Sign Up for Manga Mania!

Are you interest in Anime or Manga Art?
Sign up now for a free workshop at the library!

The Pittsburg Public Library will present three art workshops in January celebrating Manga Art. Joplin Artist Martha Goldman studied art in Japan. She will instruct three classes on Manga Art:

Saturday, Jan. 10, 1:00-4:00 pm
Learn to paint manga style

Saturday, Jan 17, 1:00-4:00 pm
Create your own manga comic book

Saturday, Jan. 24, 1:00-4:00 pm
Design your own manga t-shirt
(Bring your own plain white t-shirt)

Class size is limited to 20 per class. A waiting list will be available. Please sign up in the Youth Service Department of the library or call (620) 231-8110 for more information.

All classes are free and open to young adults in the 7-12 grades only.

Many thanks to the Pritchett Trust for making this program possible!

Eclipse is Teen's Choice for Best Book of 2008!

Over 8,000 teens across the country voted for their favorite books of 2008 during Teen Read Week in October. Eclipse, by Stephenie Meyer was voted favorite book of 2008.

Find these books and hundreds of other great titles at the Pittsburg Public Library.

For more information and to vote on favorite books of 2009, please visit the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) at: www.ala.org/yalsa

1. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer
2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
4. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
5. Maximum Ride: Saving the World and Other Extreme Sports by James Patterson
6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
7. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray
8. Extras by Scott Westerfeld
9. Before I Die by Jenny Downham
10. Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Open Mic Night: November 17 @ 6:30 pm

Step into the Spotlight!

Win Prizes!

The Pittsburg Public Library will host an “Open Mic Night” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, November 17th for young adults in 7--12 grades. Performers may play music, sing, read a poem, tell a joke, perform a magic trick or express themselves in any artistic manner. Or, you can just sit back and enjoy the show!

A panel of impartial judges will select the top three performers and award prizes. Prizes include Hastings and Starbucks gift cards. Participants may sign up early to reserve a spot in the show. Sign-ups will also be accepted on a first come basis the evening of the show.

Free coffeehouse type refreshments will be served. For more information or to sign-up, stop by the library or call the library’s Youth Services Department at (620) 231-8110.

YA Movie Night! Oct. 27 @ 6:00 pm

Go Green @ the library!

Marvel Movie Night

A recently released movie based on Marvel comic's The Incredible Hulk will be shown on October 27 at 6:00 pm at the Pittsburg Public Library.

This movie will be shown on a big screen with a theater quality sound system.
Free popcorn and candy will be served.

Additionally, if you wear green to the movie, in honor of the Hulk, you will be given a prize!
This program is free and open to young adults in the 7-12 grades.

For more information, please call the library's Youth Services Department at (620) 231-8110.

Celebrate Teen Read Week! October 12-18, 2008

Visit the library and enter the TRW Raffle!

The Pittsburg Public Library will celebrate Teen Read Week October 12-18. Teen Read Week is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association.

TRW encourages teens to read just for the fun of it. The National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) has found that reading for fun is essential to developing and maintaining a life-long reading habit.

The Pittsburg Public Library invites teens to visit the library and check out reading material that they enjoy. The library has a vast collection of young adult books, audio books, MP3 audio books, graphic novels (comic books), and magazines located in the YA area.

Teens may also vote for their favorite book of 2008 and be eligible for daily prize drawings during TRW!


The library will also offer waivers on overdue fines up to $10 to teens in the 7th-12th grades. This applies to current overdue fines only. Lost items are not included and the offer is only good during Teen Read Week. For more information, please contact the library’s Youth Services’ department at 231-8110.

Celebrate Banned Books Week! September 27--October 4, 2008

Play Banned Books Bingo and Celebrate Your Freedom to Read!

Imagine walking into your public library and not finding such books as To Kill a Mockingbird, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, or the Harry Potter series on the shelves.

These books and many others have been the target of censors who seek to ban these books from library shelves.

