Monster Mash This Saturday!

Don't forget about our Monster Mash tomorrow at the West Waco library! There's a costume contest if you want to dress up, plus a lot of other fun activities. It's from 2-4pm for 12-18 year olds. Bring your zombie hunter license from your Summer Reading Club packet to enter the raffle for prizes!

This Week's Winner of a Large Pizza Is...

Ashley V.!!

Ashley's review of The Wild One by Melinda Metz got chosen in our weekly Summer Reading Club drawing. She'll get a large pizza and be entered in the drawing for the grand prize at the end of the summer: an MP3 player! It's not too late to sign up for Summer Reading Club so you can start dropping your book reviews in our boxes at all 4 locations and be entered to win too.

Come To the Ranger's Apprentice Party!

On Saturday, July 14th at the West Waco library, we're having a party! It's from 1pm-3pm, and all teens (age 12-18) can come play the games with us. Just sign up by going into a branch or call 750-5944.

The Ranger's Apprentice is a fantasy series about Will, who is enlisted to become a Ranger's Apprentice in a medieval world. The rangers must protect the kingdom from the evil magic forces who are coming to attack. Kids and teens who love castles, surviving in the wild and books about bravery will fly through the series.

Here's a book trailer about the first 3 in the series:



If you already love The Ranger's Apprentice, you'll really love The Brotherband Chronicles, also by John Flanagan. This series is about new characters within the world of the Skandians and Aralueans. The 2nd book just came out!

This Week's Winner of a Large Pizza Is...

Courtney C.!!

Courtney reviewed her Summer Reading Club books that she read this week and dropped the slips into our box at one of the library branches. Every week there's a drawing out of the review box for a free large pizza from Papa John's! Sign up for Summer Reading Club until July 3rd and don't forget to review your books. All reviews are compiled together at the end of the summer, and there will be a grand prize drawing for an MP3 player. Submit as many reviews as you can to up your chances of winning! Read Courtney's review on our Book Reviews page.

Last Week's Winner of a Large Pizza Is...

David P.!!

Thanks, David, for reviewing your Summer Reading Club books and putting the slips in our box at the library. The drawing is every week, so keep reviewing. There's no limit! For every book you read each week this summer, drop a review in the box at any library location. It'll up your chances of winning a large pizza and the grand prize of MP3 player at the end of the summer. Check out our Book Reviews page for David's review.

Graphic Novels:
Code Geass; Lelouch of the Rebellion; Queen Vol. 5 -- side-stories about the female characters of this series
Code Geass; Lelouch of the Rebellion; Knight Vol. 5 -- side-stories about the male characters of this series
Superman. Grounded Volume 1 -- distressed after the destruction of New Krypton, Superman vows to walk across the United States, using his super powers only to help folk he meets on the way.
Astonshing X-Men Vol. 7, Monstrous -- What do you get when you cross an island full of giant monsters, a telepathic terrorist and a jet full of mad-as-hell mutants? Monstrous action! Mentallo has the perfect plan: take mental control of the denizens of Monster Island and use them to extort his old employers at Roxxon.
11th Cat vols. 1-3 by Mikyung Kim -- Rika is training to be a wizard, but when she undertakes her first task, to find a magic staff, she finds all sorts of trouble in this comedy of magical errors.
Peacemaker Kurogane Vols. 1-3 by Nanae Chrono -- based on a tumultuous period of Japanese history, an elite cadre of Samurai try to defend Kyoto.
Black Sun Silver Moon Vols. 1-4 by Tomo Maeda -- Tasked with paying off his late father's debts to the Temple, Taki finds himself as a maidservant by day, demon-hunter by night!
Pick of the Litter Vols. 2-4 by Yuriko Suda -- Riku, united with his family at last, returns with them to the magical land of Yamato, where he discovers he has some unusual siblings - a cat, and two rabbits!
MeruPeru Vols. 1-4 by Matsuri Hino -- When Airi lost her heirloom magical mirror, she never dreamed a little boy from a magical kingdom would emerge from it; later she finds herself in his kingdom, and must navigate the tricks of the realm by herself.
Phantom Vols. 1-2 by  Lee -- K, a mech pilot, has never questioned his duties until everything goes wrong; now he must either join his enemies or lose all sense of justice!
Sakura Hime Vol. 8 by Arina Tanemura -- Enju is missing after the destruction of the hidden palace; Sakura and Aoba now face separation as the Emperor asks Aoba to take another bride...
Platinum Garden Vols. 1-4 by Maki Fujita -- When Kazura is sent to live in Mizuki's house, she learns that she's really there to become his wife!Then she discovers that he might be able to call her grandfather's soul back to life...
Omukae Desu Vols. 1-5 by Meca Tanaka -- some people can see the dead. Madoka can also see the man in a giant bunny suit that is trying to help the dead "cross over". Soon, he finds himself assisting him!
One Thousand and One Nights Vols. 1-2 by JinSeok Jeon -- Everyone knows about Shahrazad and the Arabian Nights. But what if Shahrazad was actually a boy, desperate to save his sister's life? A new twist on a classic tale.
Princess Ai Vols. 1-3 by Misaho Kujiradou -- Ai escapes her war-torn magical land to find herself in modern Tokyo, in shock, slowly remembering who she is, why she's there, and what she came to do.
Princess Resurrection Vols. 1, 3-6 by Yasunori Mutsunaga -- Princess Hime, her undead servant Hiro and Flandre the robot fight the forces of evil with her chainsaw, and magic that can resurrect the dead.
It Takes a Wizard by Thomas Hart -- Three years ago, Manhattan changed; magic now rules - and it is at war with the rest of the world. Isaac Silverberg is given one chance to redeem himself by rescuing a kidnapped young woman from his one-time master, evil Sorcerer Everett Winterthorn.
Catwoman. Volume 1, The Game  -- Meet Selina Kyle, the Catwoman; she's good at being bad, and very bad at being good, but when she steals from the wrong man, will she be able to make it out alive?
Green Lantern. Vol. 8, Brightest Day -- Hal must protect the Entities from a mysterious figure that is enslaving them, and to do so, must ally with not just friends but enemies, including Sinestro!
Marvel Masterworks Presents. The Amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 7 -- stories from 1968.
Ichiro by Ryan Inzana -- half-american Ichiro finds it hard to fit in anywhere, but when he visits his Japanese grandfather he is pulled into the domain of the gods. Will he be able to find a place to call his own?
FairyTail Vol. 19 by  Mashima -- When Erza faces off against Midnight of teh Oracion Seis, it seems that the allied guilds will finally be able to defeat them all and stop Nirvana!
Avengers Academy. Vol. 4, Second Semester -- New school, new students, new staff! But when a classic Avenger gets murdered, everyone becomes a suspect!
Sita: Daughter of the Earth by Saraswati Nagpal -- Adapted from the ancient Indian epic The Ramayana, this tale highlights Sita's strength in love, honor and sacrifice.

