help are the other Zeroes, who aren’t exactly best friends these days.

Most Dangerous by Steve Sheinkin

YA 959.704 SHE

The thrilling true story of Daniel Ellsberg and his decision to steal and publish secret documents about America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

2015 Teen Summer Reading Program Events & Contests

Our 2015 Teen Summer Reading Program runs from June 13 to August 4. For every book you read or audiobook you listen to, you can fill out a ticket to be entered into a prize drawing! We've also got contests and events running all summer long. 

Stop by today and get started!! Open to teens in grades 6-12.

Have you signed up yet?!

Have you signed up for the 2015 Teen Summer Reading Program? What are you waiting for?!

There's still time to register and start filling out reading tickets for a chance to win awesome prizes!

We've also got great events and contests running all summer long!

Our next program is Tuesday, July 21 at 5:30. Come watch Guardians of the Galaxy, have snacks, and play movie bingo! 

Open to teens in grades 6-12. For more info, stop by the library or call 973-226-5441. Don't miss out!!

Teen Science & Tech Night!

If You Like...The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Quirky characters, tough situations, and the quest to discover the real you. If you liked The Perks of Being a Wallflower, check out one of these other fascinating books! 

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

YA FIC ASHER

When Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a bewildering and heartbreaking night crisscrossing their town, listening to Hannah's voice recounting the events leading up to her death.

Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going

YA FIC GOING

Troy, depressed and weighing nearly 300 pounds, gets a new perspective on life when a homeless teenager who is a genius on guitar wants Troy to be the drummer in his rock band.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

FIC HADDON

Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and in the process uncovers secret information about his mother.

Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler

YA FIC HANDLER

Sixteen-year-old introvert Min writes a letter to popular jock Ed in which she breaks up with him, documenting their relationship and how items in the accompanying box, from bottle caps to a cookbook, foretell the end.

The Gospel of Winter by Brendan Kiely

YA FIC KIELY

Managing the challenges of his fractured family by taking Adderall, sneaking drinks, and confiding in an abusive priest, Aidan finds support from new friends including a crush, a wild girl, and a swim-team captain with his own secrets.

Reality Boy by A.S. King

YA FIC KING

Gerald Faust started feeling angry even before his mother invited a reality TV crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he's still haunted by his rage-filled youth and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and a dark future. 

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

YA FIC QUICK

Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38 pistol. Maybe one day he'll believe that being different is okay, important even. But not today. A teen boy on the edge says good-bye to the four people who matter most to him.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

FIC SALINGER

The Holy Grail of teenage angst!  Holden Caulfield is tired of all the   phonies in his life, so he gets expelled from his prep school and spends a night traveling through New York City in search of thrills, love, and, of course, the real meaning of life.

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

YA FIC SCHNEIDER

After a car accident shatters his chance at athletic greatness, golden boy Ezra Faulkner finds a new identity with a crew of misfits. But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread.

Winger by Andrew Smith

YA FIC SMITH

Two years younger than his classmates at a prestigious boarding school, fourteen-year-old Ryan Dean West grapples with living in the dorm for troublemakers, falling for his female best friend who thinks of him as just a kid, and playing wing on the Varsity rugby team with some of his frightening new dorm-mates.

The Spectacular Now by Jim Tharp

YA FIC THARP

In the last months of high school, charismatic eighteen-year-old Sutter Keely lives in the present, staying drunk most of the time, but that could change when starts working to boost the self-confidence of a classmate, Aimee.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

YA FIC VIZZINI

Ambitious NYC teen Craig Gilner gets a major wake-up call when he enters prep school and discovers he’s not quite as brilliant as he thought he was. As the stress gets to be too much, he falls into a suicidal spiral that lands him in a mental hospital where his new neighbors include a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.

Other Authors You Might Like:

Jesse Andrews

John Green

Ellen Hopkins

Madeleine L’Engle

David Levithan

Lauren Myracle

Rainbow Rowell

Jordan Sonnenblick

Alex Sanchez

Rob Thomas

May the Fourth Be With You!

Celebrate Star Wars Day and check out a book or DVD based on the characters and stories from a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.....

New YA Books - April 2015

We've just added some hot titles to our YA collection for April. No foolin'! (Hyuck, hyuck, hyuck....)

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things by Anne Aguirre

YA FIC AGUIRRE

Sage has learned to substitute causes for relationships, and it's working just fine…until Shane Cavendish strolls into her math class. He's a little antisocial, a lot beautiful, and everything she never knew she always wanted.