Banned Books Week - Celebrating the Freedom to Read is a nationwide initiative that reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. Since its inception in 1982, BBW has worked to spotlight the issue of censorship in our schools and public libraries.

The American Library Association states that there were 420 known challenges to remove books from school or public libraries in 2007. Challenges are defined as formal or written complaints filed with a school or library requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness. According to the ALA, the reason more books are not banned is because community residents-- along with librarians, teachers and journalists--stand up and speak out for their freedom to read.

BBW is sponsored by the American Booksellers Association, American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, American Library Association, American Society of Journalists and Authors, Association of American Publishers, National Association of College Stores, and is endorsed by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.

In honor of Banned Books Week, the Pittsburg Public Library invites Young Adults in the 7-12 grades to play “Banned Books Bingo” on Monday, September 29th at 6:30 p.m. Young Adults will have the opportunity to play a special version of Bingo that uses titles of banned or challenged books on the Bingo cards. Banned and challenged books such as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, and others will be given out as prizes

For more information regarding Banned Books Week, visit the American Library Association’s website at: http://www.blogger.com/www.ala.org/bbooks or call the Pittsburg Public Library’s Youth Services Department at 231-8110.

Win a Free Copy of Brisingr!

The highly anticipated book Brisingr by Christopher Paolini will be released on September 20. This third book in Paolini's Inheritance series follows bestsellers: Eragon and Eldest. Paolini was only 15 when he began writing the hugely popular Eragon, a story about a young farm boy who discovers a dragon egg and gets involved in a civil war . Brisingr continues Eragon's adventures and is sure to be another bestbeseller.

Win a chance at a free copy of Brisingr! Visit the YA area of the Pittsburg Public Library and enter a drawing for a free copy of Brisingr. Only one entry per person is allowed and participants must be in the 7-12 grades. The winner will be notified September 20, 2008. You need not be present to win. Call the Pittsburg Public Library's Youth Services department for more details at (620) 231-8110.

Breaking Dawn Book Release Party!

A book with bite!

The final volume in Stephenie Meyer's best-selling Twilight series, Breaking Dawn, will be released on August 2, 2008.

Join us at the library on Friday, August 1 at 3:00 p.m. for a celebration of the Twilight Saga!

Talk about your favorite books, and the upcoming movie, play Twilight trivia, win prizes and enjoy "vampy" refreshments!

A raffle for a copy of both Breaking Dawn and Eclipse will be held during the program. Limit one entry per person and you must be present to win. A coupon will be presented to the winner of Breaking Dawn to be redeemed on its release date: Saturday, August 2 at the library

This program is free and open to everyone aged 12 and up.

YA Movie Nights begin Monday, June 2!

The Pittsburg Public Library will present “Monday Nights at the Movies”—a free program for young adults entering the 7th—12th grades. Each Monday, from June 2—July 21, at 6:00 pm the library will present a popular movie chosen by the library’s Young Adult Advisory Council (YAAC). The movies will be shown on a big screen and feature a theater quality sound system. All movies are rated PG or PG13.
Free refreshments will be served.

Additionally, young adults may enter the “Your Ticket to Read” reading program and be eligible for weekly prize drawings. Participants simply check out books, magazines, or audio books from the library, and fill out a ticket for each item. Drawings will be held during Monday Nights @ the Movies. Tickets are available in the young adult area of the library. No sign-ups are necessary and you need not be present to win.
Please visit the library or call the Youth Service’s department at 231-8110 for more details and a list of movies.

