3D Modeling For Teens Is Back!

 You asked for it, so we delivered. One of our most requested programs, 3D Modeling for teens will be back next Wednesday, September 15th at Main Library.

In this program, Elia will be teaching a limited number of teens how to create the types of files needed to run code on the library's 3D printers. Participants will get to take home a 3D print of their creations (just remember that 3D printing takes time, so you'll have to collect your print a few days after the program). The program is completely free, but only open to teens ages 13-18, and in order to participate, you do need an email address. See you there!

What is Comics Plus?

 Did you know we offer a new service where you can access hundreds of comics, graphic novels and manga that you can read on your computer or web-enabled device? It's called Comics Plus and all you need to access it is a valid library card number. 

To access Comics Plus all you have to do is go to our website, YumaLibrary.org and click on the link for "ebooks and media" and scroll down to "Comics Plus." Then, select the link, enter your library card and PIN numbers and start exploring all the available titles! You can add as many titles as you want to your shelves and read all day long! So what are you waiting for? Go read! NOW!

What's New on Hoopla for August 2021

We have some great new titles for you to enjoy on Hoopla Digital this month! Here are some of our favorites:

Cloakers by Alexandra Lapointe: Crystia is a Cloaker: an elite member of a secret society of shape shifters tasked with maintaining order in society. The problem is, Crystia never wanted the job. She was one of dozens  kids stolen from her family at a young age by the Black Coats, and genetically modified into becoming what she now is. Now she wants out, and she and the other Cloakers will do anything it takes to make it to freedom and reunite with their families.

How to Break an Evil Curse by Laura Morrison: The first book in the new Chronicles of Fritillary series shows us why it's a really bad idea to fight with your BFF... especially if your BFF happens to be an evil wizard. The king of Fritillary learns this the hard way when his former bestie curses his firstborn daughter to die if she is ever touched by the sunlight. Of course the king decides the only way to keep Princess Juliana safe is to lock her in a dungeon... but never count a girl with a serving spoon down because after 8 years of digging a VERY big hole the princess is FINALLY free and she is off to see the world... and free herself from her curse!

Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin: Mara did not mean to start a revolution when she tried out for the boys football team. She just wanted to get back on a team after getting kicked out of girl's basketball for fighting. It's not her fault she's really good at it, and it's not her fault four other girls joined the team, and it's DEFINITELY not her fault those four actually DO suck, but now the team, including her own brother blame her for "ruining" the team. If Mara has any hope of impressing the coach, and her crush Valentina (who just happens to be one of the 4 other girls on the team) it's up to her to whip these girls into shape and turn this team around!

Walls by L.M. Elliot: 1960 is was not an easy year for the city of Berlin. It was politically divided, and in about a year it would be literally divided by a huge wall that would separate the city into Democracy and Communism. This division is already becoming apparent in Drew's own family, since he lives in West Berlin in an Army family, while his cousin Matthias is in East Berlin, dodging the secret police and smuggling outlawed rock music, which if he is caught with, could get him sent to a work-camp for hard labor and "re-education."

Yes, the Teen Room IS Open!

 In case you had not heard, we are letting people hang out in the teen rooms at all our libraries again, but the rules remain basically the same as they were before the pandemic: in order to hang out in the teen room, you have to be at least 13 years old, and no older than 18 (if you have turned 18 we might let you hang out for one more semester of school or the summer after high school, as long as you don't break the rules, but that's up to the teen staff). 

Also, you should know, a few things have changed from before the pandemic so here is what you need to know:

We are not showing movies at all right now at any of the teen rooms. This has to do with licenses and how we are doing programming, and a bunch of technical stuff... but the main point is, no movies. 

There is currently no video gaming on our systems though video game programs might resume at some branches in the future, so check your branch for their individual calendars. 

The libraries will no longer allow teens to bring in their own video games from home to play on library TVs, but you can bring hand-helds like a Switch to play on your own. 

Also, we do not issue guest passes for computers to anyone under age 18, and we will not make exceptions for anyone under 18 who does not have a library card, so if you do not have a library card, you will not be able to get on a computer, even "just for 5 minutes" even if you beg a ton. Sorry, this is the law and we have to comply. 

