Summer Vacation Reading

Posted on August 18, 2014 by Olivia S.

photo by flickr user fred vargas

As soon as school ends and summer vacation starts I find that I have a lot more free time. During the school year, it is difficult for me to find the time to read the books that I want to read. Most of the time homework, sports, and other after school activities require my full and undivided attention. Unfortunately, this means that my favorite books are usually put on hold until I can find the time.

However, once summer rolls around I can at last read a book that I enjoy. Summer vacation gives me the opportunity to catch up on the books that I had put aside during the school year. I am able to lay out by the pool with an easy read or even sit bundled up on the couch with a thriller. Even while traveling during the summer, I find books to be a great way to pass time on the plane.

I have noticed though that the genre of books I like to read does change during the summer. I tend to gravitate towards an easier read rather than a dark and depressing book.

Summer time is a time of relaxation, and the best way to relax is with a great book.

-Olivia S.

Shakespeare? Or Nah?

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Danielle K.

Now, I know that a lot of you guys are hardcore literature lovers, and thus would be fundamentally incapable of comprehending why and how people could ever dislike the works of William Shakespeare. I know; frankly, I am right there among you.

But recently, I read about a study that revealed that only a small percentage of teenagers like/enjoy/appreciate Shakespeare’s works. To me, this is sad and disappointing, but I have also discovered it to be a hard, distinct truth of reality. Maybe this has something to do with the fact that students are forced to study his works in school and thus the requirement of doing so makes it unfavorable; maybe it has something to do with laziness, and not having the capability or attention span to dissect his extravagant use of language; or maybe because of all the modern, contemporary ways of passing leisure time, reading to comprehend the works of the Bard is an activity viewed upon as trivial, inconsequential, and pointless.

I wholeheartedly believe this to be untrue. For one, Shakespeare is an unprecedented phenomenon; no one since has been able to harness the English language as brilliantly as he did. We all know that his plays are world-renowned, but the real question is: Why should we choose to read Hamlet when we can SparkNote the play in candid, easy-to-understand, modern-style English in only a few precious seconds?

Michael Mack, an Associate English Professor from the Catholic University of America once compared reading Shakespeare to listening to music. As a self-proclaimed professional music listener, I declare this statement to be surprisingly accurate. The first time we hear a song we notice things like beat, repetition, genre, and whether or not we’d be able to dance to it. It is not until we have listened to the song many times that we begin to recognize the singer/songwriter’s message and start to discover the lyrics’ true meaning.

If you have never tried to read anything written by Will Shakespeare, I encourage you to pick up Romeo and Juliet (a story most everyone pretty much already knows) and read it in its original, non-abridged version. See if you like it. I hope you do. If you don’t, then I digress. I remain the type of person who (re)reads Shakespeare on the weekends for fun.

For those of you who have tried and not been able to navigate the Shakespearean language (no one blames you, trust me) there are also versions of the plays called “Shakespeare Made Easy” which includes the original and a modernized version of the text, along with explanatory footnotes that can be very useful, especially if you are reading for school. These are great reading tools and I encourage you to utilize them.

My advice: Defy society. Read Shakespeare in public.

-Danielle K., 8th grade

Introduction to the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Megan V.

Calling all Mutants!

It doesn’t matter whether you have a mother who gave birth to you or were simply born in a test tube– we, a flock of six who have wings, will be recruiting anyone who has a mutation, such as super speed, being a dog who can talk, or have a body part from a different animal.

If you have one of these requirements, join our army that is going to save the world!

And who are we? We’ll, we are six kids who were merged with bird cells, which explains our wings. If you don’t trust us, whether it’s because you don’t believe kids or think that we are part of the government that is trying to get you back, we will give you a description of us:

Max: aka Maximum Ride, is the leader of the six. She is fourteen years old, blond, a bit pretty, and because she is on the run, she doesn’t shower much and tends to smell. (Fang, I’m going to get you for that! -M)

Fang: is also fourteen, and is always there if Max breaks into an emotional struggle. He is also very hot and sexy with his dark looks and wings. (Okay, the first sentence is true. Not too sure about the second. -M) However, his preference in girls seems to be red haired pretty girls, though some say he is in love with Max. (…Angel, please don’t write about what I think. And Fang doesn’t love me -M) (They are both truueee! -A)

Ian: also fourteen. Some scientists tried to make him be able to see in the dark, but it failed and caused total blindness. (Do you think we will scare others with this sentence, Nudge? -I) (Well, we should let them know that we are just like them with being experimented on. -N) (Hah! You said Total, like our dog’s name! -G) He usually wears glasses, and can be found playing practical jokes on the teachers with Gazzy.

