Enoch Pratt Free Library

Here is an exciting selection of new Nonfiction materials for young folks:

We recently held an event for teens during which they learned the basics of drawing cartoons and caricatures. Artist Rick Wright instructed the teens on how the even the most elaborate caricatures begin with basic shapes. The participants had time to practice what they were learning, and at the end of the program, two lucky teens received caricatures of themselves from Mr. Wright. Here are those drawings:

On June 12th, we enjoyed a great kickoff celebration of the annual Summer Reading Game. There were plenty of activities, including games, crafts, contests, and of course, reading. Below are some photos from our event:

After a weeks-long process, we finally have the finished results!

Now, that the paint is dry, it's time to decorate! This is the best part of the piñata-making process.

In our program, we used crepe paper. The crepe paper is cut into squares, or longer strips, then glued onto the painted piñata shell in a layered fashion.

Other touches, like glitter or stickers can be added as desired.

Finally, two small holes are drilled opposite one another just below the opening at the top of the piñata. A length of yarn is strung through the holes, and now your piñata is ready to be filled and hung.

Last time we created the shell of the piñata using the papier-mâché process. We can begin decorating our projects now that the shells are dry.

The first step is to pop the balloon sitting inside of the papier-mâché shell. The shell will be hard and should retain its shape.

Now, you can begin to paint the exterior of the piñata shell. We used tempura paint for this step, but acrylic paint also works well.

You can choose to paint the shell a single color, or you can blend colors based on your intended design.

Place the painted shell on a paper plate, and sit it somewhere cool to dry.

This week and next week, we will add the finishing touches to our piñata projects.

Join us as we go through the process of making a piñata.

Last week, we started the process to create piñatas. A piñata is a papier-mâché project. Let's go through the steps to create the papier-mâché portion.

First, you need a mold to form the desired shape. In this case we used inflated balloons. The balloons were marked with a black line to indicate the areas that should remain uncovered. The balloons were then covered in a layer of plastic wrap to prevent the pasted newspaper from sticking to the surface of the balloon. You can also cover the mold in a layer of vaseline to prevent sticking.

To begin the papier-mâché, tear newspaper into small strips. The strips do not have to be perfect.

Take some of the paste mix, either with your fingers or with a paintbrush, and apply it directly to the surface of the plastic-wrapped balloon. Place a newspaper strip over the paste, then apply more paste over the strip, and smooth it out with your fingers or the brush. Apply more paste around the balloon and apply newspaper strips over the paste, then put paste over the strips. Do this until the balloon is covered in a single layer. Repeat the process to apply a second layer.

After you have covered the balloon mold with two complete layers of papier-mâché. Set the mold in a cool, dry area to allow the papier-mâché to dry. It will need at least 2 - 3 days to dry properly.

Now that you have created the form of the piñata, you're ready to start decorating, which we'll discuss next. Come by and see the piñatas we are creating at Pennsylvania Avenue.

Piñatas are a fun and festive addition to any birthday party. They are papier-mâché creations filled with treats. Making a piñata requires several steps and the process takes several days.

First, you need to gather materials needed for the project and set up.

For the papier-mâché project you need:

• Regular bleached flour
• Water
• Salt (optional)
• Glue
• Newspaper, torn into strips
• 1 Large bowl
• Several small bowls
• Plastic wrap
• Balloons
• Table cloths

First, cover the project workspace with table cloth (papier-mâché is very messy).

Blow up a balloon for each person doing a project. Also, give them a small bowl.

Cover the balloons with a single layer of plastic wrap.

Next, mix the paste ingredients in the large bowl. Put the flour in the bowl, and add water until the paste is a thick, soupy consistency. You can add a little bit of salt to the paste mixture to prevent mildew.

Now you're ready to begin your piñata project. We are creating piñatas at the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch every Thursday in May.

Next week, we'll go through how to do the actual papier-mâché process.

Recently, we had an event here during which tweens and teens had the opportunity to make their own earrings. They created some really great, unique designs. The pair below is just one the many creations they made. Click on the image of the earrings to see more designs.

