Teen Cafe - T-Shirt Redesign (or) See, I Knew I Was Saving That for a Reason!

We don't usually blog about events before they happen, but we are hoping to snag a few more ideas from our brilliant readers:) Since Miss Ami is, as they used to say, in a delicate condition, and may or may not be around for the latter half of Summer Reading, we are trying to prepare as much as possible beforehand. This particular program is slated for the end of July - just don't ask us what's for supper tonight, 'kay?

The general plan is to provide ideas and supplies for teens to redecorate/redesign/repurpose old t-shirts. Because many of the regulars to Teen Cafe are also SRP Volunteers, and they have a whole stash of shirts from previous years, and because we also had a stash of SRP shirts that were never picked up last year, those are what you will see featured here. We are mostly looking for no-sew ideas, as the idea of supplying 30 or so sewing machines doesn't seem too feasible.

First, because Miss Ami was a child of the 80's, we have this one:

You can also fringe the sleeves.

Another very simple one - wear a different color tank under it. We may cut more slits around the collar. If you are better at cutting than we are (no opposable thumbs, remember!) you can try cutting shapes instead of just slits.

A necklace/scarf made by cutting horizontal stripes about 1" thick and then pulling them tight to make them roll up. We connected them with a strip cut from the bottom, but we're not sure how to describe the loop-and tuck method...you can just hot glue the ends if you like!

These two are made from the same shirt. For the necklace (or belt) we cut off the bottom hem, then cut around and around so we had one long continuous strand about 1" thick. We cut that into thirds and braided them, then added chunky wood beads that have been sitting around forever.

We didn't want to waste the top picture, so we used fabric glue to attach it to posterboard, then added jewels and glitter. This would be fun to do with a t-shirt that had a funny saying, or a favorite rock band on it. We are trying to find our scrap cork board to make a bulletin board this way.

This is the one that started the whole project. Miss Ami (when she is not fat) and Miss Lisa both like 'skinny shirts', but the SRP shirts always come in 'boy cuts'. Just cut an inch or so off each side, make some slits, and voila! You can lace it or tie it - yes, both look kind of weird together, and the pretty ribbons don't exactly match the shark motif, but you get the idea. Wouldn't those bright yellow shirts for this year's theme look awesome with yellow and red ribbons?

We had seen ideas for shopping bags that required sewing the bottom, but then Karl from Tulsa sent us this idea - just fringe and tie the bottom. That looks even sturdier than sewing. Use strips from the sleeves as added handles. We left the hem on, but you can cut that off and add pony beads to the bottom. 

That gave us an idea for a pillow we wouldn't have to sew, either. We did 'cheat' and hot glue the neckline, but that would be pretty easy to hand sew. Again, we left the hems, but you could take those off and add beads.

Most of these only took a few minutes - the braiding took forever because we kept getting tangled! (Thumbs!!!) Thanks to everyone who sent ideas and web sites to check out - now, what else have you got for us???

Teen Cafe: Decorating Book Ends

For last night's Teen Cafe, we decided to spruce up some of the book ends in the Children's Room. We gave them the option of painting or making collages with magazine pictures. Most chose to go with the collage idea, which somewhat surprised us.

Half the kids are still milling about the snack table

For some reason, body parts were very popular.

We did tell them not to worry about the edges, Miss Ami would trim them with a razor once they had dried. She felt no pressing need to hand out objects sharper than scissors.

THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD GET YOUR OWN OUT!

Sheesh. Before you city slickers freak out, remember, this is New Mexico. Everyone carries a knife. But we did make him put it away and use scissors.

This one turned out great...until she realized she had done the wrong side. Oops!

The finished products, which turned out better than expected. Nice job, guys! We'll trim up the edges and coat them with shellac. Definitely a project to do again.

Homemade Lit Bling

We just have to show off how very talented one of our teens is:

If you are a Rick Riordan fan, you will recognize both the beads and the shirt. If you are not a Riordan fan, well, then, you are no friend of ours.* Yes, she made them herself, and we think she should make us some now:)

* Seriously. Go read the books, and then you can talk to us.

Teen Cafe - Talk Like a Pirate Night!

Ahoy, readers! We be realizin' Talk Like a Pirate Day were actually last Sunday, but since Miss Ami insists on takin' her day of rest, we had to wait until last night for our revelries. This year around 23 young pirates split into three crews and designed their very own pirate ships. Each crew was given a box (thank ye' Baker & Taylor) and a semi-identical set of supplies, along with the following guidelines:

Each ship must have a flag.


The boys chose yon bonney lass over the Jolly Roger. Erm...okay...