Nudge: eleven years old. She has dark skin, and absolutely loves fashion. (And fashion, fashion, AND EVEN MORE FASHION!! -N) (I’m glad that this is a rough draft, because we aren’t putting that in there on the final. -M)

Gazzy: eight years. His name is short for the Gasman, which is because his farts are deadly. His typical practical joke on the teachers is to set off stinkbombs (They ruuuuuleeee! -G)

Angel: six years. She has hit the mutant jackpot, for she can read minds and do other things that are talented. (Aww, you make me blush. -A) She happens to know what is going on, so she’ll know if there is a traitor among us and who likes who in this group. She also seems to get whatever she wants, making her a sweet, yet spoiled brat. (Gaaaaazzzzyyyy! You too, Fang, I heard from you that you gave him that idea! -A)

So there you have it! We have been experimented on, put into dog crates, and tested on. Now, after four years of hiding, our foster dad is gone, Angel goes missing, we have to face our worst fear (school), and we all have the desires of wanting to be normal. Oh, did we also mention that we are being chased by boys who can turn into dogs, including a used to be cute three year old? Now we’re on the run, but if you want to join, contact Fang on his blog and we’ll come get you.

-Megan V., 9th grade

Being a Member of the MVL Teen Voice Blog

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Angela J.

Roughly a year ago, I was in the Mission Viejo Library, browsing through the new books in the teen section when I saw a flyer advertising a new program at the library– and that program was this blog. I remember grabbing the flyer and thinking what an amazing idea it seemed like, but not being sure if I would be able to take part in it. I thought that it might be too techy for me, so I put aside the flyer for a about a month and forgetting about it for a while. I don’t quit remember what piqued my interest in it again, but eventually I sent an e-mail to find out more information. I was so excited when I got a reply and discovered that I would be able to take part in this amazing opportunity.

My first post was an “Authors We Love” post highlighting the works of Ellen Hopkins. In fact my first three posts were related to her. Since that first post I feel like I have grown a lot as a writer and branched out a lot more. Writing for this blog has helped me look at books differently. I have always been an avid reader and I have always have a strong opinion of what I would read, but I never really tried to express that opinion while still trying to remain at least a little unbiased.

Thinking of a topic idea is one of my favorite parts of getting to do this. Sometimes it will take me several weeks to think of something, and sometimes it comes easier. Regardless of how long it takes for the idea to come, once I get one it’s an amazing feeling. I tend to write more “Authors We Love,” opinion, or essay type pieces than book reviews so usually I’ll think of a broad topic and think to myself “I can’t wait to start researching this” or “Now I have a great excuse to re-read all of these books.”

Writing, of course, is a big part of being a member of the Teen Blog Team, and I love it. It’s really amazing to be able to type something up that exposes someone to new books, new authors, new ideas, and maybe something that gives someone more information about a book/author/idea if they already have some information about it. While I don’t tend to write many book review pieces, I enjoy writing those because it is a fun challenge to review a book without just summarizing plot points. I really love doing “Authors We Love” posts and other types of pieces where I can include lists. I love being able to take a topic and point out all of the great points of it and then also point out then not-so-great points but still be able to end on a positive note.

What I have gotten from this experience is just an all-around wonderful experience. I have had a great chance to improve my writing, to write for an audience, and to get feedback on some of my pieces. I have also been made more aware of events going on at the library and have attended a lot that I normally would not have really paid any attention to. I have also gotten to read all of the wonderful posts on this blog; the overall talent of this group never ceases to amaze me.

As a whole, I am extremely glad that I took that first step of sending an e-mail last year. I hope that my posts have introduced people to new books, new authors, and new information, and an enjoyable reading experience. I am looking forward to what the future holds.

-Angela J., 12th grade

Short Stories And What They Could Be

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Nicole G.

Short stories are somewhat out of style. Who cares about a short book when there is a full length novel to read? Recently, however hard they are to find, I have discovered their appeal. They encompass a moment of a character’s life, a scene that can be taken out of context of the overall story that gives a glimpse at an author’s style, the situation the characters are in, and who those characters are.

What that short story is can vary. There are the prequel stories that give background to the full story. Life before Legend by Marie Lu shows June and Day back when they were twelve, giving insight on the great characters they would grow to be. This kind of short story could be read before to discover the series or read after when you just never want it to end. Or in the middle, like I did.

Sometimes short stores are collected together into a book, linked together by an underlying common thread. Grim, written by way too many authors (this is by no means a bad thing), contains all sorts of twists on fairy-tales, some darker, using the bare minimum from the source, while others are an inventive retelling, staying true to the fairy-tale it came from. The best part of a collection of short stories is the variety. Even if you don’t like one author or story, a few pages later, there’s a new one. There is the flip side, of course, when it ends too soon, but I think that’s kind of the point. They aren’t supposed to have a satisfying ending; the taste of potential always makes you want more.