Other than this, we do want to see you back in the teen rooms soon so stop in and say hi to the staff! There are a lot of new faces at all the libraries and they're all looking forward to meting all of you!

What's New in Graphic Novels

 The newest member of the YCLD teen department team, Genesis, tells us what is new for checkout in the world of graphic novels. 

Black Canary: Ignite by Meg Cabot: For fans of DC Comics and anything Gotham City, this origin story is for you! Dinah Lance, a 13-year old middle schooler who's in a rock band with her two best friends spends most of her time practicing to win the upcoming school Battle of the Bands. When she's not rehearsing, she dreams of joining the Gotham City Junior Police Academy so she can make a real difference and solve crimes just like her detective father. But when a dangerous shadow figure begins threatening her friends and family, Dinah has to learn about her mother's secret past and newfound abilities.

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera and Celia Moscote: Fans of Bloom and Spinning will love this queer coming-of-age graphic novel adaptation of Gabby Rivera's best-selling novel. Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving her hometown of the Bronx and heading to Portland, Oregon for a summer internship. But, just before leaving, Juliet comes out to her family, causing a tear in her relationship with her mom. Wondering if her mom will ever speak to her again, Juliet arrives in Portland to meet with Harlowe Brisbane, both her favorite feminist author and the person she'll be interning with. In this new city, Juliet learns what it means to be Puerto Rican, lesbian, and out, even when the rest of the world doesn't understand.

Martian Ghost Centaur by Mat Heagerty and Steph Mided: The Town of Southborough was once a major tourist destination that was said to be the home of the famous sasquatch after multiple sightings of the cryptid over the years. But once sightings of the Sasquatch came to a halt, so did the town's tourism, and with that came financial difficulties for the town and its residents. A tech company by the name of Start-up.com, a start-up that helps people start their own start-ups, decides to take advantage of Southborough's monetary situation and begins buying up various places throughout town to construct a headquarters, in turn pushing out all the local townspeople. Fortunately, Louie O'Connor and her best friend Felix decide they're going to do whatever it takes to drive back tourism while also protecting everything that makes their hometown special. Even if that means creating an elaborate hoax to drive out the Start-up.com takeover.

What if We Were... by Axelle Lenoir: Nathalie and Marie are 17 year old best friends since elementary school who battle boredom by using their imaginations to play a game they invented called "What if We Were...?" The rules are simple: one player names a topic, such as "Vikings" or "vampire slayers," then both players imagine what life would be like as that subject. Easy enough to play, but hard to master. After all these years, Nathalie and Marie are experts as they have mastered how to think outside the box and creatively surprise each other. But what if a new player decided to join the game? And what if she was really hot? Find out if Nathalie and Marie survive the next round without heartbreak in this graphic novel that proves there's nothing better than using your imagination.

What's New on Overdrive!

 There is so much new on Overdrive this month, we don't even know where to begin! New series are beginning, old series are ending, and authors we love are releasing LOOOOONG awaited new titles! Here are four that we are sure you are going to love this April!

The Cousins by Karen McManus: The author of One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next is back with a brand new stand-alone novel to keep you on the edge of your seat. Milly, Jonah and Aubrey Story are cousins who come from one of the richest families in New England, but they have never met their grandparents. That's because one day, for reasons no one has ever explained each of their parents got a letter from the cousins grandmother saying she never wanted to speak to any member of the family again. Then, just as mysteriously, decades later, the three cousins get another letter, inviting them to come work for their secretive grandmother at the family's upscale resort on their private island. The cousins don't want to go, but their parents, hoping to get back into the will, force them to, with terrifying consequences. 

The Desolations of Devil's Acre by Ransom Riggs (Book 6 in the Miss Peregrine's Series): After 10 years and 6 books, we have reached the end. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children reaches its conclusion with this final volume. Jacob and Noor are back in Florida, at Jacob's grandad's house and Caul is building an army. The apocalypse is coming, marked by storms made of ashes, bones and blood, and only the peculiars can stop it.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna: Fans of Ninth House and Wings of Ebony are going to want to pick this one up for sure! Deka has always been an outcast in her village because of her strange power: she is unnaturally intuitive. Now, as she turns 16 and readies for her tribe's blood ceremony she prays with all her might that her blood will be normal and red, and not cursed and gold, which will mean she is cursed and must suffer a terrible fate. Of course, her blood runs gold. Deka is terrified until a strange woman arrives to tell her that he blood is not actually a curse but a gift. It marks her as a warrior. A gilded one. A protector, and one of the few who can save her country from doom.

