Poetry Contest Winners 2013

The following poetry writers have placed for their entry in Hamilton-Wenham Library’s 3^rd Annual Teen Poetry Contest.  49 poems were entered in this year’s contest: 31 were from middle school age writers (17 of the 31 are Miles River students); 18 poems were from high school age writers (8 of the 18 are Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School students). The scores were very close. 

• Best Entry Grades 6-8, Sebastian Carpenter, (Brookwood), for “The Squirrel.” 
• Second Place Grades 6-8, Shayne Bower, (Homeschooled), for “Doe.” 
• Honorable Mention Grades 6-8, Annabelle Platt, (Ipswich M.S.), for “We are the Seasons.” 
• Best Entry Grades 9-12, Victoria Arakelian, (HWRHS), for “Fauna.” 
• Second Place Grades 9-12, Chip Cring, (HWRHS), for “The First Step.” 
• Honorable Mention, Grades 9-12, Fiona Worsfold, (HWRHS), for “ Frost.” 
• Director’s Choice Award, Zachary Vaneck, (Waring), for “Lost.”

The Director’s Choice is awarded by Hamilton-Wenham Library’s Director, Jan Dempsey. After Best Entry, Second Place, and Honorable Mention poems have been scored by the Library’s 3 contest judges, the Director chooses her favorite from the remaining poems.

Following are the questions from the rubric used by the judges to score the poems:

• Did the poem have an animal or nature theme? 
• Does the poem describe thoughts, feelings, or actions in a new or original way? Does it use fresh words or phrases to create a vivid image? 
• Consider the poem's complexity: Is it thought provoking? Does it have layered meaning? Are there allusions, irony, nuances? 
• Was the poem enjoyable to read aloud? Does it have a rhythmic cadence?

You are invited to attend the Poetry Contest Reception this Thursday, May 16, at 7pm, at the Hamilton-Wenham Library.  There will be refreshments, a free raffle, and this year’s speaker: Dan Sklar.

Poetry Contest Reception

Thursday, May 16, 2013, 7:00pm to 8:30pm

The featured speaker at the 2013 Poetry Contest Reception will be Dan Sklar.  At Endicott College, Mr. Sklar teaches his students to love language and to write in an original, natural, and spontaneous way. Recent publications include Harvard Review, New York Quarterly, Ibbetson Street Press, and The Art of the One Act. His play, "Lycanthropy" was performed at the Boston Theater Marathon in May 2012, and was reviewed in the Boston Globe, May 22, 2012.  

Mr. Sklar was one of the three judges for the poetry contest and has taken one line, from each of the 49 poems that were submitted, to create a new poem, which he will read at the Reception.  Following Mr. Sklar’s presentation, poetry contest winners will read or recite their poem aloud.

Summer Programs for Teens

2013 Summer Programs 

for Teens on THURSDAYS at the 

Hamilton-Wenham Public Library

THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 10 AM to 5 PM

RED CROSS BABYSITTING COURSE

For students 11 years of age and older. Taught by Red Cross instructors. Cost is $85, payable to the American Red Cross. Check is due at time of registration.  Register at the Library's 2nd floor Reference desk. 

A course designed by the American Red Cross to prepare youth with the training every parent wants in a babysitter: safety, basic child care, safe play, first aid and critical emergency skills, and professional leadership and care-giving skills.
In class, you learn how to:

• Respond to emergencies with first aid.
• Make good decisions under pressure.
• Communicate effectively with parents.
• Recognize safety and hygiene issues.
• Manage young children.
• Feed, diaper and care for infants.
• Start your babysitting business.

Each participant receives a complete Babysitter’s Training Participant’s Set, as well as the certificate which does not expire. ARC will mail certificates to the Library after the course. Participants must then come to the Library's Reference desk to pick up their certificate.

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THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM and

THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM 

MACRO/CLOSE UP PHOTOGRAPHY 

WORKSHOP & EXHIBIT

Join Toni Carolina for a two part photography workshop for teens. 

1st part meets on Thurs., July 11, 2pm to 3:30pm

This session will focus on how to shoot macro and close up images using your camera. Bring a camera with a macro lens or macro function setting.  You must also bring a tripod or a couple of bags of rice or beans to steady the camera shots.

2nd part meets on Thursday, July 25, 2pm to 3pm

This session will be so that you can bring your printed macro or close up images to the Library, to mount and hang in a show in the Young Adult area of the Library.