Another possibility short stories present is insight into another character’s mind, especially from first person point-of-view novels. Free Four: Tobias Tells the Story takes, obviously, the perspective of Four (or Tobais, but I’m going with Four) from Veronica Roth’s Divergent in the knife throwing scene. I don’t want to ruin anything by saying anything else about it. These types of short stories give other characters a chance for the reader to see their thoughts and mindset for a change. It’s nice to know how other character think and perceive the same situation differently.

Just like full length novels, some short stories are better than others. Find something that interests you and give short stories a chance. They won’t take long to read.

-Nicole G., 10th grade

We Need Diverse Books

Posted on May 1, 2014 by Allison Tran, Teen Services Librarian

When you’re looking for your next read, do you like to read about someone just like you, who’s going through the same things you’re experiencing? Or do you like to read about someone totally different, in a part of the world you’ve never seen? Either way is valid. It’s important to have a variety of books on the shelves so all readers can see themselves represented, or learn about something new.

But did you know that out of 3,200 books for young people published last year, only 93 of them were about black people? 69 books were written about Asians or Asian-Americans, 57 about Latinos, and only 34 about Native Americans. Does that seem right to you? (See the full study at the Cooperative Children’s Book Center.)

There’s a grassroots campaign happening to bring awareness of the lack of diversity in youth literature, and we here at the Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice are throwing in our support. We need diverse books!

Please click to enlarge the following photos and read what our teen bloggers have to say.

Wenqing Z., 11th grade

Nicole G., 10th grade

Allison Tran, Teen Services Librarian

And sometimes, we need the simple wisdom of Success Kid…

Sites That Make Writing Social

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Angela J.

photo by flickr user thislyrelark

Reading books is one thing, but writing them is a whole other thing. I think one of the biggest problems that would-be writers face is that writing can be a lonely business, and it’s not just the hours spent writing, but also for young writers, the lack of a fan base. While it’s always important to write for yourself, having readers that can give you feedback and keep you going when working on a long project can make a world of difference. Thanks to the Internet, it is easier than ever to start gathering this fan base. Websites like Wattpad and Figment and even deviantART are all great for young writers who want to get their work out there.

Each of the websites I mentioned have pros and cons, and they can all be extremely useful resources for writing. While I have experience with all of them, Wattpad and deviantART are the two that I have the most experience with. Wattpad and Figment are dedicated literature sharing sites, while deviantART focuses on art as a whole, not just literature.

Between Wattpad and Figment, Wattpad is my favorite. Wattpad allows you to post books either as one large piece or divided into chapters. My favorite part of Wattpad, though, is the fact that it has an app. When you want to read stories the app is amazing- you can even download books for reading offline, just like a typical ebook. You can also write your stories on-the-go using the app. Wattpad also features forums which can be great for getting feedback and getting help if something in your writing is stumping you. You can also send and receive comments as well as private messages. Overall, whether you want to write, read, or connect with other writers, Wattpad can let you do that.

Figment is similar to Wattpad in that it is a dedicated literature website. Like Wattpad, you can publish books in chapters. One of my favorite features on Figment is that is allows to post chapters in a draft forum that can only be read by people with the specific links, which can be great for getting feedback about the latest addition to your story. Figment also has a great group system for connecting with other writers. Another nice feature of Figment is their frequent contests. Even though the chances of being the one chosen as the winner out of all the submission might not be great, just the process of entering can be helpful for developing writing. Figment doesn’t have an app like Wattpad, but overall it is still a solid choice.

Finally, there is deviantART (DA for short). deviantART isn’t a literary focused websites, but rather includes all forms of art. There isn’t a way to specifically post “books” but it does accept literary submissions which can be contained in folders and keep together that way. I think deviantART really shines for getting poems viewed because of the way that they are published. The big thing that I really like about deviantART, though, is how social it is. While Wattpad and Figment allow for communication, DA really has a sense of community. There are groups, forums, private messages, comments– the list goes on. It is this social interaction that really makes DA a worthy place for the literary inclined. If you’re looking for someone that will be there for you throughout the long haul of writing, deviantART might be the way to go.

Overall, the face of writing is changing. No longer does one need to get published to be read by others; now anyone can get their work out there for the world to see.

-Angela J., 12th grade

April is National Poetry Month

Posted on April 3, 2014 by Sabrina C.