The Project by Courtney Summers: Fans of Sadie can rejoice! Courtney Summers has finally released her long awaited follow-up! As a child, Lo lost her parents to a terrible car crash that almost ended her own life. Then, as a teenager, she lost the only family she had left: her sister Bea joined the mysterious "Project," a supposed Christian charity organization that Lo is 100% convinced is a cult. When a young man who was once a member dies by throwing himself in front of a train, Lo knows she has to do anything she can to expose the Project and saver her sister before it's too late. 

All of these great Young Adult books and more are available on Overdrive now with your Yuma County Library District Library card! Check them out now! And remember, we are open with a current limit of 30 minutes in the building.

Fandom Notebooks DIY

Hello Teens! This is Nikki taking over today’s blog post to show you how to do another DIY craft at home and this one is super easy to do! Since we know you are pretty much all back to school, I thought it would be fun to do a school related craft! I will be teaching you how to personalize your school notebooks to show off your favorite fandom. Let’s take a look at the supplies you need first before we go into the steps.

List of supplies:

 School notebook

 Acrylic paints of your choice and paintbrushes

 Pencil or pen to draw out design OR

 Print out photo(s) of favorite fandom characters

 Mod Podge (to paste photos, and it dries clear)

 Paper plates to hold your paints and Mod Podge

 Newspaper or tablecloth to not make a mess

Example of supplies you may need.

Step 1: Deciding on a theme or character

Decide on a fandom character or characters you want to paint or print out pictures of. Since I cannot draw, I just printed out a picture of Senku from Dr. Stone since my notebook will be my science notebook. The paper is just regular printer paper. I chose to print out a character that tied in to my subject, but you can print out any you want! For my paints, I decided I wanted an ombre green background to go with Senku’s green hair. If you are going to only use paints instead of printouts, then you should use a pencil or pen to draw your character on the front of your notebook first. This will help you when it comes to painting so you don’t have to free hand it. If you are not sure what to do, feel free to do Internet search of DIY fandom notebooks or DIY Anime notebooks for inspiration. There are a lot photos and videos to get ideas!

Step 2: It’s Painting time!

It is time to paint your notebook. Make sure you put down some newspaper, a tablecloth or scratch paper so you do not dirty your table. If you are using a photo, paint your entire notebook whatever  color or colors you want first, before gluing on your print-outs. You may have to use more than one coat to cover your notebook fully. For my notebook, I had to do about three coats. Make sure to let it dry in between coats. I like using a big paintbrush or a sponge brush to help cover the entire notebook and I try to use downward paint strokes to make the paint look smooth, like in the example pictures below. 

After just one coat of paint. 

After several coats of paint. 

Step 3: Gluing your photo and adding extra embellishments

Once your entire notebook is dry, it is time to adhere the pictures you printed out! Put a

little bit of mod podge glue on your plate and use a paintbrush or sponge LIGHTLY on the back your photo. You do not want to drench your photo in mod podge because it will get too wet and it can start to fall apart. Place it on the front of your notebook and smooth it out as best as you can. I like to

work from inside to out. Also, if you have it available, printing out your pictures on sticker paper will make it so you won't have to use Mod Podge at all. 

Mod Podge your paper carefully, don't over-wet it. 

If any corners start to pucker upwards, you can use your finger and dab a little podge on the back. If you want to, you can Mod Podge the front of the photo to have extra security, just be sure to do it lightly. Mod podge dries fairly quickly, so you do need to work fast. If you want to add extra decorations like alphabet stickers like I did to spell out what subject your notebook is (see my example below. My alphabet stickers were too big so I could not spell out Science fully, oops lol). Make sure you measure how big your alphabet stickers should be to be able to fit properly! or paint what subject it is. You can even use washi tape and other stickers to personalize it. If you are finding your washi tape is not sticking to the cover, you can use a little bit of mod podge too to adhere the washi tape to your notebook.

