Thanks to an overwhelming response, the Junior Volunteer positions have all been FILLED and we are no longer accepting applications.  If you are still looking for a way to give back to your community, check out our Teen Volunteer Opportunities guide which contains information and links to other organizations who could use a helping hand.

Jeff Kinney and Brian Selznick took the top prizes earlier this week at a gala to kick off Children's Book Week (May 7-13). The 2012 winners of the Children's Choice Book Awards, as selected by more than 900,000 young readers, are:

Author of the Year: Jeff Kinney for Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6: Cabin Fever [multiple formats]

Illustrator of the Year: Brian Selznick for Wonderstruck [call # Jr Hi Fiction / SEL]

Kindergarten to Second Grade Book of the Year: Three Hens and a Peacock by Lester L. Laminack, illustrated by Henry Cole [call # Picture Book / LAM]

Third Grade to Fourth Grade Book of the Year: Bad Kitty Meets the Baby by Nick Bruel [call # J Fiction / BRU]

Fifth Grade to Sixth Grade Book of the Year: Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt [multiple formats]

Teen Book of the Year: Clockwork Prince: The Infernal Devices, Book Two by Cassandra Clare [call # Young Adult / CLA]

if you haven’t been to the library in a while, you are in for a fun surprise. Some relatively minor renovations accomplished over the winter add up to some major improvements for our patrons. New lights, paint, and furniture layout—the stuff of home improvement projects everywhere—have yielded a brighter, friendlier public space with improved lighting, warm colors, and better access to the most popular materials.

When it comes to downloading e-books, our patrons have the Advantage. Look for titles marked with the Advantage symbol for items exclsuively for our patrons with shortened hold times.

The e-books in MyMediaMall by OverDrive are shared among a number of libraries. This arrangement provides access to a much greater number of titles than any one library could afford on its own, but it can also mean long hold queues for the hottest new items. That's where the Advantage program comes in.

Items marked with the Advantage symbol have copies we have purchased exclsuviely for you, our patrons, and not shared among other participating libraries. Log in, select an Advantage title, and you should be able to access that item within just a few weeks—and sometimes even immediately.

New Advantage titles added this month include:

Romance

• The Art of Duke Hunting, Sophia Nash
• The Cowboy Takes a Bride, Lori Wilde
• Fifty Shades Darker, E. L. James
• Fifty Shades Freed, E. L. James
• Fifty Shades of Grey, E. L. James
• Kiss of Pride, Sandra Hill
• Lyon’s Bride, Cathy Maxwell
• Remember Summer, Elizabeth Lowell
• Sweet Stuff, Donna Kauffman
• A Warrior’s Promise, Donna Fletcher

Teens, looking for a great book to read?  We can help!  We will create a list of 5-10 books just for you!  Fill out this online form to get your own personalized reading list.  We will pick out books based on your answers. 

Customized book lists will be ready within two weeks of your request.  This service is for teens ages 13-19 years old. 

Friday, April 27 is the new deadline for submissions to the Write Away! Literary Magazine. Aspiring authors in grades 3-8 can find complete submission guidelines here.