This issue celebrates the joys of paper: the wonderful medium that you use to read, write, print, draw, cut, fold, and express yourself.
Enjoy using the invention that is over 2,000 years old.
Hurrah for paper!
Barbara
Wall of Poetry
Mastics-Moriches-Shirley Teen Services Department has created a wonderful "Wall of Poetry". Teens who are part of Tom Casper's Illustrators Workshop designed this wall of illustrated poetry. First, a huge sheet of white bulletin board paper is spread across long tables. Then teens get to work with pencils, markers, poetry, and ideas. The final product is displayed in the Teen Area above the computers. These photos really don't do it justice. What a great idea for poetry month!
The Origami Craze
It's back! Origami is one of those crafts that cycles through every few years. Now it is bigger and better than ever. Math and computer geeks have taken this paper folding form to a whole new level. Robert Lang, a former NASA scientist sells his paper creations for $800 each. Look for a film starring Harrison Ford as an origami genius whose folded solar mirrors save the world from global warming.
Check out the link below to see what can be done with a one dollar bill!
Looking for a creative way for teens to publish? Maybe creating a Zine is your answer. The April 2007 issue of VOYA has a good description of Zines (pronounced "zeens") : self-published low-budget magazines published about anything. Zines are usually the size of a folded 8 1/2 by 11-inch sheet of paper. To learn more about zines try Zine World, Zine Distros, and online Zine communities. In the Microcosm Publishing Catalog I found this title: "Stolen Sharpie Revolution: Zine and DIY Resource Guide." If you're going to ALA, you might consider the Zine-a-paloosa workshop to be held on the morning of Monday June 25.
Journal of My Life
This month focuses on the first person accounts of two teenagers coping with tragic events.
Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb is the touching story of Mia, as she copes with the unexpected death of her mother and the loss she feels. "You don't get over it because 'it' is the person you loved."
Captives by Tom Pow tells the story of two families taken hostage while on a Caribbean vacation. The first half of the book tells the story of their captivity through the journal entries of Martin's father, the second half of the book recounts Martin's version of the same events. "...it had dawned on him, sometime in the night, that writing a novel could be the best way to tell his story..." (I wonder, is it coincidence that the author's name is Pow? I find myself saying P.O.W.)