Oops! Forgot to measure my letters!

Once your notebook is done you can show it off to your friends. Send us a picture to show you joined in on this craft at teen@yumalibrary.org! We would love to

see your creations!

Fun fact: Did you know creating art can actually help our mental health by letting you de-stress? Research has shown that doing something creative helps distract and ease our minds, which helps relax our bodies. It is why people love to do art or just sit and color in coloring books. So make sure to take some self-care time and do something creative if you are feeling stressed. Check out my other craft posts: The Paperchild Chibi Challenge and Kawaii Journaling if you want more fun activities to do at

home.

Lastly, if you are interested in any library books or resources to help with school, including studying habits and organizing, here are some you can place a hold for from our library collection or borrow from Hoopla with your library card:

   

I Hope you enjoyed this post and look forward to the next DIY craft idea!

New Manga For Checkout!

We have new manga in the house!! Here's a look at some of the titles that have just arrived in the library that  you can place on hold and pick up through Curbside Pickup at your nearest branch.

Prince Freya by Keiko Ishihara. (Rated "older teen" for violence and blood shed): Fans of Yona of the Dawn, Snow White With Red Hair and Dawn of the Arcana will enjoy this new shojo, medieval, western fantasy. Freya only thinks of herself as a simple village girl until one day her idyllic life is shattered when she is caught up in the aftermath of treacherous Sigurdian plot. Not only that, but two brothers she is close friends with are also caught up in this plot and they will do anything to keep Freya safe. Entering the place secretly, Freya runs into her country’s beloved Prince Edvard, to whom Freya bears a striking resemblance. As Freya tries to help the dying the prince, he asks her to take his place and continue running his kingdom and keeping up his façade so that the country's enemies will not know they have succeeded in assassinating him. She now must lead his valiant knights in defending their realm before a war breaks out with a neighboring kingdom! Wil Freya be able to convince the king’s court and her kingdom that she is the strong and persuasive Prince Edvard as time goes on? Find out in this adventurous and drama-filled medieval inspired manga series!

Not Your Idol by Aoi Makino. (Rated "older teen" for scenes of assault, suggestive comments towards women, and frightening scenes including PTSD) *CW: this manga discusses topics of assault and sexual assault, reader discretion is advised*

In this psychological suspense series, Nina Kamiyama is an idol in the famous group called Pure Club. One night, at an after show fan meet and greet, a fan assaults her with a knife. Because of this, she quits the idol group, shuns her femininity and starts dressing as a boy. She transfers to a new high school and tries to keep to herself, but when her fellow classmate Hikaru Horiuchi realizes who she is, can he keep her secret? On top of that, Nina has to still keep an eye out for her stalker fan who assaulted her, while dealing with the school's resident "mean girls"! Find out what happens in this shocking, fast-paced drama series.

Wandering Witch by Jougi Shiraishi and Itsuki Nanao. (Rated "teen" for fantasy elements): Elaina has always read books about magic and adventure as a little girl. Her dream was to follow in the footsteps of a witch named Nique whom she idolized and live a life of travel. Elaine is now a full-fledged witch herself, and she sets off on her dream journey planning to travel to many destinations! With each new place she visits and new people she meets, Elaine’s world grows a little richer and she learns many new things along the way, including finding new friendships and helping people she didn’t think she would.

The Rose of Versailles by Riyoko Ikeda (rated "teen" for mild violence): *Fun fact: This is the first time that this classic shojo manga has ever been published in the USA!* For fans of  shojo manga comes the classic from the well-known author who helped create the shojo genre! During the French Revolution, Oscar Francois de Jarjeyes is young noblewoman who is raised as a son by her father. She is commander of Queen Marie Antoinette’s palace guard and is brought to King Louis XVI’s luxurious court at Versailles. The more time she spends at the court of Versailles, the more she gets to known Queen Marie Antoinette and also the goings-on of the impoverished French citizens are being treated unfairly. Oscar becomes torn between wanting to be loyal to the Queen while also wanting to help poor French citizens. On top of this, she wants to live a life of still being in the militia, but also wants to be regular girl and fall in love. Join Oscar on her drama-filled life to find out what happens! *Fun fact #2 - this manga was the inspiration for another all-time classic: Revolutionary Girl Utena*