Open to teens 12-18 years old or to students entering grades 6-12 in 2012

Limited to 12 participants.  There is no charge to attend.

To attend: register at the Reference desk, or call 978-468-5577.

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THURSDAY, JULY 18, 7 PM to 9 PM

GRAVESTONE GIRLS present:

WELCOME TO THE GRAVEYARD

Learn about cemetery art, history and symbolism with a local twist.  Looking from colonial times to 21st century locations, we'll examine why we have cemeteries & gravestones and why they look like they do.  Be inspired to explore graveyards on your own with a greater appreciation and understanding.

This program is for teens and adults. 

There is no charge to attend.

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THURSDAY, JULY 25, 6 PM to 8 PM

MINECRAFT at the LIBRARY

Play Minecraft at the Library.  This program will be run by members of the Teen Think Tank (the Library's teen advisory board). You must sign up to attend: 
at the Reference desk on the 2nd floor 
-or- call 978-468-5577 and ask to sign up for Minecraft.
To participate: bring your own laptop and have an active Minecraft membership.
Beginners and advance players welcome.  
Pizza and drinks will be provided.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 1, 7 PM to 9 PM 
PASTEL WORKSHOP for Teens and Adults 

Participants will receive a hands-on experience of basic pastel painting, as well as advanced techniques, using professional grade materials with award-winning artist, Gregory Maichack.

This workshop is designed for beginners to advanced participants who want to paint expressively. Maichack, a faculty member of the Springfield Museum Studio School, will explain Post Impressionist concepts and then start you off by sharing a fearless approach to drawing. Then work in tandem with Greg to draw van Gogh's Starry Night with white charcoal pencils on black paper.

Also, van Gogh’s painting Terrace of a Café at Night (Place du Forum) will be explored and displayed in a large format to paint from, enabling further mastery of van Gogh’s unique vision. A demo of pastel handling techniques that allow a command of edges, scumbling, blending, slurring, and layering, and a demonstration of various strokes will fully illustrate van Gogh’s successful expressive methods. 

This workshop includes all materials:
Indigo paper, white charcoal pencils, black paper, Rembrandt soft pastels, Nupastels, French and English pastel pencils, assorted colored mid-toned Canson pastel paper and other materials.

Class size is limited to 30.   To attend register at the Reference desk on the 2nd floor of the Library, or call 978-468-5577.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Hamilton-Wenham Cultural Council, a local agency, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

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5 THURSDAYS, AUGUST 1 to 29, 2 PM to 3 PM

INTRODUCTION TO MARTIAL ARTS: 
SOO BAHK DO MOO DUK KWAN  

This 5-week program will introduce the beginner student to the classical Korean martial art of Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan. Boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 17 are invited to participate in a short series of classes held on Thursdays, 2pm to 3pm, through the month of August, which will expose them to the many benefits of this ancient form of self defense.

Soo Bahk Do is a relatively modern martial art although its tradition and history date back many centuries. Developed by the late Grandmaster Hwang Kee. 

Soo Bahk Do is both a hard and soft style. Its kicking techniques for which it is renowned is only a small part of its effective combat application.
Moo Duk Kwan is the school of philosophy through which Soo Bahk Do is practiced. Translated as “school of martial virtue,” Moo Duk Kwan gives the direction and focus to our mental training.
Together, their purpose is to develop every aspect of the self in order to create a mature person who totally integrates his/her intellect, body, emotions and spirit.

The course will be taught by Master James Harwood, a 6th Degree Certified Master Instructor with more than 30 years of training and teaching experience in Soo Bahk Do. He is married and the father of two sons who also train and teach the art form. Formerly owner/chief instructor of The Karate Center (Bay State Soo Bahk Do) of Middleton, Massachusetts, he has now focused his energy in offering the same quality instruction here in Hamilton.

To attend please register at the Reference Desk located on the 2nd floor of the Library, or call the Reference Desk at 978-468-5577.  Class size is limited to 15 participants. There is no charge to attend.  This class requires participants to wear athletic clothing such as sweatpants, yoga pants, or shorts.

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 6 PM to 8 PM

MINECRAFT at the LIBRARY

Play Minecraft at the Library.  This program will be run by members of the Teen Think Tank (the Library's teen advisory board). You must sign up to attend: 
at the Reference desk on the 2nd floor 
-or- call 978-468-5577 and ask to sign up for Minecraft.

