Are you a young adult who enjoys listening to audiobooks?  Or an adult who enjoys listening to young adult (YA) audiobooks?  Or just someone with an interest in audiobooks?  Then let me tell you about a great program happening this summer. For the third year in a row, SYNC, sponsored by AudioFile, is offering two free audiobook downloads per week from May 30^thto June 5^th.  The downloads consist of one current YA title thematically paired with a classic title.  These eAudiobooks are yours to keep and listen to whenever you want to.  Just visit this page every week starting Thursday, May 30, 2013 to download the two titles.

See the selections from SYNC for Summer 2013 below!

And if you can’t wait or you want to preview the offerings, you can always check out some version of each title from SJPL.  See the link after each for SJPL’s offerings.

May 30 – June 5, 2013
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks (SJPL)
The Tempest by William Shakespeare (SJPL)

June 6 – June 12, 2013
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 1: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood (SJPL)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (SJPL)

June 13 – June 19, 2013
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater (SJPL)
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya (SJPL)

June 20 – June 26, 2013
Once by Morris Gleitzman (SJPL)
Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr. (SJPL)

June 27 – July 3, 2013
Rotters by Daniel Kraus (SJPL)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (SJPL)

July 4 – July 10, 2013
Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford (SJPL)
She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith (SJPL)

July 11 – July 17, 2013
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann (SJPL)
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (SJPL)

July 18 – July 24, 2013
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (SJPL)
Hamlet by William Shakespeare (SJPL)

July 25 – July 31, 2013
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen (SJPL)
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain (SJPL)

Aug 1 – Aug 7, 2013
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane (SJPL)
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (SJPL)

Aug 8 – Aug 14, 2013
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (SJPL)
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll (SJPL)

Aug 15 – Aug 21, 2013
Sold by Patricia McCormick (SJPL)
Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie (SJPL)

Summer Reading Celebration 2013!

for Teens (Ages 12-18)

How to Participate ...

1. Starting June 1, 2013, sign up at your local library and receive an Activity Grid or sign up online and print your own Activity Grid.
    
2. Only activities completed between June 1 - July 31 are eligible. 
    
3. Complete any five squares in a row (vertical, horizontal, or diagonal) on the Activity Grid to enter our biweekly prize drawing. Once your grid is complete, every additional book read earns another entry into the biweekly drawing.
    
4. List the specific book titles you've read, or activities you've done in the What I Did section.

Please Note: Those who are 12 years old can choose to participate in the teen program or children's program

Summer Reading Prizes for Teens!!

• Sign Up = Pin, Bookmark
• 1st Complete Row = Book
• June 20 Prize Drawing = $10 Jamba Juice Gift Card
• July 11 Prize Drawing = $10 iTunes Gift Card
• July 25 Prize Drawing = Movie Ticket Bundle
• August Grand Prize Drawing = iPad Mini

Book Trailer Contest

Those who provide a video review will be automatically entered into the Book Trailer Contest.  Our judges will select the best video review and the winner will receive a iPad Mini!

Graphic Novel Making Contest!

Part of the Summer Reading Celebration.

Check our events calendar for other FREE activities to enjoy this summer!

Teen Volunteers Needed for the Summer Reading Celebration!

Help promote the library's summer reading program by registering children and awarding prizes.

Biblioteca teensReach organized a Mothers' Day celebration on Tuesday May 7, 2013.  It was open to mothers in the community (and their children) as well as mothers of the teens.  The program featured delicious food as well as games, prizes, and crafts for the children.  Over 40 people attended!  Thanks to our teens for making the moms feel special!

Jovenes de la Biblioteca organizan programa del Dia de las Madres

El grupo de jovenes de la biblioteca organizo una celebracion del Dia de las Madres el martes 7 de mayo.  Fue abierto a madres en la comunidad (y sus hijos) asi como las madres de los jovenes.  Habia comida, juegos, premios, y manualidades para los chiquitos.  Asistieron mas de 40 personas.  Gracias a nuestros jovenes por hacer sentirse especiales las mamas.

Did you miss Free Comic Book Day? Yes - there is a official day in which comic book stores around the Country and participating library systems promote the importance of literacy through comics and graphic novels. A crazy concept I hope many won’t miss for next years event. Because of prior commitments, my family and I missed out on the opportunity to attend this years give away that the SJPL was facilitating throughout all of our branches. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop me from taking my boys to stock up on some new reading material the day before at our local comic book store.

The Free Comic Book Day event occurs every year on the first Saturday of the month of May. Participating comic book stores around the country join together to promote the importance of having brick and mortar comic book shops and how they inspire literacy for the youth by giving away free comics. Growing up, i couldn’t get enough of comic books. From Bill Watterson’s - Calvin and Hobbes, to Marvel’s Spider-Man, it seemed to be the only way my mom could get me to read as a kid. As I grew up, I  then graduated onto more lengthy reads. However - if it weren’t for the influence of the early graphic novels in my youth, I would have never appreciated the art of storytelling as I do now. Back then, the internet along with other online media was still a new concept and the digitization of any literature for consumer use was in its early stages. Too early for it to be readily available for the average household. There was no eBay, no Google, no iPhones, no Amazon, and no eBooks of any kind just yet. I'm sure the majority of you remember those days. However, my kids and the current fortunate generations don't.