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

YA FIC ALBERTALLI

Sixteen-year-old, not-so-openly-gay Simon Spier is blackmailed into playing wingman for his classmate or else his sexual identity--and that of his pen pal--will be revealed.

Eden West by Pete Hautman

YA FIC HAUTMAN

This story explores a boy's unraveling allegiance to an insular cult. Twelve square miles of paradise, surrounded by an eight-foot-high chain-link fence: this is Nodd, the land of the Grace. It is all seventeen-year-old Jacob knows. But when new people come into contact with Nodd, he begins to question everything he’s ever known.

The Truth Commission by Susan Juby

YA FIC JUBY

As a project for her "creative non-fiction module" class, Normandy Pale chronicles the work of the Truth Commission, through which she and her two best friends ask classmates and faculty about various open secrets.

The Prom Goer’s Interstellar Excursion by Chris McCoy

YA FIC MCCOY

Minutes after Bennett Bardo of Gordo, New Mexico, asks Sophie Gilkey, his dream girl, to prom and she says yes, she is abducted by aliens and Bennett catches a ride across the galaxy with a band of misfit musicians to find her.

Anastasia and her Sisters by Carolyn Meyer

YA FIC MEYER

A novel in diary form in which the youngest daughter of Czar Nicholas II describes the privileged life her family led up until the time of World War I and the tragic events that befell them.

Skandal by Lindsey Smith

YA FIC SMITH

In the sequel to SEKRET, Yulia and Valentine have escaped Russia to live in Washington DC where they are working with CIA psychics, including Yulia's increasingly erratic father.

Ms. Marvel 2: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson

YA GRAPHIC WILSON

As Ms. Marvel discovers more about her past, the Inventor continues to threaten her future. Kamala bands together with some unlikely heroes to stop the maniacal villain before he does real damage, but has she taken on more than she can handle?

Lies I Told by Michelle Zink

YA FIC ZINK

Since Grace was adopted by the Fontaines, she has been carefully taught the art of the scam and has an uncanny ability to create a personality to help her "parents.” However, their latest job has her questioning everything she has been taught and the family she has grown to love.

Bullies of Wall Street: This Is How Greedy Adults Messed Up Our Economy by Sheila Bair

YA 330.973 BAI

Can knowing how a financial crisis happened keep it from happening again? Sheila Bair, the former chairman of the FDIC, explains how the Great Recession impacted families on a personal level using language that everyone can understand.

Chocolate: Sweet Science and Dark Secrets of the World’s Favorite Treat by Kay Frydenborg

YA 338.7 FRY

A fascinating account that captures the history, science, and economic and cultural implications of the harvesting of cacao and creation of chocolate.

Calling All High School Film Buffs!

The Montclair Film Festival is looking for high school students to help them pick the best films in this year's festival! 

If you are between the ages of 15 and 18 and love films, you can submit an application to become a junior juror. Jurors receive a free student member admission to the film festival, VIP treatment and priority access to events!

For more information and to apply, visit the Montclair Film Festival site at http://montclairfilmfest.org or click here.

Applications must be emailed or postmarked by April 9 2015. 

Teen Tech Week Online Scavenger Hunt

Teen Tech Week is March 8 -14 2015. Answer some questions using the library's online resources for a chance to win movie passes! Pick up a form at the West Caldwell Public Library.

2015 Summer Reading Program Teen Video Challenge

Participate in the 2015 Teen Video Challenge to Promote the CSLP Summer Reading Program!

NJ is participating in the 2015 Teen Video Challenge for teens to create videos that promote reading, libraries, and the 2015 CSLP teen summer reading slogan, “Unmask.” Teens across the country are invited to create a 30 to 90 second video with their unique interpretation of the 2015 teen slogan Unmask in combination with reading and libraries. The winning video from each participating state will be named one of the CSLP 2015 Teen Videos to promote summer reading nationwide and will be posted on the CSLP website.

The deadline is March 6, 2015 to mail the video entry form to Sharon Rawlins, Youth Services Specialist, NJ State Library, 185 West State St., Trenton, 08625-0520. The winner for New Jersey will be determined by March 20, 2015. The winners from each of the participating states will be announced by CSLP in spring 2015.

$150 will be awarded to the creator or creative team of the winning state video and their associated public library will receive a gift certificate for $50 from CSLP and Demco/Upstart to purchase teen incentives for the summer reading program.

For full details about the CSLP 2015 Teen Video Challenge and to find out how to enter the competition, please visit www.cslpreads.org and click on Teen Video Challenge on the right-hand side, or click here for the entry form and more information.

