Teen non-fiction picks

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, June 2014; written by Kelly Johnson.

School is OUT! The summer has begun and all the Summer Programs at the library are starting today. Actually, the Teen Summer Program started Friday night, but sign ups continue for that and the rest of the summer programs throughout June and beyond.

But we don’t want anyone to use the excuse of summer to let their brains wither, so I’d like to propose that folks check out the much expanded teen room non-fiction section. It has something for nearly everyone, especially teens!

For the teens heading off to college in the fall – check out the Ultimate Student Cookbook by Tiffany Goodall. Though not all the recipes are exactly dorm friendly there are quite a few, and lots of good hints for those who will be cooking on their own for the first time. Even if you are not heading off to a dorm in the fall come in and check out all the new cookbooks, from the Teen’s Vegetarian Cookbook by Judy Krizmanic to the Yum-Yum Bento Box by Crystal Wantanabe and Maki Ogawa there is something that should get you enthused about heading into the kitchen.

If you’d rather do something crafty rather than cook-y check out the new duct tape books like Crazy-Cool Duct Tape Projects by Marisa Pawelko. This is not a usual – duct tape wallet kind of book – we are talking halter tops, kilts, pocket protectors and tons more with lots of pictures and helpful hints to make things easier for the duct tape novice. Or for something a little fancier try Junk-Box Jewelry by Sarah Drew. Her projects include lots of found items and materials not normally considered ‘jewelry’ such as nuts (as in nuts & bolts not squirrels), sea glass and twigs. And there are lots more to choose from in this section as well.

If you are a history nerd (like me) and can’t give it up for the summer there are a few new historic works in the collection as well. Witches: the Absolutely True Tale of the Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer. Ms. Schazner does an excellent job of telling the story of the Salem Witchcraft Trials honestly and clearly and includes a report of what finally happened to the people who were involved. A slightly lighter read is History Decoded: the Ten Greatest Conspiracies of All Time by Brad Meltzer. The conspiracies discussed include the famed DaVinci code, DB Cooper and Area 51 as well as seven others that will entertain and intrigue. For those who like history for the pictures, I seriously recommend The Illustrated Timeline of Art History by Carol Strickland, PhD. This book could be considered art history 101 in 115 pages. From cave paintings dated around 12,000 B.C. to video art in the 1990s the book covers not only paintings and visual arts but also architecture, sculpture and more. It truly is a visual, educational delight.

For someone who would maybe like to explore new ideas this summer there are several options too. Open Mic:Riffs on Life Between Cultures in Ten Voices edited by Mitali Perkins are humorous, short pieces by folks who are mixed race, first or second generation Americans. The stories explore different aspects of being ‘different’ and are told in prose, poem and even graphic styles. There are also options to explore oneself spiritually such as Teen Spirit: One World, Many Paths by Paul B. Raushenbush. While “Pastor Paul” is obviously a devout Christian he covers not only many types of religions he also answers many general questions about religion including dealing with family concerning religion and school. The book also includes questionnaires and ‘Just the FAQs” on over a dozen religions. There are also short essays by a variety of people on why they chose the religion they practice and side by side comparisons of religions concerning things like vegetarianism, nature, life and love. For those who are not sure what or who they believe this is an excellent work to show the basics.

For those who are still stressing out even though the summer is here you might check out My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic by Michale A Tomkins, PhD and Katherine Martinez, PhD, Too Stressed to Think: A Teen Guide to Stying Sane When Life Makes You Crazy by Annie Fox, MeD and Ruth Kirschner, or Freaking Out: Real-Life Stories about Anxiety by Polly Wells. Each of these books feature ideas on how to distress, calm down and have a less anxious life. Always a good thing when you are a teen.

And finally for those folks who want to keep up their school muscles – in maybe a more-fun kind of way there are some great new options for that in the Teen Room too. Those who need a bit of work on their English can check out Grammar Girl’s books (aka Mignon Fogarty) or Danica McKellar’s math books – including Kiss My Math and Hot X – Algebra Exposed. Or maybe the new Manga Guides to things like Chemistry, Calculus, Statistic or Physics.

If all of this sounds like way too much work for a summer read another Teen Room option are the new magazines that are now settled in our ‘reading corner’. Teens can read up on music in AP (Alternative Press), skateboarding in Thrasher, video and online gaming in GameInformer, pop culture in J-14 and manga/anime in Otaku-USA. They, along with the rest of the teen magazines, are good for a summer afternoon of light, informative reading.

So, check out the Teen Room for all the new (and old) non-fiction, magazines and more. Teens can be a part of the Teen Summer Program too – the next event will be an Improv Night on June 20th. And if you are not in your teen years, check out the other Summer Programs – the library has them for folks from the littlest “Read to Me” tykes to the most mature of the adults (the immature are welcome too J). Good summer reading to ALL!