Looking for a Great Book? Check out these YA Booklists

YA 2007 Alex Awards
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_2007_alex_awards.pdf

YA 2007 Top Ten
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_2007_top_ten.pdf

YA 90 Classics
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_90_classics.pdf

YA Adult Appeal
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_adult_appeal.pdf

YA Books that Bite
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_books_that_bite.pdf

YA Chick Lit
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_chick_lit.pdf

YA Joust Read
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_joust_read.pdf

YA Laugh Out Loud
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_laugh_out_loud.pdf

YA Lord of the Rings
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_lord_of_the_rings.pdf

YA Love Stories
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_love_stories.pdf

YA Mysteries
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_mysteries.pdf

YA Psychological Thrillers
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_psychological_thrillers.pdf

YA Sci-Fi
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/library/pittsburg/ya_lists/ya_sci-fi.pdf

Open Mic Night--Sign Up Now!

The Pittsburg Public Library will host an “Open Mic Night” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 7th for young adults in 7--12 grades.

Play music, sing, read a poem, tell a joke, perform a magic trick or express yourself in any artistic manner. Or you can just sit back and enjoy the show!

A panel of impartial judges will select the top three performers and award prizes.

Sign up early to reserve a spot in the show! Sign-ups will also be accepted on a first come basis the evening of the show.
Free refreshments will be served. For more information or to sign-up, stop by the library or call the library’s Youth Services Department at 231-8110.

What's New @ the Library!

If you are a fan of the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson, you'll be thrilled to learn that the fourth installment of the series, The Final Warning: A Maximum Ride novel, was released on March 17. You can reserve a copy of the book yourself by using your pin number to access your library account. If you don't have a pin number, you can stop by the library and receive one at the circulation desk. Otherwise you may call 231-8110 to have a copy of the book reserved in your name.

Maximum Ride is a thrilling, fast paced series dealing with a group of kids who have been genetically altered with bird DNA. As a result, they have the ability to fly as well as other special gifts. The leader of the flock is Maximum Ride, a girl who is out to save the world from the diabolically evil scientists who created her.

Young Adult Art Show Winner!

The winner of the first Young Adult Art Show was Gabrielle Murnan for her pencil drawing entitled "Benazir Bhutto." Murnan won a blue ribbon and gift certificate to the Art Supply Store. Eighteen artists contributed over twenty-two pieces of art to the show. An Art Reception was held Monday, March 3 at the library. Over forty-five people attended the showing. Thanks to all the artists who contributed to the show.

Find the 2008 Heartland Award Nominated Books @ the library!

The Pittsburg Public Library has multiple copies of the books nominated for the 2008 Heartland Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. Here are the nominated titles:

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Real Question by Adrian Fogelin

Endgame by Nancy Garden

Just for You to Know by Cheryl Harness

Crossing the Wire by Will Hobbs

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Alabama Moon by Watt Key

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer

Poison by Chris Wooding

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

Valentine Movie Night

VALENTINE MOVIE NIGHT HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE!

Valentine Movie Night for Young Adults is
Monday, February 11 at 6:00 pm
at the Pittsubrg Public Library.
The movie is based on the book Stardust by Neil Gaiman.
The movie will be shown on a big screen with a
theater quality sound system.
Free snacks will be served!
This program is free and open to
all young adults inthe 7-12 grades.

Enter the Pittsburg Public Library's Young Adult Art Show

All artists must be in 7-12 grades to enter show.
Art must be submitted to the Library’s
Youth Services department during the week of
February 25-29. Any original work of art in any
medium may be submitted. (limit one entry per person) Art may be framed or
unframed. Artists will be asked to sign a release form upon submission of their artwork.
An Art Exhibit/Reception will be Monday, March 3 from 6:30-8:00 pm. Winners will be announced at that time. Prizes will be awarded for:
Best of Show, 2nd & 3rd places.

For more information, please contact the Pittsburg Public Library’s Youth Services Department at 231-8110.

Write a Review for the YA Blog!

For Young Adults in 7-12 grades:

Write a book review
(just a few sentences)
about a book or audio book that
you have checked out from
the Pittsburg Public Library
and would recommend to a friend.
We will put your review on the YA blog!
You will automatically be
entered into a monthly drawing
for great prizes!

Enter today at the library!