Book Review: Super Boba Cafe
Karen, Coordinator of Young Adult Services , Coordinator of Young Adult Services
This book review was submitted by a local teen. Wolf W. attends middle school in Brooklyn and enjoys visiting the Windsor Terrace Library.Super Boba Cafe by Nidhi Chanani is an interesting and beautifully written book. It is about a child who shares embarrassing photos of herself with her “Crush,” or “Boyfriend.” He is not satisfied “And wants more,” as said in the text. She feels uncomfortable and doesn’t respond. When she doesn’t respond he leaks the embarrassing photos on social media and other sharing platforms, whatsapp, discord, ect. When she comes to school the next day she is…
Facing My Last Year of High School
Every school year brings a new set of challenges and apprehensions, but no school year feels as stressful as the last year of high school. Many seniors find themselves standing on the precipice of adulthood and facing a life outside the structures of public school. While senior year brings many joys, it can bring some concerns. Daniella, a Story Teen Intern at the Central Branch, took some time out of her busy schedule to offer a few thoughts about her senior year. --Bklyn Future This school year will be my last year as a high school student, and I’ll be transitioning into adulthood.…
Sing Your Freakin' Heart Out!
Sing Your Freakin' Heart Out In the spring of 2022, my group of K-pop-loving friends taught me about the slew of karaoke rooms in mid-Manhattan near Macy’s Herald Square. Soon we were taking monthly pilgrimages to KoreaTown, colloquially known as K-Town, to storm our favorite karaoke spot. Armed with beverages, fried chicken, and unchecked volume, we would spend hours belting out Broadway showtunes, bad girl anthems, raunchy rap songs, and the requisite BTS hits. We would leave with our moods lighter and our friendship bonds tighter. It was definitely better than singing into a…
New Year, Same You and That's Ok!
Counting down to a new year makes me anxious especially in the age of social media. I’m overwhelmed by all the year-in-review countdowns--top 10 songs, top 10 TikTok trends, top 10 most searched terms on Google! UGH! Even worse are the messages of “New Year, New You." They feel like a personal attack. Did I live up to my goals? Do I have any new goals? Do I have to work harder, read more, take better IG photos, eat better, vote, save the world? All this new year resolution stuff is just too much pressure. When did this even start? According to History.com and Almanac.com, new year…
You Ask, We Answer...Asexuality
Question: Can I be asexual even as a virgin? Answer: What a great question! Thank you for your courage in trusting me to provide you with some information. The short answer is “yes,” but let me delve further. First, let’s define what does it mean to be asexual or “ace.” Asexuality is a sexual orientation where people have a lack of interest in having sex. It doesn’t mean that this person will never be in a romantic relationship or have sex. Sexual desire is a complex and individual experience. “Asexuality is an orientation not an ideaology.” For more information and to find support,…
Safe Sex and Free Condoms
When used correctly, condoms are one of the most discreet and portable ways to protect yourself from unwanted pregnancy and sexuall transmitted diseases. Condoms are also a versatile form of protection that can be used during oral, vaginal, or anal sex. Every gender can protect themselves with a product that has little to no side effects. For folks with latex allergies, condoms are also available in plastic or nitrile varieties. Cases of syphilis and gonorrhea have gone up since 2020 in New York City. The rates of syphilis went up by 30.7% among people reported as female (females…
Announcing the 2022 Teen Writing Contest & Ned Vizzini Prize Winners
Karen, Coordinator of Young Adult Services , Coordinator of Young Adult Services
We received hundreds of submissions, and the Teen Writing Contest Committee is pleased to announce the following prizes, honors, and selections for the 2022 Teen Writing Contest & Ned Vizzini Teen Writing Prize. Congrats to our winners and many thanks to our staff readers and judges. Poetry Middle School First Place: Pigeons by Maya Cohen Second Place: Where I’m From by Lilla Burke Honorable Mention: On Riding the Subway by Oren Milgrom-Dorfman Honorable Mention: The World of My Mind by Hannah Powell Honorable Mention: Broadway…
Ask Us Your Sex & Puberty Questions
Nearly seven years ago, my supervisor gave me the okay to facilitate puberty and sex ed workshops for teens at my branch. I had not planned on becoming the “Sex Ed Librarian” when I started here 17-years ago, but here I am offering to help you answer some of your biggest sex and puberty questions. My kiddos were on the cusp of puberty and starting middle school nearly a decade ago. Since they have so much access to information at their fingertips, I didn’t want them to enter into a new social world with inaccurate information. Sure, they knew how babies were made, that people with…
Dive into Databases this Black History Month
Welcome to a new monthly blog installment that will highlight online databases for teens. This month I will be linking databases in honor of Black History Month. Black History Month is a yearly celebration of the achievements of African Americans that takes place in February and every year a theme is chosen. This year's is Black Health and Wellness. One of my favorite databases for the month is the African American Experience I love this database for several reasons. It is a great source for locating primary documents and peer reviewed articles related to the…
Welcome, StoryTeens!
