read. watch. listen.

Looking for First-Generation College Grads

2012-05-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

Are you a first-generation college grad? Soon to be? Do you come from a migrant labor background? If so, here’s an opportunity for you to share your story. California State University, Bakersfield is creating a documentary called “Camp to Campus” about first-generation college graduates who come from a migrant labor background. They are asking people to share their story and also appear in the documentary. If that applies to you, learn more about the project and consider completing the survey at http://www.csub.edu/camptocampus/.

Join the Queue

2012-05-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday new stuff is released into the world. Instead of spending money, check all these things out at your library--for free! Here are some of the books and movies released this week that the library has either on the shelves or on order. Place your hold now to get it sooner by clicking "request item" in the catalog.

Books

DVDs

The Secret Year

2012-05-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Colt fell for Julia in a way he never expected. Because they hung with different crowds and she had a longtime steady boyfriend, nobody ever knew about their secret affair. But now Julia is dead from a horrible car crash. Nobody knew anything about their relationship so of course no one begins to understand or even acknowledge what he's going through. The new school year starts and he's getting some action with a female friend, he's started working at seedy restaurant, there's major family drama when his brother comes home from college-- pretty much life goes on and he's going through the motions of being a part of it all. Except in reality, Colt simply can't move on.

He can't get over losing Julia and he's desperate to talk with someone who will understand.

Trapped

2012-05-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Trapped by Michael Northrop

Have you ever imagined getting stuck inside your school overnight with a bunch of friends? This is the story that will make you hope it never happens.

A total page turner!

Unleashed

2012-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Every Friday we give a new book away. To get the book, it's simple: just be the first to fill out the form at the bottom of the page. (Note: you must be a Fresno County resident to be eligible for Free Fridays.)

Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
(Book #1 in the Wolf Springs Chronicles series)

Katelyn McBride’s life changed in an instant when her mother died. Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather. And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains. Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hidden here are more sinister than Katelyn could ever imagine. It’s a town with a history that reaches back centuries, spans continents, and conceals terrifying truths. And Katelyn McBride is about to change everything.

Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night—welcome to Wolf Springs.

Congrats to Dihmar, who was the first to claim Unleashed for free! Your book is on its way.

Our 2012 Poetry Contest

2012-05-15T15:54:00.002-07:00

Drum roll please! Our judges have chosen winners of the Library’s 2012 Poetry Contest, and their decision was not an easy one with 115 poems to choose from this year. Thank you to everyone who participated. The winners will be announced at a special Awards Ceremony on June 9th.

Everyone who submitted a poem will receive an invitation to the Awards Ceremony and a certificate of participation. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners in each of the four age categories will be announced that night. We look forward to celebrating with you.

2012 Poetry Contest Awards Ceremony
Saturday, June 9, 2012
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
(The actual awards ceremony will begin at 5:45 p.m.)

Woodward Park Regional Library

Join the Queue

2012-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Books

DVDs

Saving June

2012-05-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Every Friday we give a new book away. To get the book, it's simple: just be the first to fill out the form at the bottom of the page. (Note: you must be a Fresno County resident to be eligible for Free Fridays.)

Saving June by Hannah Harrington

‘If she’d waited less than two weeks, she’d be June who died in June. But I guess my sister didn’t consider that.’

Harper Scott’s older sister has always been the perfect one so when June takes her own life a week before her high school graduation, sixteen-year-old Harper is devastated. Everyone’s sorry, but no one can explain why.

When her divorcing parents decide to split her sister’s ashes into his-and-her urns, Harper takes matters into her own hands. She’ll steal the ashes and drive cross-country with her best friend, Laney, to the one place June always dreamed of going: California.

Enter Jake Tolan. He’s a boy with a bad attitude, a classic-rock obsession and nothing in common with Harper’s sister. But Jake had a connection with June, and when he insists on joining them, Harper’s just desperate enough to let him. With his alternately charming and infuriating demeanor and his belief that music can see you through anything, he might be exactly what she needs.

Except June wasn’t the only one hiding something. Jake’s keeping a secret that has the power to turn Harper’s life upside down again.

Congrats to Trianne, who was first to claim Saving June for free! Your book is on its way.

Join the Queue

2012-05-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Books

DVDs

A Really Nice Prom Mess

2012-05-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

A really nice prom mess
by Sloan, Brian

Gay high school senior Cameron Hayes endures a disastrous prom night when forced to take a girl as his date, and after fleeing the dance in disguise, he finds himself involved in a surprising on-stage performance, a high-speed police chase, and unexpected revelations.