New Digital Non-Fiction

 Ok, yes, the library is still closed, but that doesn't mean we're not still working hard behind the scenes to help you get access to great materials. Hoopla digital, for example just added some great new non-fiction titles that you can check out and read on any web-enabled device. Here are some of our favorite titles:

A Pirates Life for She: Swashbuckling Women Through the Ages by Laura Sook Duncombe: This Seven Seas History of the world’s well-known female buccaneers, tells the story of sixteen women who through the ages have sailed alongside-and sometimes in the command of their male counterparts. All of the women discussed come from all walks of life. They all desired freedom, but were never really mentioned in history until now. Author Laura Sook Duncombe looks at these women: who they were and what they fought for even when the odds were all against them. Some female swashbucklers featured are: Ancient Norse princess Alfhild, Sayyida al-Hurra of the Barbary corsairs, Grace O’Malley, and Cheng I Sao who commanded a fleet 1,400 off China in the early 19th century. These women’s courage, determination and skills they possessed is what makes them women to be feared and admired. This is great a fun read if you like learning about women’s history or pirates.

The Strange, True Tale of Frankenstein’s Creator Mary Shelley by Catherine Reef: This new book, celebrating the 200th anniversary of Frankenstein, is the real life and strange autobiography of Mary Shelley that reads like gothic novel. It is filled with scandal, death, drama, and one of the strangest yet most tragic love stories in literary history. Mary ran away to Lake Geneva with poet, Percy Bysshe Shelley (who was already married at the time when they met, how scandalous!) when she was just sixteen years old. It was during this time that she envisioned her story of Frankenstein. Even though her story was successful, it was not too long afterwards that tragedy and misfortune happened. Teen staff recommends this great, enthralling book for teens both if they need to do a research paper for school, or if they just want to read something fun for their accelerated reading!

A Teen’s Guide to Great Public Speaking: Thank-You for Coming to my TED Talk by Chris Anderson and Lorin Oberweger: This teen version of the popular adult book of the same title will help teens with tips and techniques for public speaking, with presentations among their classmates, and in their future adult lives. After reading this, teens should feel more confident and capable as public speakers. Being able to communicate clearly in front of an audience is essential in today’s workforce, whether it is doing an interview, class presentation or online videos. Ted Talks are well-known for having presenters that can speak with an inspirational tone of voice, electrifying a room, and convincing people to change their minds or inspire them to follow their dreams. This is a necessary read for teens who are especially shy and want to improve their communication. In addition, teen staff recommends it for teens who may need to be in the front of camera for online classes.

Anxiety…I’m So Done with You: A Teen's Guide to Ditching Toxic Stress and Hardwiring Your Brain for Happiness by Jodi Aman: Feeling stressed out, anxious, and alone? Feeling like you cannot control certain aspects of your life? Is it hard to tell yourself you are smart enough or capable enough to get good grades or follow your passions in life? Do you feel like anxiety is pretty much sucking the life out of you? If you are familiar with any of these feelings and want a way to out from constantly feeling anxiety-ridden then this book may be able to help you start to take control of your feelings. This book offers help for teens who are experiencing changes to in their lives because of the current epidemic. At the end of each chapter, this book also includes activity questions to help teens identify the “lies” that anxiety is telling them, as well as tips for practicing happy daily habits, and helping  build necessary skills to take back control of your and get rid of anxiety once and for all. This book is also great for parents to do along with their teens to help them with their mental health struggles.

What's New on Overdrive

We've got some great new titles on our Overdrive platform this month for you to check out from home on any device! Head over to our website to borrow these and any of our other great books!

Camp So-and-So by Mary McCoy: When 25 young women get letters inviting them to apply for a brand-new summer camp in the Appalachian mountains it sounds too good to be true...because it is. The 25 girls jump at the chance and send in their applications, only to discover the camp they registered for doesn't actually exist. So what in the world have they actually signed themselves up for? If you're looking for something totally different or even a little bit weird, this book, told from multiple points of view with elements from a bunch of different genres will definitely keep you interested.

