Kayaking at the library?

Teens had a chance to Make Waves @ the Library today when Ben from 10,000 Waves came to talk about whitewater kayaking. We even got to walk down to Brennan's Wave and see kayakers in action.

We have Make Waves Wednesday programs for grades 7-12 every week through the end of July - see our YA page for details.

Let's Make Waves

The first summer program for teens, River Sports with 10,000 Waves, will be held Wednesday, June 23rd at 2pm. With the USA Freestyle Kayaking National Championships to be held at Brennan's Wave in Missoula June 30 - July 2 this program is just what you need to learn about kayaking and rafting before you see the pros in action.

Zach from 10,000 Waves will tell how he got into kayaking and rafting. He'll have pictures, tips, water safety essentials and information on how you can begin kayaking and rafting. Zach spent this winter in South America kayaking Class V water and is eager to share his passion with Missoula teens. To end the program we will walk down to Brennan's Wave for a demonstration.

Come and join the fun.

What's your favorite book?

We librarians are always getting asked if we know a good book. Of course we do! But we're also always looking for your opinions on what's good and what's not-so-good. That's why we're encouraging teens to vote on this year's YRCA and TTT lists.

YRCA - Young Readers' Choice Award - is the oldest children's choice award in the U.S. and Canada. There are 3 divisions: Junior (grades 4-6), Middle (grades 7-9), and Senior (grades 10-12). If you fall in those age ranges, read at least 2 of the nominated books in your division and then vote on your favorite. We have a special display in the YA Room with all the Middle & Senior division titles, and a separate display in the children's room.

Teen Top Ten - This is a national teens-only vote for the best book published this year. 25 titles have been nominated (no, you don't have to read all 25 to be able to vote, but we know you want to!) and voting takes place online in September. See our display in the YA Room along with a list of all the titles, or find a full list here.

Happy Reading!

Teen Media Club - Makin' Movies

Want to make digital videos like the shorts you see on YouTube? If you're between 13-18, now's your chance!

Our Teen Media Club just filmed the first of its series on life at the library. Our first subject: the teen writers group, of course. Now that we have footage, we're working on editing and coupling it with music. When it's complete, we'll post it to our teen page.

Feel like joining the fun? We could use a few more hands -- and we always want great ideas! Share what you know and learn from other teens every Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the computer classroom on the lower level next to the Small Meeting Room. If you can’t make Tuesday meetings but would like to work on a project, ask at the Young Adult desk.

See you at the movies!

Teen Tech Jewelry

As part of our ongoing Teen Tech Week madness, the teens are upstairs today watching online videos and making "techno" jewelry. They're using old CDs, amongst other things, to make some bling. Linette, our head teen librarian, decided it would be a good idea to put some CDs in the microwave to create some neat designs. I decided it would be a good idea to record her doing it. Don't try this if it is not your microwave or you don't have permission. BE SAFE!



Instructions for making your own jewelry from CDs can be found all over the Internet:

Crafting Green World

Crafty Crafty

Thrifty Fun

Teen Tech Week

It's that time again...today marks the beginning of Teen Tech Week! A week in which we provide teen programs for teens focusing on technology.

This week we'll be starting a teen media club, share some online videos, and learn how to make tech jewelry. Should be awesome. Check back here throughout this week for videos, book reviews and more - all related to Teens and Technology.

Traveling Pants @ Your Library

Have you read and loved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series? Did you watch the movie? Are you 11-18 years old?

In January we sent a pair of jeans on a journey covering 14 libraries in four states (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming). Each library held a program where those attending could decorate a section of the jeans and work on a craft project.

Now it's our turn to host the pants! On Wednesday, June 20th at 2pm, Missoula Public Library will host a Traveling Pants program. Bring a pair of your own jeans to decorate; we will supply decorating supplies, but you are welcome to bring your own if you would like.

The Traveling Pants, along with the scrapbook, will be on display in the Young Adult area until the time of the program.