What's Up for Teens
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Prepare for the SAT & ACT Exams
Prepare for the upcoming SAT and ACT Exams by checking out our latest SAT and ACT exam resources in print and electronic formats. Here are a few recommended titles:
SAT:
Peterson's Master the SAT 2013 by Peterson's
This book provides a wealth of strategies and helps students prepare for the SAT with extensive reviews and nine full-length practice tests--including three online--to help sharpen math, writing, and critical reading skills.
SAT 2013: Strategies, Practice, and Review by Kaplan, Inc.
Get ready for the SAT by taking 9 practice SAT tests covering math, writing, and critical reading skills. This book contains detailed answer explanations for each exam question, a parent's guide to college admission testing and useful chapter summaries to help guide the student through the book.
The Official Study Guide for All SAT Subject Tests by The College Board
Planning to take one of the SAT Subject Exams? Then check out this substantial study guide, which contains exam tips, strategies and practice tests for all SAT subject exams.
ACT:
Cracking the ACT by The Geof Martz
Cracking the ACT contains proven techniques from the test prep experts. Two full-length practice tests in the book and exclusive free access to an additional practice test online will help prepare ACT test takers.
McGraw-Hill's ACT by Steven W. Dulan
This is a substantial guide for students preparing for the ACT exam. Includes exam tips and strategies, suggestions for each section of the exam, an eight-week training schedule and six practice tests.
ACT or SAT?: Choosing the Right Exam for You by The Princeton Review
This useful book will help you decide which college entrance exam to take - the SAT or the ACT exam. Make an informed decision by learning the differences and advantages of each exam.
Online
Take free online SAT or ACT practice exams by accessing Schmoop, Tutor.com College Center and LearningExpress (San José Library Card and PIN needed for home access):
Note: First time users will need to create an account.
Note: First time users will need to create an account. You can also access Tutor.com on your iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch by downloading Tutor.com To Go™ from the App store.
Note: First time users will need to create an account.
Feel free to ask a teen librarian at your local San José Public Library Branch if you have any questions about the SAT or ACT exam preparation resources. Good luck!
SAT Practice Test at the Almaden Branch Library
Find out how you would score on the SAT. Take a full length practice SAT test, proctored by Princeton Review on Saturday, September 15 at 10:30 a.m. This is a great opportunity to try your hand at the types of questions you will see on the actual test. Please pre-register at Almaden Branch Library's Info Desk or by calling 408-808-3040.
Come back for the Strategy Session on Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at 6:00 pm to receive a personalized score report.
Advanced Craft: Scrapbook Your Notebook
Let your creativity loose and take home a free notebook!
Teens and tweens are invited to join in decorating notebooks with scrapbooking paper, stickers and much more at Almaden Branch Library on Friday, September 7, at 5:00 PM.
Bring your friends and join in the fun!
All supplies will be provided.
Growing Up Asian in America
Every year since 1995, Asian Pacific Fund has been sponsoring the Growing Up Asian in America art and essay contest. This year the APF has invited students in the Bay Area to explore the bridges, real or symbolic, that are meaningful in their lives. Over 1400 students (k-12) of diverse backgrounds have submitted entries telling “their struggles with identity, whether they've just arrived from Asia and are negotiating what it means to be American and Asian, or whether they're multiracial kids trying to reconcile each side of their heritage. They have built bridges by memorializing a coffee table,regaining the use of their legs, mending broken relationships, singlehandedly cooking a Thanksgiving feast,” and more. The winning entries are posted online for you to see.
The winners received savings bond awards, and were honored at an awards ceremony earlier this year. Exhibits of theese winning artwork, poems and essays are on tour in 50 of the Bay Area libraries until February 2013. At San Jose Public Library, the exhibit schedule in 2012 is as follows:
August - Evergreen branch
September - Berryessa branch
October - Tully
November - Santa Teresa
December - Hillview
And the exhibit will be at a few more branches in early 2013.
If you are interested in participating in the contest, please watch for its announcement in early 2013 at Growing Up Asian in America. Asian Pacific Fund is on Facebook.
Winners of the 2012 Book Trailer Contest for teens
Check out the top 3 winning entries of the 2012 Book Trailer Contest below:
1st place (winner of a Kindle Fire): Confessions of a Triple Shot Betty by K. Rai
2nd place (winner of a $50 iTunes gift card): 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by L. Do
3rd place (winner of a $25 Jamba Juice card): Ender’s Game by L. Chinn
Thank you to everyone who submitted such creative and fun videos! It was a difficult decision to choose the top three.
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Teens: want to do something more imaginative than just writing a review for Summer Reading books that you have read? Create and submit a book trailer review for Summer Reading, and you could win a Kindle Fire! Upload a short clip, no longer than 4 minutes, to YouTube, providing your review of the book. Be creative! The contest is open to all participants in the Teen Summer Reading Celebration.
