DIY Holiday Gift Instructions

Since some of you can’t make it to the DIY Holiday Gift activity, but would still like to do the activities on your own, I will post the instructions here for you to follow.

Chocolate Mice:

Ingredients

• Hershey kisses (out of wrapper)
• Almond slivers
• Chocolate chips or quality solid chocolate bars (melted)
• Maraschino cherries with stems

Prep

Melt chocolate in double boiler or in crock pot on low heat. Rinse cherries then let them dry completely on paper towel.

To Assemble

Carefully dip the cherry in melted chocolate. Place on plate after using melted chocolate as “glue” to secure the Hershey’s Kiss. Place almond slices on Kiss head, to look like little ears. The stem of the cherry is the tail, the point of the Hershey’s Kiss is the nose. You can use tiny silver non-pereils (edible balls) as eyes, or use your imagination. One warning: tell children the chocolate is hot and supervise assembly.

To see a version of this recipe (and many other tasty treats), check out Miss Candiquik’s Blog.

Pearl & Ribbon Necklace:

Go to Tatertots & Jello blog for step by step instructions.

Homemade Bath Salts:

Materials

• Coarse sea salt
• Epsom salts
• Baking soda
• Essential oils
• Food coloring Step 1Step 2Step 3

Steps

1. In a large bowl, mix to combine: 6 parts coarse sea salt; 3 parts epsom salts; and 1 part baking soda.
2. Add a few drops of essential oils, and combine.
3. Add a few drops of food coloring, until you achieve the desired shade. If you intend to present the bath salts as gifts, be sure to store them in a stoppered and labeled container to keep out moisture.

Coconut Oil Lotion:

Materials

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon liquid vitamin E or tea tree oil
• 5-7 drops lavender essential oil

Steps

1. Combine the coconut oil, vitamin E or tea tree oil, and lavender in a bowl.
2. Now mix.

Good luck to all you DIY-ers. Happy making!

 

Teen DIY Holiday Gifts

It may be too soon to think about Christmas, but here’s a little heads up on an upcoming library event for youth aged 12-18.

What: DIY Holiday Gifts

• Ribbon & Pearl Necklaces
• Chocolate Mice
• Homemade Bath Salts
• Coconut Oil Lotion

When:  Wednesday, Dec. 3 from 3:45 – 4:45

Cost: FREE

Registration is required. Call the ORL Salmon Arm Branch or email aburnham@orl.bc.ca to register.

Please indicate the items you want to make so we know how many supplies to purchase.

Teen Summer Reading Club 2014

Only 4 more days until registration opens for Teen Summer Reading Club. The rules are the same as last year, and, once again, I have lots of great prizes to give away. Here’s everything you need to know:

Registration:

• Fill out the registration form  at the library and pick up your reading cards.

• OR register online (link goes live on June 24 and can be accessed HERE or at http://www.orl.bc.ca/branches/salmon-arm), but you will still need to drop by the library to pick up your weekly reading cards.

• The Teen Summer Reading Club is 7 weeks long and can be joined at any time throughout the summer.Read for 5 days out of the week and record your reading on the card. 

Win prizes:

• Drop off completed weekly reading card at the library by the end of each week.

How it works:

• Each weekly reading card becomes an entry for prizes! (iTunes card, movie tickets, gift cards, etc.)
• No multiple entries for one week of reading.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please call Ardie, the Youth Services Librarian, at 250-832-6161 ext. 5828 or email her at aburnham@orl.bc.ca

If you want to take part in a BC wide online Teen Reading Club, check out www.TeenRC.ca

Time to Vote for the Stellar Award

For all of you wanting to have your say in which book wins the Stellar Award for 2013-2014, you only have 1 week left! Click on this link to cast your vote. (You must have read at least 5 of the 13 books nominated in order to vote.)

Happy voting!

TAC! SA Now Has One!!

I’m excited to announce that we have a Teen Advisory Committee (TAC). This means YOU now have a voice at the library.

The TAC meet this past Saturday for an “ideas” brainstorming session. They worked around parameters such as limited resources and limited funding and came up with some great starter ideas.