We've made some improvements in the YA Corner at Pennsylvania Avenue Branch! There are three new, cafe-style tables with chairs for our teens to enjoy. There is also a new READ® poster featuring Ne-Yo. Stop by some time and check out our improvements.

Pratt's biannual teen literature conference, Books for the Beast, is coming this Saturday. Participants read a selection of ten books, and have lively discussions about them during the day-long event. I almost always choose the Horror and Science Fiction/Fantasy groups, and this year is no exception. There are some excellent book selections this year, and I encourage you to check them out:

	Life Sucks by Jessica Abel Dave Marshall's life isn't going as planned. He's a reluctant vampire working the night shift at a lousy convenience store, he's in love with a girl who seems impossible to get, and he has to deal with a psycho surferboy vampire who's out for his blood. What's a guy to do when he realizes life sucks?
	Wake by Lisa McMann Janie is an average high school senior, except she has the ability to enter other people's dreams. For most of her life, it's an awkward inconvenience, until she enters a terrifying dream that chills her to the bone, and also reveals an aspect of her ability previously unknown to her.
The Restless Dead by Deborah Noyes This collection features ten stories by some of today's best writers of teen horror fiction. From funny to chilling, from tragic to inspiring, these stories will enrapture and intrigue you.
Unwind by Neal Shusterman Not too long into the future, problem teenagers don't get second chances; they get unwound. After his parents arrange his unwinding, sixteen-year-old Connor goes on the run to avoid his grim fate. Along the way, he meets Risa and Lev, both fellow Unwinds, and together they try to find a way to beat the odds.
	Graceling by Kristin Cashore Eighteen-year-old Katsa is a Graceling. Gracelings possess special abilities and talents that make them stand out from others. Katsa's Grace is killing, and unfortunately, her ruthless uncle uses it to his advantage. Yet, when Katsa's life takes an unexpected turn, she learns more about her Grace and herself than she ever thought possible.
	Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer Miranda is living a typical sixteen-year-old's life when a catastrophe in space suddenly threatens all life on Earth. What follows is a journal of her family's struggle to survive the chaos and horrors of the world's harsh, new reality.

This Wednesday, the final session of Teen Art Hour will be held. The teens are going to work with scratchboards. Scratchboards are typically a layer of chalk on wood, covered by a layer of black ink, which is then scratched off to produce images. Homemade scratchboards can be produced by drawing a thick layer of crayon onto a sheet of cardstock or thick poster board, then painting over the crayon with black paint. This is the method I used to produce the scratchboards for Teen Art Hour.

	First, I started by preparing a multi-colored crayon back ground. When the teens scratch through this, there will be a rainbow effect in the design.
	I also colored a sheet with just a solid color. It's a lot of work coloring an entire sheet!
	Next, I started painting over the crayon layer with black tempera paint. I had to be sure to apply an even layer of paint.
	Finally, once the layer of black paint is complete, I just had to wait for the paint to dry. The teens will teen scratch off the paint using toothpicks to create their designs.

Our teens have done it again. Today, during Teen Art Hour, they made a variety of iris folded creations. Iris folding is a paper craft that involves folding paper strips and placing them into a pattern. The patterns can be very simple, or wonderfully intricate. This is a popular craft activity at Pennsylvania Avenue Branch, and the teens and tweens look forward to it. To learn more about iris folding, visit the Iris Folding site of the Circle of Crafters Website. This website allows users to access patterns and instructions for free, and by creating a free account, you can also access additional patterns and information in their user forums.

Starting this Wednesday, teens at Pennsylvania Avenue branch will be able to enjoy an hour of arts and crafts. Each week will feature a different activity for teens to relax and enjoy. This week, we're starting out with magnetic poetry. We have a large magnetic white and a variety of magnetic poetry collections. So, stop by and create something with us.

Summer is right around the corner, and that means barbeques, family reunions, and vacations. While enjoying your leisure time, relax with a good book. Pennsylvania Avenue Branch has plenty of summer-themed books from which to choose. Pick one up today!