90 Days of Different by Eric Walters: 90 days. That is how long Sophie has between the time she graduates from High School and the time she starts college. And she's determined to use those 90 days to prove that her ex boyfriend was totally wrong when he dumped her for being too safe and boring. Luckily for Sophie her best friend Ella has a plan: for the next 90 days, Sophie has to agree to try any new thing Ella tells her to, no questions asked, and she has to document every new experience on social media. Will the 90 days really make a difference? And if it does, will that difference be a good thing, or a huge mistake?

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown: Would you take a life to save someone you love? That is the choice Malik is faced with when his beloved sister is kidnapped by an angry spirit. The spirit is willing to give Malik's sister back, but only if he agrees to assassinate the Crown Princess. This one is a thrilling ride packed with elements of African folklore and fantasy that will keep you reading late into the night!

Plank's Law by Leslie Choyce: Trevor has spent the last 6 years of his life knowing he has an incurable terminal illness. But now, at only 16 years old, Doctors are telling  him his Huntington's Disease has gotten much worse, and he only has about a year left to live. It's when he's at his lowest that he makes an unlikely new friend: an elderly man named Plank who makes it his mission in life to help Trevor complete as much of his bucket list as possible before his time is up.

New Manga for July!

Hello Teens, this is Nikki taking over today’s blog post!
Today I'll discuss some of the new Manga series that have been added to our physical collection recently. Since we are doing curbside pickup  now, you can place these on hold through our library’s catalog or by giving us a call at your closest branch. Want more manga recommendations that are digital? Check out Overdrive for some digital manga, like Cells at Work! (This is a favorite of
mine).

Samurai 8: The Tale of Hachimaru Story by Masashi Kishimoto with Art by Akira Okubo.
Rated "Teen" for some fantasy violence and mild language.
Kishimoto, author of Naruto, is back with this brand new samurai science fiction series! Hachimaru is a sickly and frail teen that has lived his entire life being hooked up to a life support machine. He lives his days inside, playing samurai video games, wishing for freedom and to see what the world is really like. One day, he gets a visit from a real samurai telling him he has the soul of a legendary samurai living within him. Thus begins his samurai training to save the world from doom.
Note: This series is only going to be five volumes long, so it's perfect if you don't want to commit to a super long series.

Beyond the Clouds by Nicke.
Rated "Teen" for mild violence and freighting scenes.
Fans of Studio Ghibli will enjoy this series! Theo, a young mechanic has a knack for tinkering and creating new inventions. He spends his days reading adventure stories and rummaging through the town’s trash heap for abandoned treasures. One day, looking around in the trash heap, he finds
an injured, winged, amnesic girl named Mia. Theo helps rebuild her wings and promises to help her find her home again. Join them on their adventure!

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts by Yu Tomofuji.
Rated "Teen" for mild fantasy violence and language:
Fans of Beauty and the Beast: this one is for you! The King of the Beasts rules over his subjects, both animal and man with an iron paw and many are afraid of him. To display his dominance, he demands regular human sacrifices from the humans…but there is something different about the girl destined to be his ninety-ninth sacrifice, Sariphi. She is not afraid of the King of Beasts, which the King finds amusing and makes her his bride instead! Find out how their relationship evolves over time, and see how Sariphi has to prove herself a worthy bride to the beast's court in this inspired Beauty and the Beast manga tale.

Animeta by Yaso Hanamura.
Rated "Teen" for mild language.
If you enjoyed Bakuman, you will enjoy this one! Miyuki Sanada, is a young adult who trying to find her passion in life to turn into a job she will enjoy. One night she watches a late-night anime that fills her with passion
and joy for the first time in her life. She gets inspired to be an animator and applies for an entry-level animator position, barely passing the application test. Then comes the real challenge: harsh lessons and the reality of financial struggles. Join Miyuki as she learns to become a top animator and make her dream come true…if she doesn’t starve first!

A page from Animeta.

Art from Beyond the Clouds.

A panel from Samurai 8.

Kawaii Journaling at Home

Hello Teens! This is Nikki! Today I am writing a blog post about my favorite hobby: Kawaii Journaling! I hope this post inspires you to start this hobby too!