One of their first ideas was to provide links to sites that list popular new books. If you look on the left side of this page, you will see the Blogroll. I’ve added links to Goodreads.com (one of my favorite places to search for new books), the Goodreads blog and a wonderful blog called GreenBeanTeenQueen, which is written by another Youth Services Librarian. If you have suggestions of other links, let me know in the comments section.

The committee would also like to post book reviews to this blog. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming reviews!

If you are interested in being a part of this committee, come to the Saturday, March 8th meeting at the Salmon Arm library. The meeting is only 1 hour and start at 11:30AM.

Hey Homeschoolers…and Everyone Else

Did you know that a professional jockey from Hastings Park (in Vancouver) is coming to Salmon Arm? His name is Jeff Burningham, and he has raced over 700 winning horses. Another amazing thing about Jeff is that although he was seriously injured in an accident several years ago, he has worked hard to overcome his injuries in order to keep doing the profession he loves.

If you want to learn about Jeff’s inspiring story, or if you’re interested in learning more about the life of a professional jockey, come to the Salmon Arm library at 10:00am on Tuesday, February 25. All classes or school groups attending will be entered into a draw to win all 4 of Julie White’s books.

Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Did any of you read Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys? Well guess what? She’s got another great book for you called  Out of the Easy.

This story is set in New Orleans during the 1950’s. Seventeen-year-old Josie, the daughter of a French Quarter prostitute, has greater ambitions and dreams than the prostitutes who helped raise her. She longs to get out of New Orleans, go to college and make something of her life. But first she needs to find a way to protect herself from her neglectful and cruel mother and her mother’s criminal boyfriend.

Although this is a historical novel, Out of the Easy is more story than history…and it’s a story worth reading.

Okanagan Reads for Kids (& Teens)

This special event is for ages 8 through 15. Follow the links below to learn more about it and to take part in fun contests with amazing prizes. READ Read one or all four Hillcroft Farm novels by local author, Julie White. Learn about the books. TAKE PART Participate in fun activities at your library! See Olympic medalists, professional jockeys or dressage champions. View all events. WIN There are three fun contests to enter for a chance to win some amazing prizes, including iPad Minis.

Recently Read

Happy New Year, everyone!

Here are a few titles that I read over the holiday:

Enchanted by By Alethea Kontis -I definitely recommend this if you like and are well versed in classic fairy tales and nursery rhymes. I studied folklore and fair tales while at grad school, so this was a truly enjoyable story for me.

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay  -This book got more of a meh reaction from me. I love Shakespeare, but I’ve never been a fan of Romeo and Juliet, so I was excited by the idea of Romeo and Juliet being enemies rather than lovers. The book was a bit too angst driven for me, but still a fun idea.

The Runaway King by Jennifer Nielsen – This is book 2 in the Ascendance Trilogy, and it is pure fun. The main character Jaron/Sage is ridiculously awesome. He can do anything and get out of any situation. If you want a story that is realistic, this it not the book for you. But if you can suspend reality and enjoy a fun ride, then give this a try. Be sure to read book 1, The False Prince, first, though.

 

 

What Are You Reading?

The holidays are almost upon us, and the library is open for only 3 more days. Do you have enough books to cover you through the closure? If not, here are some titles we have on the shelves right now…

For those who like fantasy and wit, I highly recommend The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett. Just by looking at it, you may think you’re to old for this book, but trust me, you’re not. This is a book that requires a sharp intellect to enjoy.

How many of you like Jane Austen and dystopia? We’ll we’ve got the book for you! For Darkness Shows the Stars, by Diana Peterfreund, is a dystopian retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion. Not read Persuasion yet? Well it’s on the shelves as well. (By the way, I love Jane Austen’s books!)

Dark comedy is your thing? Then Going Bovine by Libba Bray is waiting for you on our Awards shelf.

If you’re the kind of person who likes to keep things real, Gordon Korman’s Ungifted and James Patterson’s Middle School, Get Me Out of Here might be just what you’re looking for this holiday.

Don’t see anything that strikes your fancy? Well hurry on over and see what else we have available. There’s something for everyone on our shelves.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!