Spoken Word Workshops with Lyrikal Storm

Find your voice and share your creativity! Learn to perform your lyrics, poetry or stories with the help of Lyrikal Storm. This is your chance, people — trust me, you don’t want to miss this!

A series of FREE workshops is being offered at the Hillcrest Heights Library in July. The finale will be presented open mic-style as part of Cafe Groove.

For more details and to register, call the Library at 301-630-4900 or stop in. Ages 15-18.

The group originated at Parkdale High School. Check them out here…

Don’t want to work this summer? Think again…

I know, I know… working is hard! You don’t make a lot of money and you’d rather hang out with your friends. Guess what? You’re not the only one who thinks that. The number of teens working over the summer continues to drop. And it’s not for lack of jobs, people!

From an article in USA Today, successful CEOs share their first jobs, advice, and why it’s so important to WORK.

Executives’ advice to teens starting their first jobs
		First job		Advice
Chris Kearney, 52 CEO of SPX		Loaded beer trucks.		Approach every job as if it’s the most important thing you will ever do. If you are committed, you will be successful.
Frank MacInnis, 61 CEO of Emcor Group		Blaster at a nickel/silver mine.		Working with people and taking responsibility as a team member will be more rewarding than working at a keyboard.
Judy Odom, 55 Co-founder of Software Spectrum		Tuxedo rental shop clerk.		If the job doesn’t interest you, look for nuggets to learn and apply later in life.
Herman Cain, 62 CEO of consulting company The New Voice		Jackhammer operator.		Don’t be picky. Experience is cumulative.
Andrew Cosslett, 53 CEO InterContinental Hotels Group		Cleaned rooms at a French resort.		Tackle offbeat jobs. Challenge conventional wisdom within reason. Come into contact with people from all walks of life.
Donald Trump, 61 CEO Trump organization		Visited construction sites with his father.		Learn all you can. Try to view your job comprehensively as if it were your own business. Ask yourself: “What kind of employee would I like to have?” Be that kind of employee.
Patti Moss, 54 CEO Cascade Bancorp		Picked strawberries, worked in ski manufacturing.		Show an interest, demonstrate you want to be on the job.
John Shiely, 55 CEO Briggs & Stratton		Mowed lawns.		Start your own business to have the flexibility to play Little League, go fishing, attend summer school and avoid the hassles of working for someone else.
Susan Story, 47 CEO Gulf Power		Reporter for small newspaper in Albertville, Ala.		Never limit yourself. Look beyond to what needs to be done, or should be done. Then do it. Stretch. Go beyond what others expect.
Joe Herring, 52 CEO Covance		Door-to-door book salesman.		Find a job that forces you to work effectively with people. No matter what you end up doing, dealing with others will be critical.
Joe Moglia, 59 CEO Ameritrade		Worked in father’s produce store.		You’re not likely to get a job you’re passionate about. That comes later. Bring your best to the table every day. Learn professional responsibility and how to handle difficult situations.
Jack Stahl, 55 Former president Coca-Cola, former CEO of Revlon, author of Lessons on Leadership		Mystery customer who visited retailers and reported on service.		Focus on details and get things done on time and with quality.
Tig Gilliam, 43 Head of North American operations for Adecco		Delivered newspapers.		Teens working for gratuities should test strategies to see what type of service increases tips.
Edward Nusbaum, 53 CEO Grant Thornton		Delivered newspapers, worked in his father’s hardware store.		Listen carefully to what customers want.

Send your name to the Moon

Now that I have your attention…. I wasn’t kidding. You can actually have your name carried aboard the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, spacecraft that NASA will eventually use to send humans back to the Moon. This is all part of the big plan for a human return visit to the Moon by 2020, but your name could reach their first — if you sign up. And the spacecraft is being built right here in Greenbelt, at Goddard, which is pretty cool.

So, if you’re interested in being a space pioneer (kind of), sign up to have your name added to the list that will be carried aboard the LRO for NASA’s historic flight. You’ll also receive a certificate. Oh, and the deadline is June 27, so don’t wait too long!

The new ‘90210′?

Okay, so I have to admit I was totally a fan of the show Beverly Hills 90210 in the 90s. Huge crushes on both Brandon and Dylan. But I am a little skeptical about the show making a return in 2008. Granted, it has a new cast (although Jennie Garth’s character Kelly Taylor will return as a guidance counselor), but still…

Anyway, if you guys are into 90210-type shows (which I suppose are the pre-cursor of Gossip Girls), you might be interested in some of these books:

Degrassi: The Next Generation series

Seven Deadly Sins series

Luna Bay Roxie Girl series

Gossip Girl series

The A-List series

Check out these and more at the library!

Help end global warming

What do YOU think people can do to help end global warming? Tell the world by creating your own Public Service Announcement!

James Patterson’s series Maximum Ride and the organization Do Something are joining together to harness the power of young people to change the world! Click here for official rules.

The winner with the best PSA will receive:

• A chance to appear in a PSA professionally produced by Do Something FEATURING Fall Out Boy
• A trip for 2 to NY or LA
• Your PSA aired nationwide
• A $500 grant to DO SOMETHING in your own community

Submissions are due May 26th. Click here for details and good luck!

Teens’ Top Ten Nominations

It’s that time of year again! Twenty-four books have been nominated by teens across the country to be voted on (again, by teens) for the ultimate “Top Ten” list. Read as many titles as you can and encourage your friends to do so, as well. This is open to anyone 12-18, and you have until October to get your read on. Voting occurs during Teen Read Week — October 12-18, 2008 — and I’ll post more as the time gets closer.

And the nominees are:

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Betrayed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Daemon Hall by Andrew Nance and Colin Polhemus, illus.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Extras by Scott Westerfeld

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks

Glass by Ellen Hopkins

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

Ironside: A Modern Faery’s Tale by Holly Black

Jango by William Nicholson

Jinx by Meg Cabot

The Luxe by Anna Godberson

Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson

Saving Zoë by Alyson Noël

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

Tamar by Mal Peet

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier

Don’t forget to check out our catalog to find these amazing titles! And stay tuned for more info.