The Arizona Kid

2012-05-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

The Arizona kid
by Koertge, Ronald

Insecure, height-conscious Billy Kennedy doesn't know what to expect when he arrives in Arizona. For the most part he's pleased with what he finds. His gay uncle Wes is honest, funny, caring, and very human (his stereotypic gay ``style'' notwithstanding); Billy's job at a local racetrack is hard but fun; he likes his coworker (despite the survivalist rhetoric Lew spouts and the bizarre maneuvers he undertakes with his fanatical father) and is attracted to moody Cara Mae, who introduces him to sex.

Boy Girl Boy

2012-05-06T15:34:00.000-07:00

Boy girl boy
by Koertge, Ronald

Elliot, Teresa, and Larry have been friends forever. As they approach graduation, they plan to run away to California to live, escaping their small-town, narrow-minded friends, and overbearing, annoying parents. Yet each teen begins to doubt the wisdom of the plan. Mary Ann helps Elliot realize that he has been overshadowed by his two friends; Teresa realizes that she wants a romantic relationship with one of the boys (she likes them both), but they see her as only a friend; and Larry realizes that his homosexuality will eventually lead him away from the trio. Koertge deftly balances the heavy issues with respectful humor. After a crisis and its immediate resolution, an undercurrent of foreboding remains, reminding readers that, even as they mature and become individuals, crises will continue to threaten and relationships will continue to strengthen and evolve

Tips on Having a Gay (Ex) Boyfriend

2012-05-06T15:17:00.000-07:00

Tips on having a gay (ex) boyfriend
by Jones, Carrie

Belle is a high school junior who expects to marry her long-term boyfriend one day, until he tells her and their entire small Maine town that he is gay, and both face prejudice and violence even as they enter new relationships and try to remain friends

My Most Excellent Year: a Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Park

2012-05-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

My most excellent year : a novel of love, Mary Poppins, & Fenway Par
by Kluger, Steve

Three bright and funny Brookline, MA, eleventh graders look back on their most excellent year-ninth grade-for a school report. Told in alternating chapters by each of them, this enchanting, life-affirming coming-of-age story unfolds through instant messages, emails, memos, diary entries, and letters to celebrity divas and to a deceased mom. T.C. (Anthony Conigliaro) Keller, whose mother died when he was six, is in love with baseball and Alejandra (Ale) Perez. She and Augie Hwong, who is gay and in love with Andy Wexler, are passionate about the stage and screen, and Augie and T.C. have been "brothers" since they were six. The teens mount a fabulous talent show, launch a couple of grassrooots political movements, and bring hope and love to a deaf, six-year-old foster child.

Totally Joe

2012-05-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Totally Joe
by Howe, James

Meet Joe Bunch. Lovable misfit and celebrity wannabe from Paintbrush Falls, New York. Like his longtime best friends Addie, Skeezie, and Bobby, Joe's been called names all his life. So when he's given the assignment to write his alphabiography -- the story of his life from A to Z -- Joe has his doubts. This whole thing could be serious ammunition for bullying if it falls into the wrong hands. But Joe discovers there's more to the assignment -- and his life -- than meets the eye. Especially when he gets to the letter C, which stands for Colin Briggs, the coolest guy in the seventh grade (seriously) -- and Joe's secret boyfriend. By the time Joe gets to the letter Z, he's pretty much bared his soul about everything. And Joe's okay with that because he likes who he is. He's Totally Joe, and that's the best thing for him to be.

Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-sucking Brain Zomblies

2012-05-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Split screen : attack of the soul-sucking brain zombies
by Hartinger, Brent

Two books in one tell of sixteen-year-old friends Russel, who is gay, and Min, who is bisexual, as they face separate romantic troubles while working as extras on the set of a horror movie.

Attack of the soul-sucking brain zombies -- Bride of the soul-sucking brain zombies.

Geography Club

2012-05-06T13:12:00.000-07:00

Geography Club
by Hartinger, Brent

Russel Middlebrook is a sophomore at Goodkind High School. He has a secret crush on a baseball jock, Kevin Land, and soon discovers that Kevin is also gay. The boys become friendly outside of school and set up the "Geography Club" with three other gay students, one of whom is Russel's closest friend, Min. The club members relish the opportunity to discuss their lives and to relate to one another openly and honestly. Eventually, however, intense peer pressure and insecurity take their toll. Russel's relationship with Kevin ends, but the "Geography Club" becomes the "Goodkind High School Gay-Straight-Bisexual Alliance," and the protagonist gains new insight into himself and his place in the world.