To participate: bring your own laptop and have an active Minecraft membership.
Beginners and advance players welcome.  
Pizza and drinks will be provided.

Eleven First Quarter Favorites

Posted here are my picks for favorite books read so far in 2013, as of March 31.  Out of the 42 I have read, eleven are now in the running for my top ten reads of 2013.  If I had to put them in order of favorites from 1 to 11, the four realistic fiction titles would be wrestling for top spot.  This is a surprise since although I like realistic fiction it is not my favorite genre.  So, if realistic fiction is not usually your favorite genre too, you might consider giving one of these a try.  If you read something on this list, I would love to hear your opinion.  Titles are linked to the Library's online catalog.

HISTORICAL FICTION

A Time of Miracles, by Anne-Laure Bondoux, 2012.

In the early 1990s, a boy with a mysterious past and the woman who cares for him endure a five-year journey across the war-torn Caucasus and Europe, weathering hardships and welcoming unforgettable encounters with other refugees searching for a better life.

HISTORICAL FANTASY

Dodger, by Terry Pratchett, 2012.

In an alternative version of Victorian London, a 17-year-old Dodger, a cunning and cheeky street urchin, unexpectedly rises in life when he saves a mysterious girl, meets Charles Dickens, and unintentionally puts a stop to the murders of Sweeney Todd.

Etiquette and Espionage, by Gail Carriger, 2013.

In an alternate England of 1851, spirited 14-year-old Sophronia is enrolled in a finishing school where, she is surprised to learn, lessons include not only the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but also diversion, deceit, and espionage.

HISTORICAL MYSTERY

Out of the Easy, by Ruta Sepetys, 2013.   Josie, the 17-year-old daughter of a French Quarter prostitute, is striving to escape 1950 New Orleans and enroll at prestigious Smith College when she becomes entangled in a murder investigation.

REALISTIC FICTION

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell, 2013.

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, this is the story of two star-crossed misfits--smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, by Benjamin Alire Saenz, 2012.  15-year-old Ari Mendoza is an angry loner with a brother in prison, but when he meets Dante and they become friends, Ari starts to ask questions about himself, his parents, and his family that he has never asked before.

My Sister Lives on theMantelpiece, by Annabel Pitcher, 2012.

With his family still grieving over his sister's death in a terrorist bombing seven years earlier, twelve-year-old Jamie is far more interested in his cat, Roger, his birthday Spiderman T-shirt, and keeping his new Muslim friend Sunya a secret from his father.

Now is the Time for Running, by Michael Williams, 2011.

When soldiers attack a small village in Zimbabwe, Deo goes on the run with Innocent, his older, mentally disabled brother, carrying little but a leather soccer ball filled with money, and after facing prejudice, poverty, and tragedy, it is in soccer that Deo finds renewed hope.

SCIENCE FICTION

Homeland, by Cory Doctorow, 2013.  (sequel to Little Brother, 2008)

When Marcus, once called M1k3y, receives a thumb drive containing evidence of corporate and governmental treachery, his job, fame, family, and well-being, as well as his reform-minded employer's election campaign, are all endangered.

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline, 2012.
Immersing himself in a mid-twenty-first-century technological virtual utopia to escape an ugly real world of famine, poverty, and disease, Wade Watts joins an increasingly violent effort to solve a series of puzzles by the virtual world's creator.

S U S P E N S E

How to Lead a Life of Crime, by Kirsten Miller, 2013.

A teenage pickpocket, haunted by the ghost of his brother killed by his father, is recruited for Mandel Academy, a school for criminals where only one student survives each semester.

Teen Think Tank Enters 2013 Teen Video Challenge

For the second year the Library's teen advisory board, the Teen Think Tank, has entered the Teen Video Challenge contest sponsored by the Collaborative Summer Library Program.  The challenge is to interpret the 2013 teen summer reading slogan: Beneath the Surface, with a 30 to 90 second video.  Best of luck Teen Think Tank!

Ideas for the video were generated by the Teen Think Tank over a couple of meetings. The script for the video was written by Josh Hunt.  The video was directed and edited by Nathan Mente.  The actors are: Ella Hunt, Larissa Louissaint, Jeffrey Mente, Chris Shepard, and Nate Shepard.  I know there were a couple of "visions" cut from the contest version so that it would conform to the time limit.  Maybe there is hope for an extended version or Director's cut? 