Today the majority of our information and consumer goodies come from the vast amount of online services available at just the click of a button, or two. No need for a car ride or locating the address of your destination - since there is no destination, just a URL address. This however does not mean we have improved the consumers experience. That remains to be subjective. I personally still enjoy the experience of browsing through dust filled stacks of comics or books. I don't always know what i came for, but i do know i'm looking for something new. The physical interaction of picking the brain of the comic connoisseur sitting behind the register and discovering new finds while roaming the room, is an experience that humbles the reader. Just as one can walk into the library and browse your favorite subject of choice, then decide what item for the day you want to take home and explore more. The same sense of mystique I hoped my two boys would take away from their visit, became successful. The adventure in searching for just the right comic to purchase and being able to flip through the pages before making their decision has already got them bugging me to bring them back the following weekend. Granted these comics were not free, you can only imagine how excited our library customers were at the Free Comic Book Day event.

Even if you missed out on the fun from this past weekend, you can still enjoy free comic books here at the library. They are not free to keep, however still free to borrow :) - with a great selection of Manga, Graphic Novels, and dozens of comic series to choose from. To stay updated on fun future events for all library customers to enjoy, be sure to check our Events page regularly.

The San José Public Library invites teens to create a book trailer for our Summer Reading Celebration during the months of June and July. Upload a short clip, no longer than 4 minutes, to YouTube. Be creative! The contest is open to all participants in the Teen Summer Reading Celebration.

How to enter:

Think of a favorite book you read for Summer Reading and envision it as a short video, one that will capture the interest of your audience. Create your own book trailer, reviewing the book. You can submit more than one video, but each video has to be for a separate book.

• Sign up for Summer Reading starting on June 1, 2013.
• Post the video on YouTube using the tag: SJPL2013SRC
• Submit the YouTube link to your book trailer along with your name, age, contact information (either a phone number or email) and your library branch to: 2013SJPLBookTrailerContest@gmail.com
• All entries must be submitted by July 31, 2013
• Book trailers may not be longer than four minutes in length
• Story being reviewed should be a young adult or adult fiction or non-fiction book.
• Cite all images, video and audio that you did not create

A panel of judges (staff at San José Public Library) will review all entries and select the top three winners, to be announced in August 2013. The panel of judges will use the following criteria when reviewing book trailer entries:

• Content: Clear introduction; strong hook; summary without dominating narration; fresh and interesting commentary with strong conclusion
• Voice/Sound: Interesting; well-rehearsed; smooth delivery; holds audience attention; easy to hear narration over soundtrack; voice sounds natural and helps convey meaning; soundtrack adds to tone/feel of presentation
• Images: Crisp, clear, engaging, enriching, extending details and meaning; appropriately cited.
• Presentation: All elements (color and graphics) work together seamlessly to create an interesting book trailer

Need some examples? Check out the winning entry from last year's Book Trailer Contest, created by K. Rai.

Here are links to some professional book trailers:

• Divergent by Veronica Roth
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• Legend and Prodigy by Marie Lu

Teens who submit links to their Book Trailer will automatically be entered in the contest. The top 3 winners will receive:

• 1st place: iPad Mini
• 2nd place: $50 gift card for iTunes
• 3rd place: $25 gift card for Jamba Juice

If you have a talent for creating comic/manga style illustrated short stories, you are invited to enter San José Public Library’s Graphic Novel Making Contest for all ages as part of our Summer Reading Celebration, 2013. This contest is sponsored by San José Public Library, Hijinx Comics, San José Museum of Art and TRY Japan Culture Group.

Here’s how to enter …

• Create your own comic book with a maximum length of 8 pages, including the cover page.
• Use letter-size paper (8.5 x 11) with black-and-white drawings and text on one side only.
• Each submission must be the creative and original work of a single individual—the author/illustrator.
• The contest is limited to amateur authors/ illustrators only.
• Computer generated images are acceptable as long as they are your original work (no clip art)
• Consider submitting a photocopy that is an accurate reflection of the original (as submissions are non-returnable).
• San José Public Library reserves the right to reproduce your work. You can reuse all your work after the contest.
• Be sure to print and complete the creative works release form. Include your Name, Age, Contact Information and Signature.
• Entries can be submitted to any San José Public Library location no later than 8p.m. on Wednesday, July 31, 2013. 
• Entries can also be submitted online to sjplgraphicnovelmakingcontest@gmail.com as a jpeg or pdf attachment.
• There is a limit of one entry per contestant.

Entries will be judged on content and illustrations by a panel of library staff and comic industry professionals. All cash prizes will be awarded as gift cards. 

• Children (up to age 6): first prize $25; second prize $15
• Children (7-12): first prize $40; second prize $20
• Teens (ages 13-17): first prize $100; second prize $70; third prize $50
• Adults (age 18 and above): first prize $100; second prize $70; third prize $50

Winners will be announced and prizes awarded at a reception to be held at the Seven Trees Branch Library on Saturday, August 24th at 2:00 p.m.in the Community Room. 

Check out the award winning entries from 2012, 2011 and 2010.   

San José Public Library staff members are ineligible to participate.

San José Public Library reserves the right to refuse submissions that are not appropriate for a general audience. This contest is open to all California residents.