CGHS Library

Merry Christmas!

Illustration by Zak Wohlschlegel

Sabrina Barber

Public Library YA Book Feature

“What do we do with the plain girl in the cardigan? You are thinking. One of these kids is not like the others, and why are we still letting her talk . . .? The funny thing is I thought drama would be a place where being not like the others was okay, but it turns out you have to be not like the others in a way that is exactly like the others who are not like the others.” This is My Audition Monologue by Sara Zarr

If you want a change of scenery, go to the Public Library and take a look at their YA books. One book that they have that we do not is Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci.  Many of the more interesting YA authors wrote stories for this collection: John Green, Garth Nix, Libba Bray, and many others. Though I was not thrilled by the cartoons scattered throughout the collection, most of the stories were good and ranged from amusing (Once You’re a Jedi, You’re a Jedi All the Way) to disturbing (The Truth About Dino Girl), though all the stories have an edge to them that should appeal to most people, geek or not. (MHouse)

 

Total Eclipse Tonight

A total eclipse of the Moon occurs during the early morning hours of December 21, 2010 (for observers in western North America and Hawaii, the eclipse actually begins on the evening of December 20). The entire event is visible from North America, Greenland and Iceland. Western Europe will see the beginning stages of the eclipse before moonset while western Asia will get the later stages after moonrise. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon's disk can take on a dramatically colorful appearance from bright orange to blood red and more rarely dark brown to very dark gray.

One of the great things about lunar eclipses is that they are completely safe to view with the naked eye. No special filters are required to protect your eyes like those used for solar eclipses. You don't even need a telescope to watch the eclipse although a good pair of binoculars will help.

An eclipse of the Moon can only take place at Full Moon, and only if the Moon passes through some portion of Earth's shadow. The shadow is actually composed of two cone-shaped parts, one nested inside the other. The outer shadow or penumbra is a zone where Earth blocks some (but not all) of the Sun's rays. In contrast, the inner shadow or umbra is a region where Earth blocks all direct sunlight from reaching the Moon.

When only part of the Moon passes through the umbra, a partial eclipse is seen. If the entire Moon passes through the umbral shadow, then a total eclipse of the Moon occurs. It is also possible to have an eclipse where the Moon passes through only the penumbra. Each of these eclipses has a unique and distinct appearance (see Visual Appearance of Lunar Eclipses). For more information on how, what, why, where and when of lunar eclipses, see the special web page Lunar Eclipses for Beginners. (Taken from MrEclipse.com.) 

Creepy Christmas Wishes

 

One of my favorite authors, Maureen Johnson, writes a blog where she runs the occasional contest. This week, she featured the above video along with the best of the entries for . . .

CREEPY CHRISTMAS THINGS TO SAY

1. @AnnaJakobina I’m getting you a lock of your own hair for Christmas.

2. @araleggz I see you, but you don’t see me. I’m hiding in your Christmas tree!

3. @starberryhead It won’t be santa coming down your chimney this year.

4. @bythebrooks Merry Christmas! You smell like elves and young children.

5. @Thegirlwriter1  I’m giving you a cat for Christmas…I wrapped it last week. It may be dead.

6. @p2p_editor All I want for Christmas is your two front teeth, your two front teeth, your two front teeth.

7. @CeliaAnn I can’t wait to put my present under your tree.

8. @twistedbrain1 Don’t worry if your chimney is too small. Santa has other ways into your house.

9. @bridgetacarey I got this for you http://etsy.me/enUT1F Merry Christmas, friend.

10. @thefalconator That red light you see out your window isn’t Rudolph. It’s my video camera.

 

Searching for Copyright Free Images

Writing Social Network

Figment is a community where you can share your writing, connect with other readers, and discover new stories and authors. Whatever you’re into, from sonnets to mysteries, from sci-fi stories to cell phone novels, you can find it all here.

 

So Punk Rock FIC Ostow

Have you ever read a book about a bunch of Jewish teens starting a punk band?  Yeah, neither had I until I found So Punk Rock: and Other Ways to Disappoint Your Mother.  In addition to the use of random Hebrew terminology (and a glossary in the back defining them), the characters are extremely relatable and the plot moves well.   Ari Abramson is a junior at a Jewish high school, and lives in the shadow of his best friend Jonas.  To make his life more meaningful (and maybe to avoid studying for the SAT), he decides to start a punk rock band and become super cool.  He starts playing guitar, gets Jonas to play the bass, and they find not-so-cool Yossi Gluck (who already owns a drumset) to play drums.  Yossi’s sister Reena then has to join the band, and Ari knows she’s just going to be another Yoko Ono.  Little did they know the band would go so far…   (Review by Sarah Hornung)

 

 

David Foster Wallace

Check Your Sources

PhotoShoppin' by Zak Wohlschlegel