Nonfiction:
Roman Mythology by Nardo -- Roman myth and legend; includes the legend of Aeneas and Romulus founding Rome; why Roman myths have survived until today.
Native American Mythology by Pearce -- the First Peoples of America; universality of myth and how it affects daily life.
Mayan Mythology by Currie -- who the Maya are, their gods and goddesses, creation myths, and their world.
Greek Mythology by Nardo -- stories about creation, the Trojan war, and the legacy of Greek Myth.
Norse Mythology by Redmond -- The harsh world of the north, the heroic gods of Asgard, and more...
Master of Deceit: J. Edgar Hoover and America in the age of lies by Aronson -- discover the secret man behind the founding of the FBI
Young Artists Draw Manga by Hart -- step by step art instruction as well as character styling including shoujo and bishounen.

Fiction:
Golden Lily by Richelle Mead -- Bloodlines #2 - Alchemist Sydney must protect the vampires in hiding at her school; unexpected spirit bonds, romance and the threat of Strigoi make the task harder.
My Big Mouth: 10 songs I wrote that almost got me killed by Peter Hannan -- Davis Delaware moves to a new school after his mother's death; in the process of starting a new band called The Amazing Dweebs, and finding a new friend in Molly, he makes an enemy of school bully Gerald.
Buried by Linda Joy Singleton -- goth girl Thorn and her family move to Nevada where Thorn meets a mysterious masked man and follows the psychic vibrations from a locket to a shocking, long-buried secret.
Child of the Mountains by Marilyn Sue Shank -- Lydia grows up in the Appalachian mountains in poverty with her mother and brother and Gran. When Gran and BJ die, Lydia's mother is unjustly jailed. Can she clear her mother's name?
Timepiece by Myra McEntire -- An Hourglass novel - When vital research about the time gene is stolen Kaleb must join Emerson and the Hourglass team to find the thief, who could be anywhere in time.
Rapture by Lauren Kate -- Fallen #4 - Luce and Daniel are on a quest to find the place where Angels fall to the Earth, so they can stop Lucifer from erasing the past; during their search they make a startling discovery about their love.
False Covenant by Ari Marmell -- A Widdershins Adventure - Davillon is still reeling from the brutal murder of Archbishop William de Laurent, when a new evil begins stalking the streets, and only Widdershins and her personal God may be able to fight it.

Losers in Space - John Barnes - this science fiction adventure takes a bunch of self-described "loser" teens who sneak onto a space-ship bound for Mars, and pits them against each other and the unforgiving environment of outer space for survival.

