The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner

In the novella The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Stephenie Meyer writes from the point of view of Bree, a newborn vampire. This book is a companion to the novel Eclipse, in which the vampire Victoria has Riley recruit vampires for an army to fight the Edward and the Cullens to avenge death of her mate, James. Because Eclipse is told from the point of view of Bella, we do not see much of the newborn vampires except during the fight with the Cullens and the werewolves. Bree is the only vampire in the fight who surrenders.

Riley attempts to keep the group of twenty or so young vampires in line and decides when each vampire is able to leave the house to hunt. He acts on the orders of Victoria, who the newborn vampires never see (they don't even know her name). Most of the vampires also have no idea why they have been made vampires and brought together. I found it interesting to discover how little the newborns know about being a vampire. For one, the vampires think that sunlight will kill them; during the day they remain in cramped quarters in a basement. Also, the newborns have no clue about the wider vampire world --they do not know about the Volturri, and can hardly fathom the idea of living or befriending humans instead of feeding from and killing them. Furthermore, they do not even know that they are considered "newborns;" they know how strong they are and figure that will help them prevail in any fight. Riley keeps information from the vampires in order to keep them under his control, but at the same time this lack of knowledge hurts them later on when they do go to fight.

Bree follows Riley's rules, such as only feeding on the "dregs" of society, and also keeps her distance from the other newborn vampires, several of whom often pursue confrontations, going so far as to kill within the group. Most of the newborn vampires are very immature. They go out to hunt and make a huge scene with destroyed property and dead bodies but don't clean up their mess. But Bree does find makes friends with Diego, who is someone she can actually talk to. She also finds a friend in Fred, who repels everyone; Bree hides behind him to allow her to remain unnoticed.

This is a short read, and I thought the change in point-of-view was a refreshing addition to the Twilight series, in that this part of the story has nothing to do with Edward-Bella-Jacob love triangle. You are also able to see how out-of-control newborn vampires actually are. The Cullens seem tame and domesticated compared to the red-eyed vampires under Riley's control. Even Bree, who avoids fighting at the end of the book, doesn't think twice when she goes out to hunt and kills people. Definitely pick up this book if you have already read the Twilight series. Bree, Diego, and Fred are welcome and intriguing additions to the Twilight series. Even though I knew what was going happen to Bree, I still rooted for her as I read the book. I would like to see Stephenie Meyer write other novellas that explicate the Twilight mythology even further-- Edward's first years as a vampire, Carlisle's time with the Volturri, etc.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
TEEN MEYER
Find it in the catalog!

Wendelin Van Draanen' s Flipped becomes a movie

Happy 4th of July

A different look at history

History + graphic novel + humor = Larry Gonick's cartoon history books. I think these books are helpful to read to refresh your memory about historical events. Gonick condenses the information down so that the narrative fits into word balloons and description in the comic panels. If you're looking for something different to check out, try one of these books!

Cartoon History of the United States
YA GRAPHIC NOVEL GONICK
Covers U.S. history up to 1991. Includes an index and an illustrated bibliography, which is something I've never seen before. Find it in the catalog!

The Cartoon History of the Modern World. Part 1, from Columbus to the U.S. Constitution
Young Adult 909.0802 GON
Find it in the catalog!

The Cartoon History of the Universe
part 1: YA GRAPHIC NOVEL GONICK 1
part 2: YA GRAPHIC NOVEL GONICK 2
part 3: YA GRAPHIC NOVEL GONICK 3
Find it in the catalog!

Who do you cheer for?: Team Edward or Team Jacob

One of the things I did to prepare for last Friday's Eclipse Movie Release Party, in addition to baking cupcakes, was create two short videos supporting Teams Edward and Jacob. Many Twilight fans consider themselves to be on Team Edward or Team Jacob when it comes to who they think should be with Bella. So, I brainstormed cheer ideas for both teams and got my cousin Mike to assist me with filming. We came up with our own cheers and choreography to demonstrate the obsessive support fans have for characters in the Twilight series. Neither of us had any experience with cheerleading (which will be obvious once you view either clip), but we had a lot of fun making the videos. The inspiration behind the videos was SNL's Spartan Cheerleaders (played by Will Ferrell and Cheri Oteri). We had hoped to debut the videos at the Eclipse Party, but the computer would not play the files. I was very disappointed after all the work spent on planning, filming, and editing. Well, now thanks to YouTube, our embarrassing antics and choreography can be viewed on any computer. Enjoy!



Cheers for Team Edward:


Cheers for Team Jacob:

Photos from our Eclipse Movie Release Party

On Friday we had an Eclipse Movie Release Party for fans of the Twilight books and movies. We even celebrated the vampire Edward Cullen's birthday (he turned 109 last Monday). In addition to answering trivia questions for prizes and listening to music, we also enjoyed eating Red Velvet Vampire Cupcakes and Jacob Black Chocolate Chip Cupcakes (made by yours truly)! I added a few pictures below. There are more on the library's Facebook page. Thanks to everyone who came to the party! We had 25 attend.

Only six more days until Eclipse

World Cup Action

Novels in Verse

Have a Beastly summer

HUNGER GAMES-- READ IT NOW --VIEW IT LATER

Teen Summer Reader Gets Creative

WHAM-O SUPER BOOK: THE MOST FANTASTIC BOOK EVER CREATED BY SCIENCE

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS INSIDE THE FUN FACTORY

They made toy that made summer's more fun.

Slip'n Slide
Frisbee
Hula Hoop
Hacky Sack
Wheelie Bar

Short Classics -- You'll have to read them sometime--why not now?

