October 29, 2009 | goulds
Steampunk appears to be gaining steam… but what exactly is it? Well, here is a definition from Wikipedia: "Steampunk is a sub-genre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England — but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or digital mechanical computers (such as Charles Babbage's Analytical engine); these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or with a presumption of functionality." While many of the books are for teens or adults, Steampunk is now coming out for tween-age readers. It is one of those 'happenings' that crosses sexes, ages, and formats. No official subject heading exists yet for this genre, but here are a few titles to whet your appetite, pique your curiousity...whatever:
October 28, 2009 | jillean
October 17, 2009 | goulds
October 8, 2009 | jillean
September 26, 2009 | jillean
Looking for more stories about kids working to protect our environment? You might find them in unexpected places. If you are a Fantasy Fiction fan try The Companions Quartet series by Julia Golding. If you like Realistic Fiction, try Night of the Spadefoot Toads by Bill Harley and Operation Redwood by Susannah T. French. If you like adventure, you might find Raining Sardines by Enrique Flores-Galbis exciting and full of suspense. You see, there are lots of possibilities when it comes to "green" reads. Enjoy!
September 10, 2009 | goulds
August 19, 2009 | jillean
August 11, 2009 | jillean
Does your bedroom need a fresh look for the new school year? Have no fear, we have a interior decorating book just for you. For help with making over your bedroom, check out:
I wanna re-do my room by Clea Hantman; illustrated by Azadeh Houshyar
Bedroom makeover crafts by Kathy Ross; illustrated by Nicole in den Bosch
Room crafts: add some simple style to your space by from the editors of American Girl
For a look that is all your own, experiment with collage. Cut out your favorite images from magazines, zines, old comics or print out images from your Facebook page. Glue them all together to make a monster collage and call it wallpaper.