Summer Sun Risin' by W. Nikola-Lisa
A Summer Smile by Iris Johansen	Summer of Secrets by Paul Langan

How good are your bowling skills? What about tennis or boxing? And how about Mario Cart? Pratt Library is the latest public library system to bring gaming to its customers. 

Players of all skill levels and ages are welcome.

Come to the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch for Wii open play during National Library Week in April.

We're celebrating master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock's birthday here at the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch. Come enjoy a series of Hitchcock's films throughout April. These films include some of his classics:

Stop by the branch Wednesdays in April for a chance to enjoy some great movies.

This year Baltimore is celebrating the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birth. As part of this celebration, a series of art workshops are scheduled for the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch. These workshops, for people ages 10 and up, will allow participants to express their creativity based on themes featured in Poe's works.

Art on Purpose workshops will begin at Pennsylvania Avenue soon, so call 410-243-4750 for more information. Registration will be required.

Spring Break is coming soon! What are your spring break plans? Hopefully, those plans include stopping by the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch on April 6th to enjoy our Spring Fling for Teens activities.

The week of March 8-14, 2009 is Teen Tech Week. This year's theme is Press Play @ Your Library. Here at Pennsylvania Avenue Branch, we plan to play on Friday, March 13th, starting at 3:00 p.m. Come enjoy a variety of board games for all ages. It's a chance to relax, unwind, and have some fun.

To learn more about Teen Tech Week, visit the American Library Association Website.

This year Baltimore is celebrating the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's birth. As part of this celebration, a series of art workshops are scheduled for the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch. These workshops, for people ages 10 and up, will allow participants to express their creativity based on themes featured in Poe's works.

Art on Purpose workshops will begin at Pennsylvania Avenue soon, so call 410-243-4750 for more information. Registration will be required.

Fans of the Del Rio Bay Clique novels will enjoy the newest offering in the story of high school sophomores Mina, Lizzie, Jacinta and Kelly.

Friends Lizzie, Mina, Jacinta and Kelly face more drama than ever when prom season comes around. Paula Chase's Who You Wit'? finds the four friends dealing with more boy-related problems than they can handle. Kelly is torn between two guys, Lizzie is giving her boyfriend (and her friends) all kinds of grief about sex, and Mina and Jacinta face the serious consequences of their adult decisions. As if that weren't enough, a betrayal amongst the girls may threaten their friendship.

Check out Who You Wit'? and other Del Rio Bay Clique novels at Pennsylvania Avenue.

Each month, teens at Pennsylvania Avenue Branch enjoy discussing a book they've read. November's book was the Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks. This December, we'll be discussing When the Black Girl Sings by Bil Wright.

Adopted by white parents and sent to an exclusive Connecticut girls' school where she is the only black student, fourteen-year-old Lahni Schuler feels like an outcast, particularly when her parents separate, but after attending a local church where she hears gospel music for the first time, she finds her voice.

Check out When the Black Girl Sings by Bil Wright, and take a look at the upcoming dates and readings for the Teen Book Club.

Teens at Pennsylvania Avenue Branch are enjoying the CityLit Teens workshop. They have already begun writing stories and poetry. Their enthusiasm for creative writing promises to produce excellent work in the coming weeks.

The CityLit Teens workshop is an opportunity for teens to improve their writing skills, and learn about the process of publishing a book. It is open to tweens and teens who are interested in any kind of creative writing.

CityLit Teens meets Wednesdays at Pennsylvania Avenue Branch. Come check out this inviting program.

The fifth book of author Stephanie Perry Moore's popular Perry Skky series is here at Pennsylvania Avenue. The Christian fiction saga follows the life of Perry Skky, a successful high school football player and devout Christian, in his struggles with life's big decisions. The latest installment, Promise Kept, finds Perry coping with the demands of college football, academic and relationship committments. Given the pressures Perry now faces, how can he find the time to stay true to his faith? 

Check out this and other new Fiction available at the Pennsylvania Avenue Branch.  Click here for more details.