Red Ribbon Week

It's Red Ribbon Week - which is not just a week to dress up in crazy outfits and win prizes for wearing arm bands.  It's a week to remember that drugs are not the answer to problems.  They only cause more trouble for those who use them, for friends and family members of users and for the unsuspecting victims of drug-related crimes.  It's also about saying "no" to all drugs - the cocaine off the streets and the prescription pills you find in the cabinet at home, the heroine from a drug dealer and the marijuana from a friend of a friend. The consequences of drugs use are the same - no matter the drug and no matter the source.

Take a few minutes this week and take a look at that armband you were given and reflect on this story of where Red Ribbon Week came from courtesy of http://www.imdrugfree.com.

The Story Behind the Symbol

Enrique "Kiki" Camarena grew up in a dirt-floored house with hopes and dreams of making a difference.

Teens Top Ten

A few weeks ago, you had the opportunity to vote for the YALSA Teens Top Ten (sponsored by the American Library Association) along with other teens across the country.  The results are in, and here is a quick video highlighting the winning titles:



By the way - the tool used to create this video is Animoto.  If you are unfamiliar with it, it's an online video creator that allows you to mesh still images and text.  It does most of the work for you, which is nice, and it's free as long as you don't want more than a 30 second video. 

If you don't have time to watch the clip, and just want to see the top ten list, just click "Read More" below. 

When to Google

Unlike some library media people, I am not of the persuasion that Google is the worst possible source for finding information.  Honestly - I have a hard time believing that those who denounce Google's usefulness are really abstaining from the site.  I figure it's some sort of closet-guilty pleasure, but lets not presume too much.
The truth is, Google has too many great features to try to banish it from the learning environment.  (This blog is powered by Google, so I obviously believe it has value.) The trick is helping students know when to Google and when to go elsewhere.
Here's a few things to remember:

Cassandra Clare - Author of the Month



Picture from cassandraclare.com

 The author of the month for October is Cassandra Clare, known for her two popular young adult fiction series The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices. 

According to her website, Cassandra Clare was born in Iran to American parents and traveled the world during much of her childhood living in France, England and Switzerland.

After a stint in New York City as a tabloid writer, she began writing young adult fiction full time in 2006.  Her first book City of Bones won numerous awards and made the New York Times best seller list. 

Check out the display of Cassandra Clare books in the fiction section of the media center!

Cassandra loves to hear from fans of her books and is willing to answer e-mails.  You can find information about how to contact her here.