Battle of the Bands 2012
Submit your online entries by February 12, 2012

http://www.sjpl.org/BattleOfTheBands 

Does your child need help with their math homework or a special school project? Then, come bring your child to your neighborhood library in Alviso and get homework assistance from our bilingual (English/Spanish) tutor who is available to help

students in grades K-9 with their homework assignments in math, science, reading or writing.

Our Homework Center at the Alviso Branch Library is available on Wednesdays, 1pm-5pm; Thursdays, 2pm-6pm and Fridays, 2pm-6pm.

Registration is required so please contact the Alviso Branch Library for more information

at (408) 263-3626.

Also, please take advantage of San José Public Library's Live Homework Help which students can chat with an online tutor and get homework help and check out the Kid's Homework Page as well as Teen Page for useful homework related links.

¿Tiene un hijo/a que necesita ayuda con sus tareas de matemáticas o de un proyecto especial de la escuela? Entonces, traigan a su hijo/a a la Biblioteca de Alviso para obtener ayuda con las tareas de nuestra tutora bilingüe que está disponsible para ayudar a los estudiantes en los grados K-9 con su tardeas de matemáticas, ciencias, lectura o gramática.

Nuestro Centro de Tareas en la Biblioteca Alviso (ubicado en el salon comunitario) está abierto los miércoles, 1pm-5pm; los jueves, 2pm-6pm y los viernes, 2pm-6pm.

Es necesario registrarse, por favor póngase en contacto con la Biblioteca de Alviso al (408) 263-3626 para más información.

También, por favor tome ventaja del servicio llamado Live Homework Help de la Biblioteca Pública de San José en donde los estudiantes pueden charla con un tutor en línea y en vivo para obtener ayudar con sus tareas. Además visitan la página de la Biblioteca Pública de San José en la páginas: Kid's Homework Page y Teen Page para los enlaces relacionadas con información para la tareas.

In Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn’t Have), sixteen-year-old April hatches a plan that will allow her to live with her best friend, Vi, without any parental supervision. April’s father has decided to relocate from Connecticut to Ohio with his new wife. April convinces her father that she should finish up high school with all her friends, and tells him that Vi’s mother has no problem with April staying with them. In truth, Vi’s mother is going to be away the whole school year, leaving April and Vi parent-free. At first, the freedom of independent living for the two girls seems like a dream! They can throw parties, skip school, and have their boyfriends over whenever they want. However, when grown-up issues come into play (money problems, drinking, sex, etc.), April realizes that growing up fast and without any parental guidance or supervision may not be as great as it seems. 

This book was a fun read! The author has a way of writing realistic teen characters that many readers will be able to identify with. Additional titles by Sarah Mlynowski can be found here.

To learn more about Sarah Mlynowski, you can visit her website.

The Fault in Our Stars is finally coming out on January 10th, 2012. But this might not be soon enough for many John Green fans. To get you through the holidays, you can read the first chapter of his new book online - or have John Green himself read it to you!

Can't wait to read the rest? You can already put the book on hold at your library. Just click 'Request' on this webpage and enter your name, library card number and pin.

Now, if it only was January 10th already.....

Check out Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. Nailer works as a ship breaker along the decimated Gulf Coast in a dystopian future devoid of oil. Nailer and his fellow crew of hardened orphans and urchins pick apart old ships in search of bits of copper, brass, and the ultimate scavenge, deposits of oil. His life is dangerous and hard, and his drug-addicted, abusive hustler of a father doesn't make it any easier. When Nailer stumbles upon a pocket of oil in an old tanker, he thinks that life may start to get better. However, when a brutal hurricane washes a luxurious clipper ship ashore, a scavenger's dream, Nailer knows that his luck really is about to change. It's not until he discovers a beautiful and wealthy lone survivor aboard that he begins to question what kind of luck that will be. Can Nita offer him a better life, or will she just lead him to unimaginable danger?

Dystopian science fiction like The Hunger Games continues to stay popular among teen readers, so it's not surprising that the Printz Award, which is given annually to a young adult novel of distinction, was awarded to Ship Breaker for 2011. The gritty setting a post-oil wasteland unfortunately feels somewhat plausible, which makes it more compelling. You can find plenty of news stories about global scavenging, or check out Trash by Andy Mulligan for a fictional account. If you enjoyed the non-stop action of Ship Breaker, stay tuned for The Drowned Cities, with expected publication in May 2012.

There are so many new experiences, emotions, and responsibilities as you move from childhood to adulthood. Sometimes it feels like you're all alone or that no one really understands what you're going through. For teens that are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or maybe still questioning, it can be even harder to navigate through adolescence due to ignorance, bullying, and exclusion. No matter what you may encounter on your journey to self-discovery, don't forget to be true to yourself and love who you are.

Check out these novels featuring LGBTQ characters coming to terms with their identity, falling in love, grappling tough issues, and more. Whether you're gay, straight, or still not sure, reading stories like these will open your eyes to the experiences of others.

Almost Perfect by Brian Katcher

The Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge

Bait by Alex Sanchez

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan

Down to the Bone by Mayra Lazara Dole

Empress of the World by Sara Ryan

How They Met, and Other Stories by David Levithan

Keeping You a Secret by Julie Anne Peters

Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger

Skim by Mariko Tamaki

Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend by Carrie Jones

The Vast Fields of Ordinary by Nick Burd

What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan

If you're seeking additional support, the DeFrank Youth Space is an excellent local resource in San Jose that offers counseling, support groups, classes, volunteer opportunities, and fun events just for teens, such as their annual Masquerade Ball for Halloween.