New Teen Non-Fiction Picks!

Today’s recommended reads are digital e-books that will hopefully inspire you to improve your life and lead you towards personal growth. Learning from others who gone through similar tough times in life can help make you realize that you're not the only person who is going through something by reading about how that person overcame what life can throw at you. Also, sometimes you need a self-help book if you do not know how to begin to make certain small changes that can improve your well-being, whether it is trying to calm your wired mind to get a goodnight sleep, or embracing and gaining confidence in yourself. These books can help with all of that.

Positive: A Memoir by Paige Rawl
Paige Rawl’s memoir is for anyone who has been bullied. The book details her personal experience being bullied in middle school, when her HIV positive secret came out. Rawls opens up about the fact that she wanted to end her life, but decided against it. She chose to live her life with purpose  and to tell her story. Paige is an HIV and life advocate speaker, her story has inspired and touched millions of people.

The IF in Life: How to Get Off Life’s Sidelines and Become Your Best Self by Rashad Jennings
Former NFL running back Rashad Jennings shares his inspiring personal story and experiences in his debut book that will encourage readers to follow their dreams. Rashad discusses his childhood and the challenges he faced growing up. He never gave up his dream to be an NFL player. Through hard work and determination, he became a record-setting running back for many teams. This book is a great inspirational read for any football fans who would like know more about Rashad’s childhood, college years, and professional career.

Goodnight Mind for Teens: Skills to Help You Quiet Noisy Thoughts and Get Sleep the You Need by Colleen E. Carney
Teens who are having trouble sleeping, this is for you! In this cognitive behavioral therapy tip book, will help you can learn to quiet anxious thoughts and turn off screen time on their phone. This book will also help pinpoint sleep problems through a sleep tracker, and teach you to identify and listen to your internal “body clock” when it is time for sleep, develop a morning and bedtime routine, and suggests on how to unwind at bedtime.

Embracing the Awkward by Joshua Rodriguez
If you would like come out of your shell, be more social and gain confidence you will find this book helpful. Author Joshua Rodriguez uses his own personal experience when he was teen as an example to make the book relatable to readers. This book is written to help you succeed by taking the small steps detailed in each chapter at your own pace. It includes step-by-step checklists of activities to try out like approaching new people, and how to how start a conversation.  The chapters are short but informative. Some of the topics discussed are: understanding yourself and your purpose, mindfulness,
success and failures, identifying your strengths and weakness, making friendships, maintaining family relationships and approaching your crush and asking them out on a date.

All these books are currently available on Hoopla, along with other great books on mental health, mindfulness and self-improvement for teens. And don't forget that we offer Curbside Pickup for items in our collection at all our libraries (except the Heritage Library).

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.

Introducing Acorn and Qello

We've just launched two new streaming services that you can access with your library card! Both of them come from RB Digital and they are different from anything else we offer at the YCLD.

First is Acorn TV, which is for those of you who like watching British TV shows. It has everything from old classics like Agatha Christie mysteries to the new David Tennant series Deadwater Fell and lots, lots more.

The other service we're now offering is Stingray Qello which is a resource that lets you stream thousands of concerts for pretty much any genre of music. From Lady Gaga, to Beyonce, to old classics like Queen and even Mexican and international artists. You can browse their shows by music type or even by decades and watch favorite musicians or discover new ones you might end up loving.

Both of these services are free with a library card, so check them out here: https://yumalibrary.org/ebooks-and-media/

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! 

What's New on Hoopla for June?

Need something new to read? Here are some of  the best books that have recently been added to Hoopla Digital!  Don't forget to download the ReadSquared app to sign up for the teen Summer Reading Program and register some of these great books to earn points towards your finishing goal!

The Beholder by Anna Bright: Selah has always dreamed of a fairy tale life: marrying her childhood friend and living happily every after. After all, as the daughter of her community's leader, it's what she was raised to do. But, when the boy she loves rejects her, Selah's mother has a solution: sail halfway around the world to find a suitable husband and come back engaged... or never come back at all.

The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis: Evan is not doing well with this whole "growing up" thing. His strict Greek mother thinks he's a disappointment, he can't even have a conversation with his distant workaholic dad, and his formerly dorky best friend somehow became the "hot guy" over the summer, leaving Evan in the dust. Evan's only source of comfort is his art, and maybe, just maybe, the suspicion that his best friend might just feel the same way as Evan and wants to be more than friends.

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson: In Vermont, only the best and brightest are admitted into Ellingham Academy every school year. Stevie Bell is one of those students. She also happens to be obsessed with true crime, and in particular the mysterious, unsolved disappearance of the school founder's wife and daughter. At least, that's her plan, until strange things start happening at the school, making everyone wonder if a centuries old killer could still be out there somehow, trying to get away with murder all over again.

Uncanny by David Macinnis Gill: When a sudden storm on the day of her 16th birthday takes out power all over Boston, Willow doesn't think it's weird - just another power outage. Until she is suddenly able to stop time. And then she meets her super creepy familiar. And then her sister vanishes without a trace. Eventually Willow realizes her birthday storm was not just unnatural, but supernatural, and it's awakened something ancient. Something evil. Something that wants Willow dead.

What's New on Overdrive for June?

Need something new to read? Here are some of our picks for the best books that have recently been added to Overdrive! Don't forget to download ReadSquared and sign up for the Teen Summer Reading program and register your books read during summer for a chance to win amazing prizes!

By the Book by Amanda Sellet: Mary loves to read and is especially fond of classics. And if her books have taught her anything is that boys are all cads and scoundrels and can't be trusted. That's why she has said no to relationships and is instead focused on writing her own book, called "The Scoundrel Survival Guide." But, when Mary falls hopelessly head over heels for the biggest player she knows, Mary realizes you can't always deal with life by the book, and sometimes you have to bend your own rules to live happily every after.

Dear Universe by Florence Gonsalves: Between trying to keep up with her senior year at school, trying to get into college, and trying to deal with her dad's terminal illness at home, Chamomile has no time for anything else. ESPECIALLY not her weirdo coworker Brendan, with his man-bun and his strange fashion choices and bizarre sense of humor. But what Chamomile is about to realize is that sometimes, the best people, come wrapped up in the weirdest packages.

A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause: Emmy knows her life is destined to be boring. After all, she is from a tiny town where there are hardly any opportunities for girls like her. Then one day, Emmy hears that the country's top fashion house has launched a design competition especially for small-town girls like her. Emmy knows she has the talent, but does she have the strength it takes to survive in the cut-throat fashion world?

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales: If you took Grease, turned Sandy into a boy and threw in a little bit of Clueless and a little bit of Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, you'd end up with this adorable LGBT+ take on summer love, high school and having the courage to be yourself.