13 Year-Old Olympic Hopeful

Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re too young… At 12 years-old, swimming star Lia Neal qualified for the Olympics after clocking a 56.87 second time in the 100-meter freestyle — and breaking a decade old record! Now 13, the prodigy is competing for a spot on the Olympic team. And, she’s already been compared to Tiger Woods

Streams of Babel by Carol Plum-Ucci

(From Teensread.com) In this nightmarishly realistic story, Cora Holman’s mother dies of a brain aneurysm. That night Cora’s neighbor loses her life with the same unusual diagnosis, even as Cora and others begin to sicken. Cora’s neighborhood soon fills with government agents who suspect that terrorists have poisoned their drinking water, while in Pakistan a teen computer hacker uncovers clues to the mystery in Cora’s town. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

Sound good? Find it in our Catalog!

2009 Nestle Very Best in Youth Program

The Nestlé USA Very Best in Youth Program honors young people ages 13 to 18 who have excelled in school and who are making their community and the world a better place. There is a maximum award of $1000. Eligible youth must be ages 13 to 18 and demonstrate good citizenship, a strong academic record and show how they have made a special contribution to their school, church or the community.

Also, entrants must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to submit their nomination.

Deadline: November 20, 2008.

Stephenie Meyer mania!

Well, as the countdown continues for both Stephenie Meyer’s latest book in the Twilight series AND the release of the movie version of Twilight, I thought you would be happy to see this awesome movie poster…

Don’t forget to reserve your copy of Breaking Dawn. If you forget when it comes out, there is a counter on our MySpace.

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.