Scientific Scavenger Hunt #2

Your clue is:

Asclepias syriaca

Habitat loss due to development and the widespread use of chemicals on crops and roadsides has seriously reduced the number of these critical plants, with negative consequences for butterflies.
Why? Monarch butterfly offspring, emerging as caterpillars, must eat the leaves of only this plant to reach the next stage of growth.

 

Your mission: go find this species and take a 'selfie' with it. Bring it to RML and earn a free YA book as well as 3 raffle entries in the Summer Reading Program.
(If you need more help, shoot me an email at ewashburn@richmondlibrary.info for another clue)

Poisonous Things Week #2 & some Read-alikes!

(You can find the game sheet on the GAMES page on this blog)

POISONOUS THINGS THAT KILL YOU
Clue for Week #2:
Staff member Heidi, is a professional photographer. Last week, she was out on a shoot for a couple who was getting married, and wanted some lovely nature shots of them walking the woods. Always trying to get the best angle, Heidi climbed some rocks and was backing up to get the perfect picture, when she stepped into a den hidden in a rock crevice. A den of what, you ask? Well, it is one of 2 venomous species of snakes found in CT. Normally, a bite from this guy isn't enough to take down a healthy adult, but the snakes in this den seemed to be having a good ol' summertime family reunion...poor Heidi.

***PLEASE DON'T COMMENT WITH THE ANSWER! WRITE IT DOWN ON YOUR OWN GAME SHEET AND HAND IN AT RML FOR A RAFFLE ENTRY! 

And on to Summer reads:
I found this on Buzzfeed from back in May. May give you some more titles for your Summer beach reads...

Books to Read if You Liked Fault in Our Stars

Or if Game of Thrones is more your speed, check out Epic Reads:

Books to Read if You Liked Game of Thrones 

Now for something completely different....

I know you guys are out of school, and thinking of teachers is likely the last thing on your list. But I wanted  to share this post on the Nerdy Book Club website by Marlborough's own Lynda Mullaly Hunt - I hope you've read One for the Murphys by now (if not, you must).

Fish in a Tree cover reveal

Speaking of upcoming titles - we have a bunch of prize books for various SRP contests that we got from Book Expo in NYC. Many are ARC's (Advanced Reader Copies) that aren't going to be available until later this year. So think of them as a preview!

But we also have some that were already released earlier this year, and we would love readers to find these undiscovered gems! Our first book winner on Tuesday (for playing the Scientific Scavenger Hunt) got to select a book, and chose The Crossover by Kwame Alexander. Ms Patty and I got to hear author and educator Kwame Alexander speak on a panel about diversity at School Library Journal's Day of Dialogue in NYC in May. He is one of my new favorites!

So make sure you play some of the games associated with the Teen Summer Reading Program - you never know what great gem you'll walk away with!

Scientific Scavenger Hunt #1

Your clue is:

Celastrus Orbiculatus

This invasive, out of control ornamental woody vine was brought to the U.S. from China around 1860, and has been in CT for at least 90 years. It's sale in CT has been banned since 2004. You can find it strangling and smothering tall trees and anything else in it's path.  It prefers sunny areas, but will tolerate partial shade. It's just nasty stuff.

Your mission: go find this species and take a 'selfie' with it. Bring it to RML and earn a free YA book as well as 3 raffle entries in the Summer Reading Program.
(If you need more help, shoot me an email at ewashburn@richmondlibrary.info for another clue)

Games Update!

You can stop in and get the 'Retro Tech ID game' sheet- I'll also try to get that up here on the blog today.


Beginning Tuesday, July 1, we will start the 'Scientific Scavenger Hunt' game.  Here on the blog I will post the scientific name of a plant, rock or other natural item that can be found in Marlborough.  Your job is to figure out what it is, then go find it and take a 'selfie' with it.  The first 3 people to bring the pic into RML each week will earn a new book and (5) raffle entries.

Here is your first clue for "Poisonous Things That Kill You". Stop in and get an answer sheet where you can write down your weekly answers. 5 clues posted on Fridays.  Earn a raffle entry for each correct answer. Submit all 5 correct for 5 more raffle entries.

Poisonous Things

POISONOUS THINGS THAT KILL YOU
Clue for Week #1:
Ms Patty was vacationing in California with her family, when they stopped to admire the view from the side of the road. Looking down, Patty (being a gardener) noticed some lovely shrubs with vibrant flowers that gave off a fragrant aroma. She picked a few, and decided they would make a lovely garnish for the dinner she was making that night with some fresh, local ingredients. Fortunately for the rest of her family, Patty noticed numbness in her fingers while plating the garnish. This was followed by eye irritation, then after taking a nibble to see how the flower tasted, a severe gastrointestinal and cardiac reaction. Luckily, her daughter Anna is studying to be a nurse, and noticed Patty face-down in the fish tostadas. 
What was this pretty yet potentially lethal plant with pretty flowers?

***PLEASE DON'T COMMENT WITH THE ANSWER! WRITE IT DOWN ON YOUR OWN GAME SHEET AND HAND IN AT RML FOR A RAFFLE ENTRY!

Teen Summer Reading Program at RML!

It's getting to be that time of year again! Our Summer Reading Programs here at RML kick off on Wednesday, June 25 at 6pm with a show by the Yo-Yo People at 6:30.

Stop in the Library to get a prize for signing up - while supplies last!

The theme of this year's Summer Reading is Science, and for teens, it's called:

Stop in at the Library to pick up the flyer that explains how the program works - it's up to you how much or how little you participate. Simply earn raffle ticket entries for things like reading books, coming to a program, or playing some of the 'games'. We will draw weekly raffle winners for prizes throughout the summer.

YA Book Trailers on YouTube

CT State Library Summer Reading

Nutmeg Awards 

Finally! A YA Nonfiction Section!

It may be small, but we are finally creating a little young adult non-fiction section! (Currently YA nonfiction is either added to the children's section, or if not appropriate, added to the Adult nonfiction section with a YA sticker).
Obviously not everything you want to read in non-fiction will be there, but it will be a place for those books that are just right for teens and focus on subjects that you may be interested in.
So, to add to the books that we've taken out of Adult nonfiction, I ordered some great titles that come recommended by our Capitol Region Young Adult Roundtable members! Stop in and check them out!

Added January 2014

 The How-To Handbook: shortcuts and solutions for the problems of everyday life by Martin Oliver & Alexandra Johnson

Spilling Ink: a young writer's handbook by Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter

My Anxious Mind: a teen's guide to managing anxiety and panic by Michael A. Tompkins, PhD and Katherine Martinez, PsyD

I Am A Seal Team Six Warrior: Memoirs of an American soldier by Howard E. Wasdin & Stephen Templin

                                                                       IraqiGirl: Diary of a teenage girl in Iraq

The Nazi Hunters: How a team of spies and survivors catured the world's most notorious nazi by Neal Bascomb

Made by Dad: 67 blueprints for making cool stuff by Scott Bedford

Guinness World Records 2014 Gamer's Edition
The Ultimate Player's Guide to Minecraft by Stephen O'Brien

Becoming Vegan: the everyday guide to plant-based nutrition by Brenda Davis & Vesanto Melina

Doodles Unleashed: mixed-media techniques for doodling, mark-making & lettering by Traci Bautista