Each ship must have pirates.

Restin' up after a long day of maraudin'

And each ship must be capable of firing marshmallow cannonballs.



Bottom half a balloon stretched over the bottom of a plastic cup. Capable of shooting great distances, like across the multipurpose room, into the back of Hannah's head. Hypothetically speakin'.

Above ship was created entirely by the lone Captain Mickey, and what it lacked in detail (due to time constraints), it made up for in fire power.

This ship, on the other hand:

had an entire crew of creative lasses. With perhaps a wee bit of a bad attitude towards the male species. Detail from another angle:

The boys, on the other hand, lost interest once they had secured the bonney lass:

although, Pirate L. did a fine job of creatin' the hidden weaponry here (it works, trust us.)

All in all an enjoyable evenin' for everyone. The ships are now on display in the Children's Room, so if ye be local, stop by in the next week and take a gander!

Candy Land!

Always in search of something new and different to do with the teens, this week we promised "Candy Land - like you have never played it before." To begin with, we had the game board:

Thank-you, Mykela and James, for taping all of those down!

The finish line:

Yes, the same castle we used for the Fancy Nancy Tea Party - why reinvent the wheel?!

The instructions:

And the game pieces:

The crowns weren't part of the game, they were just feeling special :)

We always have snacks for Teen Cafe (whispery voiceover: if you feed them, they will come) but didn't want everyone traipsing back and forth and losing their place. We decided you could get drinks when you reached the Gumdrop Mountains, and snacks (lots of candy, of course) at the Lollipop Woods. We chose not to feature every single part of the game, mainly because of our limited artistic talents!

In the regular-sized game (in case it has been a few decades since you played), players take turns picking cards to tell them where to move next (not a great game of strategy, Candy Land). With 40 or more kids spread throughout the room, this would have been a logistical nightmare. We had one basket with the color cards, and then one with strips that read things like, "If your birthday is in April," or "If you were a junior last year." We drew one descriptive card and one color card, and our announcer read those out, then the kids moved accordingly. That worked pretty well - everyone was bunched up at first, but got spread out fairly quickly. If you are interested in doing this yourself, let us know, and we'll give some tips on the descriptors.

The pink character spaces were photocopied and blown up, and they kept things from getting too predictable - a couple times someone almost reached the end, then got sent back to "the chick with the cupcake" (Miss Ami had trouble remembering any characters' names). The only problem? We got so involved in the game, we completely forgot to take pictures during! Here is one of our winners, enjoying the spoils along with another participant:

We had twelve giant lollipops, so about 1/3 of the players won something. We just played until the lollipops were gone. The other problem? Miss Ami liked using the microphone. A lot. She says she wants it available during all Teen Cafes. We aren't so sure that is necessary - or a good idea - but we have the feeling we are going to lose this one.

Gift Ideas for Teens

Some groups are just harder to buy for than others. Husbands are one - the ads say to buy them tools, but unless he has been dropping hints like Home Depot flyers with items circled, how do you know which ones? And if you could afford them, wouldn't he already have six? The office "non-gender-specific-around-$15" gift exchange can be a nightmare as well. Buy a set from Bath and Body, and guaranteed, the one guy in the room will draw that number. Ditto with the fancy chocolates or cocoa sets and the coworker on a diet.

Teens are definitely another one of those groups. There is just so much twilight paraphenalia in the stores, and they stopped letting us pick out clothes for them years ago. God bless the teen who collects something, and triple blessings upon those who love books!

In Tuesday's post, we gave a couple web sites where you can find upcoming releases. Commercial sites like Garnes and Noble and Amazon also allow you to search by publication dates. Today we are going to feature some books for teens that may have been out for a year or a decade, but which we think will still appeal to a wide variety of teens. Later this month we will feature favorite authors for the same age group.



Publisher's description: Though legally blind, Paul Fisher can see what others cannot. He can see that his parents' constant praise of his brother, Erik, the football star, is to cover up something that is terribly wrong. But no one listens to Paul—until his family moves to Tangerine. In this Florida town, weird is normal: Lightning strikes at the same time every day, a sinkhole swallows a local school, and Paul the geek finds himself adopted into the toughest group around: the soccer team at his middle school. Maybe this new start in Tangerine will help Paul finally see the truth about his past—and will give him the courage to face up to his terrifying older brother.

A rather intense book, full of social issues but by no means bogged down by them. Although the main character plays soccer and his older brother is a football star (and the sun around which the family revolves), it is not a sports book. Although there are a few mysteries to be solved, it is not a mystery novel. Although most of the main characters are male, it can easily be enjoyed by both genders. Not for teens who like light reading, but highly recommended for those who like to think. Word of warning, once your teen begins this book, do not attempt to draw them into everyday conversation until they have finished it!