Do you like poetry? Does it inspire you? Do you like to read it or write it? What kind of poems do you like? If you enjoy drama and suspense, you might like some of William Shakespeare’s poems. If you like horror, then you might want to read some of Edgar Allan Poe poems. If you like more upbeat and cheerful things, Walt Whitman will be a good choice for you. Personally, I like Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.” In my English class, we are in the “Poetry Unit.” I like to read and write poetry. It’s fun to break the poem down and see the true meaning behind the words. My teacher loves to break down poems. She recently assigned us to write an ode poem, which is a poem celebrating a person, place, or thing. We had to write other poems too like concrete poems, which is a poem that makes a shape, and a lyric poem, which is a poem that is musical. For my ode poem, I wrote an “Ode to Music.” I think music is very similar to poetry because they both tell stories and have moods and tones. They can change a person’s emotions and some apply to our own lives. This is my ode poem: Ode to Music Music is a way to escape. A chance to find serenity. A place where you can go away. Music is as calming as a waterfall. It helps us through bad times. It heals us. It tells us stories. Music can help a person relax from a long day of work. It can make us feel happy, sad, or mad. It puts us in a peaceful state of mind. Music is the key to our happiness. Where would we be without it? I hope you liked my poem! I would love to hear your thoughts about my poem and poetry itself in the comments! -Sabrina C., 8th grade

Traveling to My Favorite Book Settings

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Kelsey H.

I love traveling! It is something my family and I have always done, and we love to connect our reading to our trips. I am so thankful to my family for all of the amazing experiences that inspired me to write this blog.

The first book series that I can recall reading is the Laura Ingalls book series. Just like so many little girls out there, once I read the first book in the series, I was hooked! After I read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s On the Banks of Plum Creek, my family and I went on a summer trip to the actual Plum Creek that Laura Ingalls played in! While we were there in southern Minnesota, we also drove down to South Dakota to walk around the Ingalls’ homestead and dirt-covered sod house that Laura’s Pa built. To top it all off, we also attended a reenactment of the Ingalls’ lives with actors and actresses in the middle of a giant field! They were spectacular and a trip like that really made the book come to life!

I have also read many books that take place in England because I love the classic style of Old English writing. Some of the books I have read include Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier; At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinnard Barnhill; and Doomed Queen Anne by Carolyn Meyer. The novel At the Mercy of the Queen takes place in Hampton Court in England.

I actually got the opportunity this past summer to visit and tour the grounds where Queen Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII entertained guests! The rooms were so decorative and ornate, and the reenactments with professional Shakespearean actors were perfect! I definitely recommend taking a day to see Hampton Court if you are planning on travelling to England!

Rebecca also takes place in England, but as this is a mystery novel, the stormy coasts of England is the setting. I love the descriptions in the novel of the “miserable” weather of England (though naturally as a Californian, I love it). I got to see part of the English coasts by train and ferry, and of course, both views were breathtaking! After my trip to England, I want to read even more novels set in the beautiful country, and I might even want to live in England someday!

I have had the chance to go to some gorgeous places and stand where some of the most amazing characters and historical figures have stood. The next place on my list to visit is Prince Edward Island, the setting of my favorite book series of all time: Anne of Green Gables.

I hope this blog has inspired you to explore the world with your favorite books in your suitcase! Please post a comment telling me places you’ve been or would like to go based on some of your favorite reads!

-Kelsey H., 10th grade

The Importance of Feminism in Literature

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Sarah B.

A few weeks ago in my English class, a student asked, “Why are all the books we’re reading this year written by women?”

I thought to myself that this question wouldn’t be asked if we were reading books written by men, like we usually do.

The representation of women in the media is important and influential. Women in literature are especially important, whether they are characters or authors. Women are grossly underrepresented in the media and it’s time we changed that.

An example of why feminism is needed in the media, especially in the literary world, is that J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, was told by her publicist to use the pen name J.K. Rowling because if she were to use her full name, Joanne Rowling, she would not sell as many books because women do not sell as many books as men as a result of society’s prejudices against their gender. Women are still not equal to men in this day but equality can be achieved step by step if we take the necessary steps.

Young girls and boys need female characters that they can look up to. Young girls as well as young boys need to know that female characters can achieve just as much as male characters can. It is important for children as well as adults to see the potential of female characters.

The majority of main characters in books are male. Female characters are usually used as minor characters or love interests. When female characters are love interests, they are reduced to just that. They become surface-level characters, who exist solely to be a love interest.

On the occasion that female characters are well developed or portrayed as strong, they are detached, unemotional, and cold. If women are to be strong, they are not allowed to have any emotions because they are considered to be a sign of weakness. An example of this is Katniss Everdeen, from The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins She is a strong female character yet she shows little to no emotion. If she was head over heels in love with Peeta or Gale, would she still be considered to be a “strong female character?”

Joss Whedon, the director of The Avengers was asked, “So, why do you write these strong female characters? to which, he replied “Because you’re still asking me that question.”

Feminism is still relevant today– issues of equality still exist and will continue to exist unless we do something about it. People in the media such as authors and directors have the power to create complex characters who can defy gender and social norms and to break the barrier of inequality.

-Sarah B., 12th grade

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