I really enjoyed this book but I did have a few issues with it. Firstly, I could not understand why the heroine found herself amidst the "loser teens" as she seemed very self-aware, with a knowledge of her own strengths, motives, weaknesses and flaws that seemed a bit unteenlike. I also thought that the extreme ease and rapidity of the teens' ability to spring back from the accident that overtakes them and take command of their own future was unlikely. There should have been a period of uncertainty, of waffling, of immaturity, before they were forced to take charge.

These minor quibbles aside, the story was action-packed, exciting and believable. The science was accurate, interesting and integral to the story, while the characters and their actions were great. The story had some unexpected twists, and I really appreciated the ending. I'm just not sure the intended audience of teens will find it as believable as I did.

Graphic Novels:
Infinite Horizon by Gerry Duggan -- the conclusion to the work inspired by the Odyssey. The Soldier with No Name struggles to find his way home, now that the war has ended.
I'm Not a Plastic Bag by Rachel Allison -- Discover what happens to a lot of the things we throw away; they end up as a huge, ugly trash island floating in the Pacific Ocean.
Science Dog by Robert Kirkman -- across space and time, watch Space Dog fight evil with science!
Jinx. Lil' Jinx Grows Up. by J. Torres -- Jinx has always been a tomboy, but now she's in High School, and things are getting a little more complicated.
Transformers. Vol. 1, For All Mankind -- Three years after the Decepticons overran earth, the Earth has been rebuilt, and the Autobots are in hiding.
Daybreak by Brian Ralph -- You become a silent observer as a strange, one-armed man protects you in a post-apocalyptic world of Zombies and a brutal struggle for survival.
Penny Arcade. Vol. 1, Attack of the Bacon Robots by Jerry Holkins -- The Penny Arcade Comic Strip pokes fun at movies, video games, and current pop culture.

Fiction:
Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves -- In 1888, seventeen year old Abbie goes to do volunteer work in Whitechapel Hospital in London's notorious, poverty-ridden East End. There, she learns of Jack the Ripper, and discovers that she has a connection to the killer, and must discover his identity to stop his gruesome crime spree.
Endure by Carrie Jones -- 4th in the Need series - Zara must align her pixies to fight alongside humankind against the evil, destructive Pixie Armies; her attraction for the Pixie King Astley makes this difficult task almost impossible.
Enchanted by Alethia Kontis -- Sunday is the youngest of seven sisters; when she kisses a frog, her magic touch transforms him back into the despised Prince Rumbold. He sets out to court her, but she resists, not knowing he's her old friend the frog. 
Ocean of Blood by Darren Shan -- Saga of Larten Crepsley #2 - As young vampires, Larten and his brother travel widely, exposing themselves to the world of humans, before committing to their true vampiric unlife.
Ruby Notebook by Laura Resau -- Zeeta and her gypsy-mother have ended up in Aix-en-Provence; the sixteen-year-old finds herself receiving mystery mementos from an unknown admirer, and when her Ecuadoran boyfriend comes to visit, their relationship has changed. And then their adventure begins...
In Honor by Jessi Kirby -- three days after she learns of his death in Iraq, Honor receives a letter from her brother Finn that sends her on a journey across the US to honor his last wish; with her is his estranged best friend.
This Is So Not Happening by Kieran Scott -- He's so/She's #3 - Ally and Jake are back at school together, when they receive a blow; Chloe tells Jake that he's the father of her soon-to-be child.
See You at Harry's by Johanna Knowles -- Fern feels invisible as a middle child between two older siblings and an adorable younger brother, until a family tragedy stretches the bonds that hold them together to their limits.
Final Four by Paul Volponi -- four players in the NCAA finals tournament face pressure both from the game itself, and from the expectations of society.
Forbidden by Syrie James -- Claire is determined to stay at her new High School, so she doesn't tell her mother about the creepy visions she's having, nor about Alec, the boy who is falling in love with her - and who may have to kill her when he discovers that she, like him, is descended from Angels.
Arthur Quinn and the World Serpent by Alan Early -- Father of Lies #1 - When he and his father move to Dublin, Arthur has premonitions about a great evil that threatens the world, and soon finds himself up against the Norse trickster god, Loki.
Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell -- In 1889, Amelia is happy to take part in the social whirl in Baltimore. But when she begins to have visions of the future in the sunsets, people begin first to listen to her, then fear her. And her romance with an artist, Nathaniel, has dark secrets of its own.
Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve -- Hungry City Chronicles #2 - in a future world where cities walk across the land, Tom and Hester attempt to find a way to the Dead Continent via the ice City of Anchorage; there they hope to be able to hide from Arkangel's savage Huntsmen.
Infernal Devices by Philip Reeve -- Hungry City Chronicles #3 - In the distant future, Wren steals an old-tech book for a Lost Boy, she sets a series of events in motion that pulls her parents Tom and Hester back into old battles.
Inside by Sara Michelle -- My New Normal #2 - Having survived "The End" and finding shelter in an abandoned snow-house, Ryan and Cecilia are joined by other survivors; will they all be able to work together or will they tear each other apart?
Others by Sara Michelle -- My New Normal #3 - Ryan and Cecilia struggle with their fellow survivors to find ways to deal with the fears and difficulties that surround them.
BZRK by Michael Grant -- When two men want to turn the world into a Utopia, remaking people into perfectly peaceful, flawless beings, a group of teens resists, struggling to save the right for each person to be an imperfect individual.
Summer on the Moon by Adrian Fogelin -- When Socko's mother moves them in with his grandfather, in an effort to give them a better life, Socko must make a strange new place into a home, and find new friends,including his crotchety, bossy grandfather, if he can.
Dying to Know You by Aiden Chambers -- When Karl becomes desperate to impress a girl, he seeks out her favorite author and begs the old man for help. A surprising friendship grows between them, and events take on a life of their own...
Underworld by Meg Cabot -- Abandon #2 -- Pierce Oliviera isn't dead, but she is being held captive in the realm of the dead, supposedly for her own good. She may be safe from the Furies, but other dangers are growing...
Alice on Board by Phyllis Naylor -- seeking one last adventure in the Summer before college, Alice and her friends find employment on a Chesapeake Bay cruise ship.