Publisher's Description: Los Angeles is a place of movie stars and fast cars and people who are too rich and people who are too poor. An area of freeway chases and drive-bys and death. But there's another L.A., one where warmth and humor and humanity pervade. Where a tacqueria sign declares: "One cause, one people, one taco." This L.A. is a place where random acts of generosity and goodwill improve the lives of the community. Any Small Goodness is a novel filled with hope, love, and warmth.

This book runs the gamut of emotions, from humor to despair. The reading level, about 4th grade, and the pervasive element of hope, make it suitable for pre-teens or for family read-alouds, yet the themes of balancing who you are with wanting to fit in, or the feeling that sometimes no matter how hard you try to do the right thing, bad things still happen, make this story resonate with teens as well. A great book any time of year, but the last chapters are especially suited for Christmas.



What teen has not felt he was the odd one at times? Here, two boys who would seem to be exact opposites, but who are both more than they appear, team up to show the world (and themselves) that there are different kinds of strength, and different kinds of smart.



This is actually the link to the Audio CD, but we like the cover photo better:) Publisher's description:

Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, DRUMS, GIRLS, AND DANGEROUS PIE is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.

An amazing first novel in its own right, it is hard to believe Sonnenblick has not gone through these circumstances himself. These who have will find parts of it very familiar, while those who haven't will get a glimpse of what it is like to have a child inthe family with leukemia. Lest you think it is all about having a sick sibling, however, we refer you to the title words, which hint at all the other things going on in Steven's life - as things do.



A little bit of sci-fi, a little bit of mystery. Some readers report finding it slow at first, while others were hooked right away. A twist in the middle, however, gets the attention of both groups, and the ending leaves you wanting a sequel.



Publisher's Description: Maybe it was bad karma. Maybe it was just bad luck. Whatever the reason, fifteen-year-old David was born defective. His bug eyes, pinched face, and hearing aids are obvious, but there is a secret David keeps from everyone, even his foster parents. Because of a thin layer of skin hidden under each arm, David can fly—well, glide is more like it. Terrified of doctors, wary of letting down his guard, David is determined to hide his secret at any cost. But then David meets Cheetah, a girl whose own defect doesn’t diminish her spirit, and suddenly his life begins to take wing.

Don't worry, the bad pun at the end of the description is not indicative of the writing in the actual book! Intriguing selection for boys or girls.



There HAS to be a sequel to this, it was set up at the end to have a sequel, and we desperately WANT there to be a sequel, but one has not materialized yet. Yes, Ms. Plum-Ucci, we are directing those comments at you!

A sci-fi thriller that will appeal to your computer geeks, without being to technical for those of us who are still figuring out how to operate our blog. Characters' changing relationships, international intrigue, mistaken first impressions, terrorism, family ties - there is something for everyone in this thriller. Give it to your favorite teen so he or she can help us nag the author for another!



Gotta love a book that warns you up front, don't you? Yes, it does begin with the mother dying, but no, the book itself is not hideous. We'd have to say this is definitely a girl book, though. Written in verse, teens will find it an easy read, and will probably identify with the main character in several areas, even if their father is not a "megafamous actor/ who's been way too busy/ trying to win Oscars/ to even visit me once in fifteen years".

Pirate Party Follow-Up

Well, it doesn't take much to bring out the pirate in some people. Our teen event last night was a definite success, even if there was a bit of cheating going on. Then again, is it really cheating if you didn't think to make a rule against something? Or is it simply getting into the piratical spirit?

We ended up with three rather than four ships, which turned out to be helpful later. The kids split themselves by gender, which always seems to happen when there is any sort of competition involved, then three girls jumped ship together. We had to give extra time for the flags because they were having so much fun, but ended up with a very colorful flag from the "Chicks Ahoy", a heart with daggers from the larger group of girls, who may or may not have been having some issues, and from the boys...ah, the boys.

Our boys are so far from thinking inside the box, they have no clue there is a box (did we mention they are mostly home schooled?) We had put some basic art supplies on the tables and told them to use "whatever is on your table" to make a flag. Of course, we had also put a plastic tub with a skull on the table, to serve as their treasure chest for later activities. Which, in the boys' mind, made it fair game. When we meandered over to see how they were doing, one pirate was gluing graham cracker sticks (they were on A table...the snack table...) to the outer rim. Another was cutting slits in some drink cups and gluing others together in towers, while other pirates were rolling construction paper into tubes. Not content with making a mere flag (which, Adam, was incredible in itself), they built an entire ship! Here is where we wish we could provide pictures, but we decided in the end not to set the precedent of posting kids' photos on the site. Next time, we'll get some of just the finished projects!