To see other contest entries from Massachusetts, go to YouTube and search: 2013-TVC-MA. Leave off the state abbreviation to see entries from around the country.

3rd Annual Teen Poetry Contest

Put on your metaphorical thinking caps and observation specs, the 3rd annual Teen Poetry Contest starts February 1, and ends on April 30th. The Library's teen advisory board, the Teen Think Tank, voted on the theme for this year's teen poetry contest at their November meeting.  The result is you have two themes to choose from when you write your poem(s) for the 2013 poetry contest: Nature or Animals.  Please read the contest rules carefully on this blog's Poetry page.  The link for submitting your poem online is also on the Poetry page.
I lived in England for three years, and during two of those years I attended speech training classes at Peredur Centre for the Arts where I was required to memorize and recite many poems and stories.  Two of my favorite poems were Samuel Taylor Coleridge's (1772-1834) The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (I memorized a section of this for a group performance.), and Kubla Khan (used as a class exercise).  Following are three quotes attributed to Coleridge to help you on your way to writing this year's winning poem.

Coleridge in 1799 from a pastel by an unknown German artist:

“A poet ought not to pick nature's pocket. Let him borrow, and so borrow as to repay by the very act of borrowing. Examine nature accurately, but write from recollection, and trust more to the imagination than the memory.” ―Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Specimens of the Table Talk of S.T. Coleridge (1835).

“What if you slept, and what if in your sleep you dreamed, and what if in your dreams you went to heaven and there you plucked a strange and beautiful flower, and what if when you awoke you had the flower in your hand? Ah, what then?” -attributed to Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
 
"I wish our clever young poets would remember my homely definitions of prose and poetry; that is, prose = words in their best order, poetry = the best words in the best order." -attributed to Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Make an Origami Bookmark for Valentine's Day

Recently I taught myself to make an origami heart bookmark, and now I can teach you.  I have purchased fancy origami paper (thank you Friends of the Library) for you to choose from, and there will also be heart stickers for the finishing touch.  Or, you may want to cut out a square of white paper then draw/decorate or write a message on the paper before folding.  Or, you could strategically cut a square from a magazine page and then fold.  Stop by the library on Wednesday afternoon the day before Valentine's Day to make a few of these nifty bookmarks to give on Valentine's Day.

Happy New Year - Funny Stories

Check out one of the titles listed below, and start 2013 with a chortle, a giggle, a chuckle, a laugh, or a smile.  This past weekend I wrapped up 2012 with the Sons of the 613, by Michael Rubens.  This darkly humorous, action-packed story made me realize that I needed to create a funny stories book list for this blog.  Sons of the 613 is a story that will have you laughing and crying, and I can't think of too many other books that have done that in the past year besides John Green's, The Fault in Our Stars.

Sons of the 613, by Michael Rubens, 2012.

Isaac is struggling to prepare for his Bar Mitzvah when his older brother Josh, a self-proclaimed "Super Jew" and undefeated wrestler, forces him into a quest to become a man by shooting a gun, riding a motorcycle, falling in love, and more.  Realistic Fiction.

Humorous Fiction

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams, 1989.  Chronicles the off-beat and occasionally extraterrestrial journeys, notions, and acquaintances of galactic traveler Arthur Dent.  Science Fiction; Witty; Offbeat; Adult books for Young Adults.  BBC Radio audio book version; Book to Movie.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, 2007.  Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.  Realistic fiction; Native American fiction; Upbeat; Diary format.  Audio book read by the author.

Burger Wuss, by M. T. Anderson, 1999.  Hoping to lose his loser image, Anthony plans revenge on a bully which results in a war between two competing fast food restaurants, Burger Queen and O'Dermott's.  Realistic Fiction.

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline, 2011.  Immersing himself in a mid-twenty-first-century technological virtual utopia to escape an ugly real world of famine, poverty, and disease, Wade Watts joins an increasingly violent effort to solve a series of puzzles by the virtual world's creator. Science Fiction; Adult books for Young Adults; Offbeat; First person narrative.

Carter Finally Gets It, by Brent Crawford, 2009.  Awkward freshman Will Carter endures many painful moments during his first year of high school before realizing that nothing good comes easily, focus is everything, and the payoff is usually incredible.  Realistic Fiction; First person narrative; First book in trilogy.

