School's OUT, but Summer Reading is IN!It's not too late to register for our annual Summer Reading Program. It's better this year - easier, and more flexible. Sign up here and download your game card, or pick one up from any of our library locations. Once you've done that, just start reading, streaming, browsing and visiting your local library. Every time you do, put an X on your game board. 30 Xs and you are a WINNER! Pick up your finishing prizes (a BPL tote bag, a book and a $5 gift certificate to Pegasus bookstore) and get a ticket to enter the end-of-summer raffle. Every time you finish a game board, you can enter the raffle again! That's not all, though. Post photos of yourself, your friends, and your family reading this summer on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #bplsummer. We'll feature our favorites on our website! And remember: this year's Summer Reading Game is all-ages, so get your siblings, your friends, and everyone else you know in on the action!
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Teen LGBTQIA+ Café @South Wednesdays, June 10 - August 26 3:30pm - 4:30pm Do you want to meet LGBTQIA+ teens from other parts of Berkeley? Are you sad that your school GSA doesn't meet over the summer? Or are you just inspired by all the PRIDE activities happening? Whatever your reason, come to South Branch and meet up with other teens in a safe and supportive place to talk about issues of gender and sexual identity. This informal group meets every Wednesday throughout the summer to talk and plan projects. Discussion topics and activities are picked by those in attendance so bring your ideas, your voice and your energy. (We'll bring the snacks!)
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Summertime and the reading is easy!
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Looking for some good reads you may have missed? Find a plethora of our favorite books on our "50 for #bplsummer" recommendation list. You'll find a little bit of everything in this list, which has been tailored for a diverse group of readers. You'll meet characters who are funny, serious, horrifying, fantastical, living in the past, living in the future, having bad days & good days, gay, straight, in small towns, roaming the streets in big cities, from the US and all over the world, in love & out of love, in trouble or living the good life, crying and laughing - well, you get the idea.
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Get on Your Bikes and RIDE!
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Bicycle Tune-up Clinic @WestSaturday July 11 3:00pm - 5:00pm Be safe! Come to our bicycle tune-up clinic with the talented spoke folks from Berkeley's own Street Level Cycles. Bring your bike for fine tuning or observe the techniques these experts will demonstrate to make your ride smooth and safe. Adults and teens of middle school and high school age are welcome.
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It's Like Magic (the Gathering)
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Magic: The Gathering Tournament @NorthSaturday July 18 1:30pm - 5:00pm Test your might at this open draft tournament using cards from the newest Magic: The Gathering set, Dragons of Tarkir! Each player will be given three FREE packs of cards with which to build their mightiest hand, then face off in a bracket-style tournament for ultimate Magic supremacy! Tournament play will be judged by Aldo Jackson of Games Count, and is sponsored by Games of Berkeley and Eudemonia. Prizes including special card packs and Wizards of the Coast swag will be offered to the winners!The tournament FREE and all materials are provided. Open to players ages 11 to 18. There are only 16 slots, so pre-registration is required. E-mail Teen Librarian Jack Baur at jbaur@ci.berkeley.ca.us to get on the list, and for more info. The tournament is FREE, and all materials are provided!
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Whether you're writing the Great American Novel, finding your poetic voice, or looking for a community of wordsmiths, The Library have you covered this summer. Take a look at our special Central's Berkeley Teen Writers' Workshop with poet Mahogany Elaj "MoBetta" Foster, or drop in to our weekly Teen Writing Workshop at South.
Berkeley Teen Writers' Workshop @Central
Wednesdays July 8, 15 & 22
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Berkeley Public Library Teen and Berkeley Writers' Workshop are pleased to announce Mo Foster will facilitate this year's writers' workshop for teenagers! Register here!
Most of our writers are in middle or high school. They write fiction or poetry. Songs or comic books. Screenplays or fan fiction. Some perform spoken word. Some illustrate. Some do it all. Some haven't written in a long time. Some write on their phones. Some write poems but always forget to bring them to workshop. No matter. If you're a teenager and you write, this is the place for you.
Mahogany Elaj "MoBetta" Foster is a published poet and recognized spoken word artist from the Bay Area. Mo has been an artist/teacher since beginning her career with California Poets In The Schools at 15 years old. In over 20 years of service she's had the opportunity to work with over 1,000 students to find their voices through poetry, creative writing and public speaking.
REGISTER NOW at www.berkeleywritersworkshop.org/#summer-2015!
Teen Writing Workshop @South
Fridays June 19-August 28
3:00pm - 4:30pm
Calling all writers! Poets, essayists, songwriters, journalers, writers of fiction, fan fiction, non-fiction and all others are invited to this collaborative workshop will be led by teen writers for teen writers. Each meeting will have time for writing, spoken word performance, conversation about writing and inspiration so bring your pencils, laptops and imagination. Drop in when you are available or come every week and share your writing life.
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Sign up for one or of our four informative newsletters today!  - Teen
- Kids
- Art & Culture
- General News
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This One Summer Book Club with author Mariko Tamaki @NorthTuesday July 28th 4:00pm - 5:30pm The author of the tremendous, award-winning graphic novel This One Summer will join us at North Branch to talk about her work and answer your questions!
This One Summer is the beautiful story of two best friends teetering on the brink of adulthood during a long, lazy summer in a remote lakeside town. Copies available to check out at North Branch, or at your local branch.
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We want to hear from you! From July 1, 2015 to July 28, 2015, we are running an online survey (in English & Spanish) to understand how patrons use the library's technology so we can provide resources and services that are valuable to the community. |
School may be out, but that doesn't mean that the Berkeley Public Library isn't bringing you something fun every single week as the Summer goes on. Drop in on the branch near you, say "hi", and see what's up! ALL of our events are free, are open to everyone, and have refreshments provided! Central LibraryArt & Writing Drop-In every Thursday 2:30 - 3:30pm North Branch
MAKE SOME THING every Wednesday 3:00-4:00pm Teens GAME ON every Thursday 4:00-5:00pm South BranchMAKE SOME THING every Tuesday 4:00-5:00pm LGBTQIA+ Café every Wednesday, 3:30-4:30pm Writing Workshop every Friday 3:00-4:30pm Claremont Branch Teens GAME ON
every Wednesday 3:30-4:30pm MAKE SOME THINGevery Friday 4:00-5:00pm West BranchMAKE SOME THING every Wednesday 4:00-5:30pm
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 The Boy Who Played With FusionBy Tom Clynes Here's the true story of a boy you definitely hope doesn't become a pyromaniac. As a young teen, Taylor Wilson liked to build things and play not with matches, but with radiation. This was inspired by his grandmother getting cancer and Taylor trying to find ways to make medically useful isotopes. At fourteen he succeeded in making a 500-million-degree nuclear fusion reactor. By the time he was seventeen, President Obama was joking with him that Taylor might soon be working for him. In fact, he is currently designing devices to detect radioactive material being shipped into the U.S by terrorists. As exciting as Taylor's story is, this book, which is subtitled Extreme Science, Extreme Parenting, and How to Make a Star, is not just about Taylor's accomplishments in creating in his laboratory temperatures as hot as a star. It is about how Taylor's parents raised him and the education he received from gifted mentors and teachers. It is the story of how Taylor himself became a star. Reviewed by Will Marston, West Branch Teen Services Librarian
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All
Berkeley Public Libraries
are closed
Friday, July 3rd
&
Saturday, July 4th
Have Fun & Be Safe
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The Berkeley Public Library wants to give big thanks and a shout out to the Friends of the Berkeley Public Library for sponsoring #bplsummer Reading and to the Pace Fund for funding events at North Branch Library.
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