Karen, Coordinator of Young Adult Services , Coordinator of Young Adult Services
Brooklyn Public Library recently launched its newest internship program, StoryTeen! Our first cohort of teens come from neighborhoods across Brooklyn and NYC. Over the next six months they will learn about the art of storytime, assist with programs for young children, and learn about early literacy. Our interns speak many languages--English, French, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Russian, and Urdu to name a few--and you may even spot them during one of our multilingual storytimes. StoryTeen is made possible through City’s First Readers, an initiative of The New York City…
It's Disability Pride Month!
“I wish for a world that views disability, mental or physical, not as a hindrance but as unique attributes that can be seen as powerful assets if given the right opportunities.” -Oliver Sacks July is Disability Pride Month, which only officially started in 2015. This year marks the 31st anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but more progress lies ahead! Disability can be physical or mental, common or rare, visible or invisible, or learning disabilities. Most disabilities are invisible! Are you interested in learning more about living…
Keep Cool and Read On!
Reading indoors is one of my favorite ways to stay cool on hot and humid days. Here are six books to check out that are set during the summer! A MAP TO THE SUN BY SLOANE LEONG: One summer day, Ren meets Luna at a beachside basketball court and a friendship is born. But when Luna moves to back to Oahu, Ren's messages to her friend go unanswered. Years go by. Then Luna returns, hoping to rekindle their friendship. Ren is hesitant. She's dealing with a lot, including family troubles, dropping grades, and the newly formed women's basketball team at their high school. With Ren's…
I Am Not a Virus
Recently, there has been an increase in hate crimes towards the Asian American community. In order to raise more awareness of this topic, I decided to make a poster and book flyer for Asian American rights. Through these posters, I want to convey that these hate crimes are unfounded and should not be tolerated. Michelle Lin is a Librarians of Tomorrow intern and a senior at Brooklyn Technical High School.
A Selection of Poetry
She She was red, because people thought she was attractive and heartwarming She was green, because people thought she loved nature and got jealous easily She was blue, because people thought she was quiet and reserved She was yellow, because people thought she was optimistic and full of joy She was pink because people thought she was immature and oversensitive She was not purple because people thought she was predictable She was not orange because people thought she was fragile She was not gray because people thought she was attached She was not brown because people thought she was…
Announcing the 2021 Teen Writing Contest & Ned Vizzini Prize Winners
Karen, Coordinator of Young Adult Services , Coordinator of Young Adult Services
We received hundreds of submissions, and the Teen Writing Contest Committee is pleased to announce the following prizes, honors, and selections for the 2021 Teen Writing Contest & Ned Vizzini Teen Writing Prize. Poetry Middle School First Place: Where I’m From by Nwabude Anthony-Alexandre Ibeanu Second Place: One Thirteenth by Ivy Laidlaw-Morris Honorable Mention: Breezy B by Brian Babb Honorable Mention: Free (After S.E. Hinton) by Iago Macknik-Conde Honorable Mention: The Swamp by Tara Wong High School First Place: Type Designer by Kai Giovanni Second Place…
A Poem for Ramadan
This poem is centered around Ramadan, a spiritual holy month for Muslims. I captured the importance and what this special month means to me. Also, how Ramadan shapes how I perceive everyday things and moments. I keep this month very close to my heart. which I attempted to write about in this poem. The Holy Month of Ramadan Indeed it is not a burden, but a blessing. from dawn to dusk to talk with you is to talk with he who illuminates noor the flowers that you so blossom during this month and celebrate this as if you’ve been given a new beginning, a restart as…
Happy Earth Day!
Teen artist Yanari Rodriguez created this poster to promote Earth Day, and gives some background here. Thank you, Yanari! Happy Earth Day to all! My inspiration for creating this poster is my love for nature. Going outside every morning and taking a breath of fresh air gives me a purpose and makes me feel alive. I feel it is necessary to take care of our beautiful planet, because without it, where would we all be?
Book Review: The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
At nineteen, Nirrim is everything her foster mother wants her to be. She is patient, dutiful, and a hard worker—traits that benefit her low status. She has never tasted anything sweet or worn color; those things are reserved for the High Kith, the rulers her people serve. More importantly, she has never left Herranth, the militarized city that she calls home. There is no room for questioning anything in Herranth. Should any citizen step out of line, they are made to pay a tithe. The tithe can be anything from a few lost pieces of hair to actual fingers. Nirrim knows to keep her head down…
Enter BPL's Teen Writing Contest!
Brooklyn Public Library's Teen Writing Contest is still accepting submissions, through March 31! The contest is open to middle and high schoolers all over NYC. Get the details and the link to submit here: https://www.bklynlibrary.org/teen-writing-contest Need some inspiration? Here is a list of books selected by BookMatch Teen for their spectacular writing.
Storytime with the Pajama Club
New York City high school student Madison Xu is launching a free virtual storytime for children, filled with stories from around the world! Read on for some background, and program details, from Madison. When I was younger, my mom was always there to help me find amazing books about different cultures and people. I loved the way that the words could transform even the most distant living experiences into something familiar. I’ve always noticed the lack of more diverse and international narratives within our educational institutions and our popularized children's books. This…