Deadline, by Chris Crutcher, 2007.  Given the medical diagnosis of one year to live, high school senior Ben Wolf decides to fulfill his greatest fantasies, ponders his life's purpose and legacy, and converses through dreams with a spiritual guide known as "Hey-Soos.".  Realistic Fiction; Sport Fiction; Bittersweet; First person narrative.

Dead End in Norvelt, by Jack Gantos, 2011.  12-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses until he is assigned to help a neighbor with an unusual chore involving the newly dead, molten wax, twisted promises, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, lessons from history, typewriting, and countless bloody noses.  Autobiographical; Gross.  Audio book read by the Author.

King of the Screwups, by Kelly L. Going, 2009.  After getting in trouble yet again, popular high school senior Liam, who never seems to live up to his wealthy father's expectations, is sent to live in a trailer park with his gay "glam-rocker" uncle.  Realistic Fiction; GLBT Fiction.

Son of the Mob, by Gordon Korman, 2002.  Seventeen-year-old Vince's life is constantly complicated by the fact that he is the son of a powerful Mafia boss, a relationship that threatens to destroy his romance with the daughter of an FBI agent.  Realistic Fiction; Fast-paced; First book of two.

Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, by David Lubar, 2005. While navigating his first year of high school and awaiting the birth of his new baby brother, Scott loses old friends and gains some unlikely new ones as he hones his skills as a writer.  Realistic Fiction; Angst-filled.

Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, 2006.  After spending her summer running the family farm and training the quarterback for her school's rival football team, sixteen-year-old D.J. decides to go out for the sport herself, not anticipating the reactions of those around her.  Realistic Fiction; Sports Fiction; First person narrative; First book in trilogy.

Discworld novels by Terry Pratchett: Color of Magic, published in 1983, is the first book in this 34 book series.  A slightly disorganized and somewhat naive interplanetary tourist named Twoflower joins up with a bumbling wizard and embarks on a chaotic voyage through a world filled with monsters and dragons, heroes and knaves.  Fantasy fiction; satirical humor.

Tiffany Aching Discworld series by Terry Pratchett: The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, published in 2001, is the first book in this 5 book series.  A talking cat, intelligent rats, and a strange boy cooperate in a Pied Piper scam until they try to con the wrong town and are confronted by a deadly evil rat king.  Fantasy fiction.

Guys Read: Funny Business, edited by Jon Scieszka, 2010.  A collection of humorous stories featuring a teenaged mummy, a homicidal turkey, and the world's largest pool of chocolate milk.  Short stories.

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison, 2000.  The humorous journal of a year in the life of a 14-year-old British girl who tries to reduce the size of her nose, stop her mad cat from terrorizing the neighborhood animals, and win the love of handsome hunk Robbie.   Realistic Fiction; Diary format; Book to Movie; Angst-filled; First book in series.

It's Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini, 2006.  A humorous account of a New York City teenager's battle with depression and his time spent in a psychiatric hospital.  Realistic Fiction; Book to Movie.

Humorous Non-Fiction

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous, by Georgia Bragg, 2011.  A look at the deaths of 19 famous people throughout history and the circumstances surrounding those deaths.  Biographies; Offbeat; Journalistic.

Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories of Growing Up, by Jon Scieszka, 2008.  Babysitting mishaps, lazy summer days by the lake, and silly childhood pranks are remembered in this amusing memoir of the life of an adventurous young boy growing up in a family with six brothers.  Autobiography; Fast-paced. 

Smile, by Raina Telgemeier, 2010.  An autobiography in graphic novel format describes how the author lost two of her front teeth in an accident when she was twelve, and her subsequent struggles with various corrective dental techniques throughout adolescence.  Autobiography; Angst-filled.

CakeWrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong, by Jen Yates, 2009.  Presents pictures of and commentary on cakes with mistakes, organized into such categories as literary lols, beyond bizarre, and wedding wrecks.

Totally MAD: 60 Years of Humor, Satire, Stupidity and Stupidity, 2012.  Introduction from Stephen Colbert.  Collects humorous articles from the past six decades of MAD Magazine, including classics from "Spy vs. Spy" and the "Fundalini Pages," in a volume that includes reproductions of twelve iconic cover prints.  Satire.