The Last Exit to Normal

2012-05-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

The last exit to normal
by Harmon, Michael B

Yanked out of his city life and plunked down into a small Montana town with his father and his father's boyfriend, seventeen-year-old Ben, angry and resentful about the changed circumstances of his life, begins to notice that something is not quite right with the little boy next door and determines to do something about it.

Two Parties, One Tux, and a Very Short Film about the Grapes of Wrath

2012-05-06T11:02:00.000-07:00

Two parties, one tux, and a very short film about the Grapes of Wrath
by Goldman, Steven

Mitchell Wells may not survive eleventh grade. He really only has one friend, his best friend, David. His normally decent grade point average is in limbo due to a slightly violent, somewhat inappropriate claymation film. And girls . . . well, does hanging out with his sister count? When David tells Mitchell he's gay, Mitchell's okay with it--but it still seems to change things. Since David's not out to anyone else, the guys agree to be set up with prom dates. Then , one of the most popular girls in school decides she must date Mitchell, and he's gone from zero to two girlfriends in sixty seconds. From his pending English grade, to his floundering friendship, to his love life--the one thing that's taken a bizarre turn for the better--Mitchell is so confused, he'll be lucky if he lasts another week in high school! And then there's the prom

Parrotfish

2012-05-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

Parrotfish
by Wittlinger, Ellen

Angela McNair is a boy! Oh, to the rest of the world she's obviously a girl. But the transgendered high-school junior knows that she's a boy. And so, bravely, Angela cuts her hair short, buys boys' clothing, and announces that his name is now Grady and that he is beginning his true new life as a boy. Of course, it's not as simple as that; Grady encounters an array of reactions ranging from outright hostility to loving support. His initially bewildered family rallies around him; he finds a champion in a female gym teacher; he loses but then regains a best friend while falling in love with a beautiful, mixed-race girl.

Annie on My Mind

2012-05-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

Annie on My mind
by Garden, Nancy

Published more than 25 years ago, Nancy Garden's moving and poignant love story still rings true today. Liza and Annie, both 17 and attending different high schools, meet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and fall in love. The teens face uncertain feelings and questions about their emotional and physical relationship. Told in the third person (by Rebecca Lowman) and through letters Liza is trying to write to Annie after they both are at college, Lowman does a fine job portraying the girls' emotions as well as the stark reactions that the other characters have toward them when their relationship is discovered. With quietly distinct voices and subtle pacing that matches perfectly the unfolding of the young romance.

Empress of the World

2012-05-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

Empress of the World
by Ryan, Sara

Nicola Lancaster is spending eight weeks at the Siegel Institute Summer Program for Gifted Youth, a hothouse of smart, articulate, intense teenagers. She soon falls in with Katrina (Manic Computer Chick), Isaac (Nice-Guy-Despite-Himself), Kevin (Inarticulate Composer) ... and Battle. Battle Hall Davies is a beautiful blonde dancer, and everything Nic isn't. The two become friends--and then, startlingly, more than friends. What do you do when you think you're attracted to guys, and then you meet a girl who steals your heart?

Suicide Notes

2012-05-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Suicide notes
by Ford, Michael Thomas

Brimming with sarcasm, fifteen-year-old Jeff describes his stay in a psychiatric ward after attempting to commit suicide.

Down to the Bone

2012-05-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

Down to the bone
by Dole, Mayra L

Laura, a seventeen-year-old Cuban American girl, is thrown out of her house when her mother discovers she is a lesbian, but after trying to change her heart and hide from the truth, Laura finally comes to terms with who she is and learns to love and respect herself.

Every You, Every Me

2012-05-04T08:02:00.000-07:00

Every Friday we give a new book away. To get the book, it's simple: just be the first to fill out the form at the bottom of the page. (Note: you must be a Fresno County resident to be eligible for Free Fridays.)

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan

In this psychological tale, a tormented teen named Evan starts to discover a series of unnerving photographs—some of which feature him. Someone is stalking him . . . messing with him . . . threatening him. Worse, ever since his best friend Ariel has been gone, he's been unable to sleep, spending night after night torturing himself for his role in her absence. And as crazy as it sounds, Evan's starting to believe it's Ariel that's behind all of this, punishing him. But the more Evan starts to unravel the mystery, the more his paranoia and insomnia amplify, and the more he starts to unravel himself.

Congrats to Dihmar, who was first to claim Every You, Every Me for free! Your book is on its way.