New YA Books - February 2015

Hibernation season is almost over....but there's still time to curl up with one or two more good books!!

Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen

YA FIC HELLISEN

Deep in the forest, in a crumbling ruin of a castle, Sarah begins to untangle the layers of curses affecting her family, until she discovers that the curse has carried over to her, too. The day she falls in love for the first time, Sarah will transform into a beast . . . unless she can figure out a way to break the curse forever.

City of Savages by Lee Kelly

YA FIC KELLY

After the Red Allies turn New York City into a POW camp, two sisters must decipher the past in order to protect the future in this action-packed thriller. After killing a camp guard, the girls take flight into subways haunted by cannibals, the arms of a sadistic cult in the city's Meatpacking District and, through the pages of their mom's old journal, into the island's dark and shocking past.

 

A Cold Legacy: A Madman’s Daughter Novel by Megan Shepherd

YA FIC SHEPHERD

After escaping to a remote estate on the Scottish moors, Juliet Moreau, the product of her father's animal-human experiments, uncovers the truth about the manor's long history of scientific experimentation--and her own intended role in it.

Girl Online by Zoe Suggs

YA FIC SUGGS

Penny has a secret. Under the alias GirlOnline, Penny blogs her hidden feelings about friendship, boys, and the panic attacks that have begun to take over her life. When things go from bad to worse, her family whisks her away to New York, where she meets Noah. Suddenly Penny is falling in love--and capturing every moment of it on her blog. But Noah has a secret, too, one that threatens to ruin Penny's cover forever.

I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

YA FIC DEMETRIOS

Skylar Evans yearns to escape Creek View by attending art school, but her mother's job loss puts her dream at risk. Only a rekindled friendship with Josh, a former Marine who lost a leg in Afghanistan, and her job at the Paradise Motel lead her to appreciate her home town.

 

I’m Glad I Did by Cynthia Weil

YA FIC WEIL

It’s 1963, and sixteen-year-old JJ Green, a songwriter interning at New York City's famous Brill Building, finds herself a writing partner In Luke Silver, a boy who seems to connect instantly with her music. As they start cutting their first demo with Dulcie Brown, a legend who has fallen on hard times, they uncover a secret past that will rock all of their worlds.

Invaded: An Alienated Novel by Melissa Landers

YA FIC LANDERS

Cara and Aelyx maintain their extremely long-distance relationship, with Cara becoming human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L'eihr, and Aelyx working on a campaign to improve human-L'eihr relations, which soon makes him a target of extremists.

Paper Things by Jennifer Richard Jacobson

YA FIC JACOBSON

When Ari's mother died, one of her finals wishes was that Ari and her older brother, Gage, stay together always. So when Gage decides he can no longer live with their guardian, Janna, Ari knows she has to go with him. But it's been two months, and Gage still hasn't found them an apartment. How can she keep her promise and still find a place to call home? Told in an open, authentic voice, this story of hiding in plain sight may have readers thinking about homelessness in a whole new way.

Seeker by Arwen Dayton

YA FIC DAYTON

After years of brutal training for what she thinks is the noble purpose of becoming a Seeker, Quin Kincaid, learns that she will be using the ancient artifacts and sacred knowledge as a cold-hearted assassin instead.

The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson

YA FIC JOHNSON

Book 3 of the Shades of London series. Rory’s classmate Charlotte has been kidnapped by Jane and her nefarious organization. Evidence is uncovered of a forty-year-old cult, ten missing teenagers, and a likely mass murder. Everything indicates that Charlotte's in danger, and it seems that something much bigger and much more terrible is coming. Time is running out as Rory and her ghost squad struggle to stop Jane from unleashing her spectral nightmare on the entire city.

Getting to Know Raspberry Pi by Nicki Peter Petrikowski

YA 004.1675 PET

A $35 minicomputer about the size of a credit card, the Raspberry Pi has taken the world of computing by storm. This guide provides extended, in-depth info about the Raspberry Pi, giving readers some background on the program or language in addition to practical advice on how to get started.

The Top 10 of Everything (2015)

YA 031 TOP 2015

Packed with unusual comparisons, special features, awe-inspiring photographs and holographic foil histories, engineering feats, the Top 10 of Everything 2015 has thousands of facts and pictures that will make you go Wow!

Thrift Shopping: Discovering Bargains and HiddenTreasures by Sandra Donovan

YA 381 DON

Discover where to find great thrift bargains and try easy craft activities to upcycle your treasures. Learn how to be a great bargain hunter for clothing, jewelry, furniture, and much more!

Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension by Matt Parker

YA 510 PAR

A mathematician and comedian offers games, puzzles, and hands-on activities to help those with a fear of math understand and enjoy the logical tools and abstract concepts of a complicated subject.

Filmmaking for Teens: Pulling Off Your Shorts by Troy Lanier

YA 791.43 LAN

A guidebook designed to teach young filmmakers from beginning to end and learn everything they need about creating short films.

The Many Faces of Josephine Baker: Dancer, Singer,Activist, Spy by Peggy Caravantes

YA BIOG BAKER

This lively biography illustrates the amazing journey of Josephine Baker's life. From her childhood in the depths of poverty to her comedic rise in vaudeville and fame in Europe, from her outspoken participation in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement to her espionage work for the French Resistance during World War II, and finally, her adoption of 12 children--her "rainbow tribe."

Teen Valentine's Day Program

Looking for something to do next Tuesday, February 10? 

Celebrate (or demolish) early V-Day with a teen program at the West Caldwell Public Library! 

Open to teens in grades 6-12.

New YA Books - February 2015

Fairies, devils, hypnotism, space travel, and even the Rapture....you're sure to find a surprise or two in our new YA books!

Polaris by Mindee Arnett

YA FIC ARNETT

The thrilling sequel to the book Avalon. Jeth Seagrave and his crew are on the run from the ITA, an insidious group holding Jeth's mother in a remote research lab and intent on acquiring the metatech secrets Jeth's sister Cora carries inside her DNA. Jeth must make a dangerous deal to rescue his mother and start a new life outside the Confederation. 

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

YA FIC BLACK

In the town of Fairfold, where humans and fae exist side by side, a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives awakes after generations of sleep in a glass coffin in the woods. This event sweeps Hazel up in a new love and forces her to make a secret sacrifice to the faerie king.

Vivian Apple at the End of the World by Katie Coyle

YA FIC COYLE

Vivian Apple returns home after the alleged "Rapture" to find her devout parents gone and two mysterious holes in the roof. Vivian never believed in the Rapture, or the uber powerful Church of America. Now that she has been left behind, Vivian's quest for the truth begins.

Hellhole by Gina Damico

YA FIC DAMICO

Max Kilgore has accidentally unleashed a devil---and now the big, evil oaf is living in his basement. If Max doesn't meet the devil's demands (which include providing unlimited junk food and a hot tub), everyone and everything he holds dear could go up in smoke.

Stolen by Melissa de la Cruz

YA FIC DELACRUZ

Book 2 of the Heart of Dread series. Nat risked her life to reunite with her drakon in the defense of the Blue, but Wes, seeking his sister Eliza, is forced to rejoin the military, placing him and Nat on opposite sides of a war that could destroy what is left of the world.

Waiting for Unicorns by Beth Hautala

YA FIC HAUTALA

After her mother dies, Talia goes to the Arctic with her whale researcher father, where she meets strange, new friends and learns that stories have the power to connect us, to provide hope, and to pull us out of the darkness.

Killing Time in Crystal City by Chris Lynch

YA FIC LYNCH

Seventeen-year-old Kevin tries to reinvent himself when he runs away from home and the father he hates, but living with a mysterious uncle and befriending two homeless girls just adds more complications.

Twisted Fate by Norah Olson

YA FIC OLSON

Told from separate viewpoints, a story unfolds about how sisters Sydney and Ally's relationship changes as they get involved with their new neighbor, Graham, an artist with a video camera who has a mysterious--and dangerous--past.

The Lost by James Patterson

YA FIC PATTERSON

Part of the Witch & Wizard series. Magical teen siblings Whit and Wisty Allgood struggle against a mounting public opposition to magic and a brutal crime wave led by a powerful wizard intent on ruling the City.

Hold Tight, Don’t Let Go by Laura Rose Wagner

YA FIC WAGNER

In the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Nadine goes to live with her father in Miami while her cousin Magdalie, raised as her sister, remains behind in a refugee camp. Magdalie dreams of joining Nadine, but wonders if she must accept that her life and future are in Port-au-Prince.

The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters

YA FIC WINTERS

Olivia Mead, a suffragist in 1900 Oregon, is hypnotized by the intriguing young Henri Reverie, who is paid by her father to make her more docile and womanly. Instead, she gains the ability to see people's true natures as she secretly continues fighting for women's rights.