How to enter:
- Create your own book trailer, reviewing a book that you read for Summer Reading. You can submit more than one video, but each video has to be for a separate book.
- Post the video on YouTube using the tag: SJPL2012SRC
- Sign up for Summer Reading here, starting in a few weeks.
- When you log the book you read on the Summer Reading website, make sure to include a link to your video in the review field.
Entries will be judged on creativity and content by a panel of library staff.
Need some examples? Check out the winning entry from last year's Book Trailer Contest, created by Nathan Verdonk.
Here are links to some professional book trailers:
- Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Teens who submit links to their Book Trailer will automatically be entered in the contest. The top 3 winners will receive:
- 1st place: Kindle Fire
- 2nd place: $50 gift card for iTunes
- 3rd place: $25 gift card for Jamba Juice
Entries for the contest must be submitted between June 1 and July 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in August.
Back to School Winner!
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Congratulations to Oscar, winner of Alum Rock Library's Back to School backpack drawing. Oscar is a seventh grade student at Davis Intermediate School.
Discover and Go!
San Jose Public Library is offering a new service to library cardholders. Discover & Go offers free or reduced price tickets to Bay Area museums for Bay Area library cardholders!
What does this mean to you? Always wanted to go to the San Jose Museum of Art but couldn't afford the ticket? Log in and while passes are available you can download them FOR FREE ! There are a limited number of passes available on a first come, first served basis. Every month more passes become available. Watch the tutorial
Some museums will allow you to use your smart phone to display your downloaded pass, but all will accept a printed pass that you download.
Check it out!
Audio Appreciation Month: Recommendations for Teens
August is Audio Appreciation Month! Celebrate this event by checking out various audio book and music titles at your library! Here are a few recommendations for teens.
* indicates Series
Books on CD
The library has audio book versions of many popular titles shown below in audio compact disc format.
Teen Audio Books
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
A moving, paranormal romance story about Grace and a mysterious wolf that often watches her from a nearby distance. Later, Grace discovers a wounded boy near her home and makes a shocking discovery that this boy is that same wolf in human form.
Crossed by Ally Condie
In this sequel to Matched, Cassia sacrifices everything and heads to the Outer Provinces in search for Ky. However, she is soon confronted with shocking revelations about the Society and the promise of an upcoming rebellion.
Maximum Ride* by James Patterson
An exciting adventure and science fiction series about six genetically enhanced children being imprisoned in a laboratory. Eventually, a sympathetic scientist helps them escape and they use their special abilities to survive on their own.
Digital Audio Books
Besides compact disc, you can also download audio books to your digital audio player, including your iPod, smartphone, or home computer via OverDrive Digital Library or OneClickdigital. Using your digital audio player, you can transition or navigate to other chapters of the book without having to change discs. Here are a few recommended digital audio book titles:
Teen Digital Audio Books
Matched by Ally Condie
Cassia has always followed the autocratic Society without question. One day, the Society matched her with Xander, who is to be her "perfect" mate. However, she prefers to be with Ky instead and decides to rebel against the Society's choice by choosing him. Will their relationship last? Listen to this digital audiobook to find out more!
Hunger Games* by Suzanne Collins
In a post-apocalyptic world, a powerful government called the Capitol selects a boy and a girl from each district to participate in an annual televised event called the "Hunger Games", where they would fight each other to death. However this time, both participants defy the rules and face dire consequences.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Katsa, a young warrior lives in a world where some people are born with unique special skills called "Graces". Katsa however has a dreaded skill of killing and in this adventurous story, she goes on a journey of self-discovery and redemption by trying to save her land from a depraved king.
Music
In addition to audio books, the library also has a substantial collection of new music CDs and downloadable new eAudio and eMusic for all ages! Please see a librarian at your library for more details.
Teen Lock-In: A Night of Fun!
On Friday, August 3rd, teens attended the Teen Lock-In event and rocked the night at several San José Libraries! They had a fun and memorable time hanging out with friends, dancing, playing games, making cool crafts and enjoyed the food as shown in the photos below.
Check out the Teen Events Calendar to learn more about upcoming events for teens!
Night Image Photo Contest at the Edenvale Branch Library - Deadline has been extended
Love taking photographs?
Submit your original photo, with a theme of night time, and you could win a prize!
There are two contests at Edenvale Branch Library: one for Teens (ages 12-17), and one for Adults.
Both contests have the same rules and prize for the winner: $50 dollar gift certificate to San José Camera and Video.
The contest deadline has been extended to Thursday July 19th, 2012 at 4:00 PM.
You must come in to the library to get an entry form.
This program is part of the Summer Reading Celebration 2012.
Other night photo examples:
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