new books

Graphic Novels:

Olympians Vol. 4, Hades by George O'Connor -- The Great God of the Underworld falls in love with a mortal maiden, Persephone, and their love changes the world!
Avalon Chronicles Vol. 1: Once in a Blue Moon by Nunzio Defilippis -- Aeslin discovers that the story book her parents read to her is really a magical portal to another world, which is in need of a hero!
Teen Boat by Dave Roman -- imagine being a teenage boy who can also transform himself into a small yacht! Of course, trouble soon follows...
Amazing Spider-Man. Secret Origins -- Spider-man tangles with some of the early villains, including Electro and The Lizard.
Amazing Spider-Man. Vol. 37, The Return of Anti-Venom -- Anti-Venom returns to help Spider-man deal with Mr. Negative and his criminal empire - whether Spidey wants him to, or not!
Amazing Spider-Man. The Complete Ben Reilly Epic book 4 -- Just as Ben settles into his new life as Spider-man, a shadow from his past threatens his identity.
Stargazing Dog by Takashi Murakami -- fed up with his life, and without his family, a man sets out on a journey with his faithful and patient dog.
Salt Water Taffy... Vol. 4 by Matthew Loux -- the adventures of Jack and Benny get scary when a spooky whaling ship appears in Chowder Bay.
Super Pro K.O.! Vol. 1 by Jarret Williams -- Joe dreams of being a wrestler, but many barriers, including a sumo wrestler, a drunken boxer and more stand in his way.
Scott Pilgrim. Vol. 6, Scott Pilgrim in His Finest Hour by Bryan O'Malley -- six of Ramona's seven evil exes have been eliminated; will Scott now face down the worst of them all? But didn't Ramona leave? Doesn't that get Scott off the hook?
Spell Checkers Vol. 1 by Jamie Rich -- if you were a teenager with magic powers, what would you do? Three teen girls rule school, until someone from outside starts barging in, stealing their magic and their social status!
Any Empire by Nate Powell -- a group of small town kids, tied together by boredom and a series of turtle mutiliations, grow up together to face the mysterious invasion of tanks into their small town.
Blood Alone Vols. 1-2 by Masayuki Takano -- Misaki may be the most innocent and sincere vampire in existance, and she lives with Kuroe, a writer with a past history with vampires of his own...  
Ultimo Vols. 1-5 by Hiroyuki Takei -- Yamato thinks he has problems with money troubles, girl troubles, but nothing like what happens when he finds Ultimo, a peculiar puppet with magical powers.
A Certain Scientific Rail Gun Vol. 2 by Kazuma Kamachi -- Harumi and her friends battle trouble as rumors of the "Level Upper" spread, and the medical community tries to uncover the source of the sudden rash of coma patients.

Fiction:

Losers in Space by John Barnes -- intending to go on the adventure of a lifetime, 9 teens sneak aboard a spaceship bound for Mars, but don't realize that one of their number is a sociopath with plans of his own...
Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis -- wealthy and beautiful, Anna finds herself falling for Abel, a drug dealer; but when his enemies start turning up dead, she begins to wonder if he could be a killer.
Cosmic Storm by Dom Testa -- Galahad #5 - the crew of the Galahad must face fear and trouble as they deal with Triana's disappearance and the waves of radiation threatening their ship and their lives.