What is Kawaii Journaling? To understand what Kawaii Journaling is about, you must understand what the Japanese word Kawaii means. The definition of kawaii simply means “cute.” This can mean many things to a person: a character, or a cute stationary item, like a doughnut pen. It all depends on the person and what they think is cute! In journaling, it is up to the journaler to decide what stationary items are cute to them, from cute stickers to memo notes to washi tape!

If you have scrapbooked before this, it is similar to that. This type of journaling is about your life adventures, your personal interests, hobbies and goals in a positive way. A journal spread can even be about a simple day you enjoyed. For instance, staying home and baking cookies or playing video games.

Let’s face it, life overall is simple, and we do a lot of the same stuff: go to work or school, come home and cook dinner, then relax with our loved ones or watch TV. However, journaling is a great way to reflect upon your life, enjoy the little things in life that are memorable, remember gratitude & keeping track of goals you want to achieve. You see yourself change and grow over the years into the person you want to become. It is also fun to look back at all the memories you wrote about in your journal. 

This is my Masters 2019 Graduation spread. I finally reached my education goal that I had been working towards for a long time! Go Me! Celebrate your achievements! 

How to get started: 

What journaling supplies you will need:

If you want to begin this type of journaling, you need to start by gathering together supplies. Journaling supplies can be expensive, therefore, it is good to make a budget of how much you want to spend, and always use coupons and watch for sales.

For sure, you will need a journal. You can use any type of journal that you can afford or a journal or notebook you already own. I personally use the official Japanese Hobonichi journal and it is an A6 size, which is about 4 inches by 5.5 inches. A6 size is smaller than the typical A5 journal size you see normally, which are usually 5.5 by 8 inches. A6 journal size is great if you do not want to write a lot but decorate more, and good for traveling.

You will also want to have different types of pens, from gel pens to marker pens to highlighters. Marker pens can bleed through the paper if it is thin so it is good to test it before writing or drawing a lot. You can also use different types of washi tape or masking tape, and stickers to decorate your pages. 

There are two different types of stickers, sticker sheets and sticker flakes. Sticker flakes are just individual die cut stickers that are not on one sheet. You can also download and print out your stickers on sticker paper from an artist you support or like. Journaling supplies are abundant; it just takes research to find what you like and the quality of the stationary too. The more you pay for an item the better quality it will probably be, hence why some of the authentic Japanese stationary can be pricey.  

Using your creativity and beginner tips:

It is up to you how to use your creativity to decorate your journal spread, there are so many themes you can do, it’s endless!

I always lay out my washi tape and stickers on the paper before placing it permanently on the page to make sure I like the arrangement. I also make sure to leave space for writing, especially if I am going to write on memo notes.

It may seem like you have to journal every day but this is not true. It is your choice to decide when you want to sit down and journal. I definitely do not journal every day, and sometimes it can be hard to think about what you want to journal about when you are starting out. This is why as a beginner, it is good to start by writing about yourself. 

You might discover something new about yourself or maybe choose to write about changing something you don’t like about yourself. Are you a person that sees things in a negative way? Maybe you want to change your perspective and start trying to look at life in a positive manner and the good things that are happening in your life. Maybe you have some goals this year you want to achieve, like changing your studying habits, or learning to cook. Many journalers reflect upon themselves and it helps to change and grow who they are in a positive way. You are the only person who can change yourself and your life, remember that!

My last tip is checking out all the many kawaii journaling prompts available online. Journaling prompts are pre-made themes created by different people in the journaling community. You can check out some of these prompts by searching the hashtag #positivitykawaiijournalingchallenge on social media. 

I also recommend the newbie kawaii journaling challenge hashtag: #kawaiijournalingnewbiechallenge. In general, you can search for hashtags #kawaiijournal or #kawaiijournaling to see inspirational spreads from the kawaii journaling community.

There are many Journal with Me videos on the Internet too. I definitely find inspiration from others and I think you will too! Do not worry if you feel your spreads are not up to par or don't look like other people’s, you will find your own style. As long as you like your journal spread, that is all that matters! Try not to be hard yourself and remember that journaling should be enjoyable! It is supposed to be fun!

I hope my tips and this blog post have helped you and inspired you to start kawaii journaling! To end my post, here are some more example photos of my some of my spreads! Keep an eye out on our blog and library’s Instagram to see the teen staff’s future online programs! Until next time!