Abraham Lincoln High School Award Nominees

Fairy Tales Retold

Fairy Tales Retold

1. Ash by Malinda Lo

Comments

In this variation on the Cinderella story, Ash grows up believing in the fairy realm that the king and his philosophers have sought to suppress, until one day she must choose between a handsome fairy cursed to love her and the King's Huntress whom she loves.

2. Beastly by Alex Flinn

Comments

A modern retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" from the point of view of the Beast, a vain Manhattan private school student who is turned into a monster and must find true love before he can return to his human form. beauty and thtease b

3. The Blue Girl (Firebird) by Charles de Lint

4. Bound by Donna Jo Napoli

Comments

Summary: In a novel based on Chinese Cinderella tales, fourteen-year-old stepchild Xing-Xing endures a life of neglect and servitude, as her stepmother cruelly mutilates her own child's feet so that she alone might marry well.

5. Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Comments

Grandmother reveals a terrible secret through her version of Sleeping Beauty. Sleeping Beauty and the Holocaust

6. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine

Comments

In a land where beauty and singing are valued above all else, Aza eventually comes to reconcile her unconventional appearance and her magical voice, and learns to accept herself for who she truly is.

7. Impossible by Nancy Werlin

Comments

When seventeen-year-old Lucy discovers her family is under an ancient curse by an evil Elfin Knight, she realizes to break the curse she must perform three impossible tasks before her daughter is born in order to save them both.

8. The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman

9. Psyche in a Dress by Francesca Lia Block

10. The Rose and The Beast: Fairy Tales Retold by Francesca Lia Block

Comments

Nine fairy tales are turned "inside out".

11. Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman

Comments

Persephone runs off to the Underworld with Hades, with whom she has fallen in love, but when her mother Demeter threatens to destroy the earth to save her, Persephone finds a way to come back once a year, bringing spring.

12. Snakehead by Ann Halam

Comments

compelled by his father Zeus to accept the evil king Polydectes's challenge to bring the head of the monstrous Medusa to the Aegean island of Serifos, Perseus, although questioning the gods' interference in human lives, sets out, accompanied by his beloved Andromeda, a princess with her own harsh destiny to fulfill.

13. Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

Comments

The infant princess Briar Rose is cursed on her name day by Pernicia, an evil fairy, and then whisked away by a young fairy to be raised in a remote part of a magical country, unaware of her real identity and hidden from Pernicia's vengeful powers.

14. Tender Morsels (Hardcover) by Margo Lanagan (Author)

Comments

A young woman who has endured unspeakable cruelties is magically granted a safe haven apart from the real world and allowed to raise her two daughters in this alternate reality, until the barrier between her world and the real one begins to break down.

15. The Writings of Mark Twain: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

16. Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Comments

Five sisters who live with their merchant father in Transylvania use a hidden portal in their home to cross over into a magical world, the Wildwood.

17. Zel by Donna Jo Napoli

Bullies and bullying-- read about it, think about it, don't do it.

Another reason to spend your time reading--extreme poodle grooming.

Elvis and Eddie -- is it the hair

Check out these blasts from the past on DVD

If you are in the mood for a laugh, or just want to watch something different than an ordinary comedy or drama, I recommend the DVDs How to be a Woman and How to be a Man. These DVDs feature educational films shown in classrooms from the 1940s-1980s. The films address topics such as getting a better personality, manners, and growing up. The films are at once funny, shocking, nostalgic, and quite mesmerizing, not only in terms of the attitudes of what defines a woman or man but in terms of fashion, hairstyles, and decor of past decades. Plus, as you watch the various films you see differences in quality of acting and filmmaking techniques.

How to Be a Man: Find it in the catalog!
NEW DVD 305.23 HOW

In the segment "Am I Trustworthy?" a boy learns from his dad about how he can be seen as trustworthy by others. He makes a chart of trustworthiness to demonstrate to his dad what he's learned. Other segments include "Act Your Age," "The Other Fellow's Feelings," and "The Show-Off."

"The Show-Off" deals with a classmate who always acts out in order to be the center of attention. Near the end of this film his classmates seem fed up with his behavior, but the film doesn't allow the audience to see what the junior class representatives decide to do about the student.

How to Be a Woman: Find it in the catalog!
NEW DVD 305.23 HOW

The film "Growing Girls" recommends to avoid wet feet and getting a chill. In "Let's Make a Sandwich" we are told that potato chips used to be thought of as only picnic food, but now it's acceptable to serve this food at parties.

"As Others See Us" is one of the most weirdly absorbing of the educational films; its theme is that you must avoid embarrassment at all costs because "nothing spoils a good time like uneasiness." Some examples: don't hold up the line in the cafeteria with conversation pieces, use your knife for cutting not tearing, and allow your date to order for the both of you in a restaurant: "At every age it is still a man's world when it comes to giving the order. So you tell your escort and let him tell the waiter. As we said before, you might as well learn this in junior high and avoid embarrassment in the days ahead. It will probably continue to be a man's world when ordering for a long, long time." I wonder what that male narrator would say today if he were to step foot in any given restaurant and find women of all ages ordering for themselves.

I found the film "Girls Are Better Than Ever" so unsettling I stopped watching. This film's theme is about being active and keeping in shape, but it directs a condescending attitude to its female teenage audience. Case in point: A male narrator says, "Do I have to tell you that every day competition is getting younger? And every day in every way you're getting older?" What a good way to demolish self-esteem!

The film "Pattern for Success" starts out annoyingly enough, with a teenage boy asking a girl about her clothing, and whether she makes all her own clothes. Then the segment switches to demonstrate how the teenager makes her own dresses and follows the girl as she uses a pattern to sew her own dress. I was absolutely mesmerized watching as the dress came together step-by-step. To be completely honest watching this film made me want to sign up for a sewing class.