We finally moved on to the treasure hunt, which as we hoped inspired some lively discussion of why this book or that might have been challenged. This brought us to the jewel hunt, meant to celebrate the pirate's willingness to do anything for treasure, and his smelliness. The teens did not disappoint in either respect (note to self for next year: air fresheners). They were quite willing to take their shoes off and start collecting gems, and we made clear that only feet could be used.

What we failed to specify was HOW their feet should be used. It took about three seconds for the boys to figure out they could kick a lot more jewels than they could pick up, and the girls quickly followed suit. You can imagine the pandemonium - too bad there is no video, it started looking like a little pirate jig, with everyone hitching up their pant legs and kicking out with both feet! Then the girls started trying to steal from the boys' treasure chest, while the boys tried to block, and we had a combination soccer-dance-Twister thing going on for a few minutes.

We must say, they were very good about picking up the extraneous jewels from around the room while we counted those that actually ended up in the treasure chests. The boys won that one, despite the girls' attempts at thievery, and everyone went home with more than enough candy to make them happy (their parents may be a different story).

One idea we already have for next year: we will have each team build their own ship outside, out of newspaper, then supply each team with cannonballs (black water balloons). We haven't decided if we will also rig up some sort of catapult or just have them lob them at each others' boats, but the winners will be those whose boat is the least wrecked at the end. We'd love to have more ideas to steal...er, borrow, so let us know what is going on in your corner of the ocean!


***Aha! We were able to crop the kiddos out and at least get you a visual of Adam's great artwork:

Ahoy, Mateys!

And Avast, and Arr, and all those other great words beginning with that particular vowel. As our title does say NEWS and reviews, we thought this was an appropriate week to include a little of the former.

If you don't immediately know what is so exciting and newsworthy about this week, we are amazed, appalled, and aghast, but will attempt to advise you with some alacrity (ain't the thesaurus grand? er...amazing?). This Saturday is, of course, International Talk Like a Pirate Day, that fun-filled holiday for young and old that began in a backyard and leapt to the international scene with the assistance of one of our all-time favorite authors, Dave Barry.

There is still time for your library to cobble together a quick display of pirate books, or for your kids to plan a backyard treasure hunt this weekend (and for you older folks...well, as this is a family-type blog, we will refer you to talklikeapirate.com for some inspiration!) Our library likes to pair it up with Banned Books Week - books being treasures, of course, and challenged books being buried treasures...get it? Okay, we never claimed to be wits.

Tonight our monthly Teen Cafe will of course be pirate themed. As we type, there are already teens changing into pirate garb in the restrooms for our costume contest. The meeting room is set up with four 'ships' (tables). The teens will divide themselves into four teams of pirates (numbers are flexible) and begin by designing a pirate flag. Judging from some of the artwork and Youtube videos we have seen in the past, these could get interesting.

We will then have a scavenger hunt through the library, finding books on the most challenged lists. (See what we did there? In one move we have a) kept the kids busy with minimal effort on our part, b) made the event book-related to satisfy the crotchety old folks, and c) made someone else pull all the books for our Banned Books Week display. Are we good, or what?)

Finally...and here is where Miss Ami, the YS Librarian, is showing she is running out of ideas...we will explore some of the less desirable characteristics of pirates. Namely, their willingness to do anything for a bit of treasure, and their...smell.

Yes, pirates are not known for smelling terribly pretty, and frankly, neither are teenage boys. We are going to strew the floor with jewels (colored stones), which they must pick up and carry back to their ship, where they will be exchanged for candy. Oh, but they must be picked up and carried the entire way with...their toes. What can we say, it's easy, it's silly, and we have a very forgiving group of teens, who will do just about anything for food.

Speaking of food, we have of course grog (varying sodas), cannonballs (Whoppers and I don't know how to do the little trademark thingy, but you know it is), sea salt and vinegar chips, wooden legs (pretzels), planks (graham cracker sticks), eye patches (fudge Oreos), gold doubloons (flavored rice cakes), and our token healthy snack, scurvy salad (cut up Granny Smith apples and limes. Five bucks says the boys do strange things with the limes, and I end up taking apples home to the guinea pig.)

If we can get parental permission, we will try posting some pictures. In the meantime, let us know what you have planned for the big day, or if your mother/husband/boss is a spoilsport, just give us your favorite piratical quote from book or movie. More to come later!