Prom Stories + GLSEN's Safe Prom for All

Every year, around this time, America's high school students start turning their thoughts to one thing: prom.

Prom is a legendary night of gowns, tuxedos, photographs, limousines, coursages, spiked punch, romance, late-night hotel parties, and figuring out where in the world you are when you wake up the next morning. (If you don't believe me, check out Brian Sloan's A Really Nice Prom Mess.)

At least, that's what I've heard. I never went to prom, but I sure did hear lots of stories about it. Some may have been real, some may have been imagined, but it was all fascinating.

Here We Go! Get Hyped for Super Bowl XLIII!

While we didn't get an official count, about 43 teens came to cheer the Steelers on to victory in Super Bowl XLIII, which will be held this Sunday in Tampa Bay! You can see pictures of participants in their black 'n gold glory on our Flickr page.

We also held our third annual CLP Teen Madden Tournament. Michael R. took home first place, staving off a fourth quarter comeback from Brian V. Check out all the action in the video below.




If you want to brush up on your Steelers before the big game, the library has a lot of great books and DVDs which you can browse in the subjects Pittsburgh Steelers (Football Team) and Pittsburgh Steelers (Football Team) -- History

Here are some of my favorites:

Blount, Roy
About Three Bricks Shy... and the Load Filled Up: The Story of the Greatest Football Team Ever

This classic book traces life on the Steelers, from Bradshaw to the "Steel Curtain," during the dynasty that birthed our first four rings. Surprisingly, it's actually a hilarious inside look at the personalities who were meaner than anything on the field.


Hickoff, Steve
The 50 Greatest Plays in Pittsburgh Steelers Football History

This book breaks down and ranks the greatest plays of Steelers football history. How do your favorites stack up? Check it out here!


Rooney, Dan
Dan Rooney: My 75 Years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL

Dan Rooney's Hall of Fame career has spanned over 25 years of being the owner of the Steelers and a lifetime with arguably the greatest football organization of all time. This is what he has to say from his birds-eye view, from immaculate receptions to one for the thumb.


Steelers: The Complete History

With gameday footage tracing back from Bill Cowher to the early days of NFL history, this DVD chronicles the life and times of the black and gold and the city which calls the Steelers its home.


If you're only just getting into football to cheer on your team, don't forget to try the NFL's Rule Book section. It will give you all the info you need to understand what's happening on the field, from a digest of the rule book to the "Beginners Guide to Football."

HERE WE GO!

~Joseph
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main

Take Home One of Our Tragically Overlooked Graphic Series! (A-M Edition)

One of the saddest things for a librarian to see is an awesome title languishing on the shelf. They might have a great cover, an awesome story, or great writing, but we see them begging day after day for somebody to check them out. This happens often in our Teen Graphic Series section, where it's hard for items to get noticed in between the Batmans and Spidermans of the world.

So if you have a heart this holiday season, take home one of these lonely little friends and see why we bought them in the first place!

Avalon High: Coronation
Meg Cabot

Ellie Harrison moves to a new school in a new town, ready to adjust and restart her normal life. Yet, life proves to be anything but normal when it's possible that the boy she falls for, Will, just might be the reincarnation of King Arthur. Now Ellie must convince Will to take on the mantle and fight a brewing evil. This is based off of Meg Cabot's 2005 novel Avalon High, and the lively, manga-style art will breathe new life for even seasoned readers.

Avril Lavigne's Make 5 Wishes
Camilla d'Errico and Joshua Dysart

Hana is a lonely, quiet schoolgirl who would have nothing to distract her from her parent's dissolving marriage and the teasing of her classmates if it weren't for her imaginary best friend, Avril Lavigne. One day, Hana buys a mysterious package from the site Make5Wishes.com, which gives new meaning to the phrase "be careful what you wish for." Soon, the demon Romeo arrives, and Hana makes one regrettable wish after another!

Blokhedz
Mark Davis, Mike Davis, and Brandon Schultz

Blak has a magical ability that gives him extra-skilled fighting abilities in addition to being extraordinarily gifted in the skills of rap. Blak will need every one of these skills when he takes to the streets to battle gangs, his brother's killers, and his own personal demons--not to mention the literal demons that lurk deep within the city.

Courtney Crumrin
Ted Naifeh

Courtney Crumin was dragged from her previous life to a well-to-do suburb to live with her Great Uncle Aloysius. That wouldn't be so bad, if Aloysius wasn't creepy and strange noises weren't coming from the closets and the walls: creaks, clunks, and... groans? Suddenly, Courtney isn't just the new kid at school, she's the new kid at ghoul! Thankfully, Courtney's special brand of dark humor is enough to keep them at bay.

Girl Genius
Kaja & Phil Foglio

Adventure, romance, and mad science collide in these collections of Kaja & Phil Foglio's online webcomic Girl Genius. Agatha has no idea that she is a distant Heterodyne, a family who once "travelled the globe negotiating peace, stopping monsters, and shutting down doomsday devices." On top of that, Agatha possesses the Spark, the ability to play with the laws of physics. One day, an evil Baron comes-a-knocking, and Agatha is hurtled full-bore into an adventure that nobody could have exptected!

Grease Monkey
Tim Eldred

Robin Plotnik arrives aboard the space station Fist of Earth, ready to apprentice as a space mechanic under Mac, a super-evolved simian ready to guide her through the finer points of a monkey wrench. Together, they assist the Barbarian Squadron, the all-female team of space fighters waiting to go to war. Adventures ensue in this collected graphic series that is more fun than a barrel of humans!

Hopeless Savages
Jen Van Meter

It's hard to rebel when your parents are already punk rock superstars Dirk Hopeless and Nikki Savage. Thankfully, Rat Hopeless-Savage has the answer: take a 9-5 job and be as shockingly normal as possible. Of course, with parents (and friends) like Rat has, things can't stay normal for long. Can Rat keep it under wraps, or is he destined to live the life of the hopeless savage?

Roman Dirge's Lenore
Roman Dirge

Lenore isn't just your average little dead girl. Limbless cannibals, clock monsters, cursed vampire dolls, taxidermied friends, bunny impersonations, tea parties from the dark side, and an encounter with the "toof hairy" are just a few of the inhabitants of Lenore's darkly comedic world.

Livewires
Adam Warren

When the covert ops program S.H.I.E.L.D. wanted to test the next generation of androids, they wanted them to look--and act--like the next generation. The team is put in action right "out of the box" and has to adjust to their new, dangerous surroundings just like a teenager would. But when you're a teenager with highly-evolved cybernetic strength and other upgrades, you'll have more than growing pains.

The Lost Colony
Grady Klein

What happened to the colonies that were off the map? For one small, isolated village in the early half of the 19th century, it means being populated by a very eccentric set of harmonious characters. One day, a sinister figure arrives to sell slaves at auction, undermining the values and daily routines of the residents. One by one, they each try to disrupt the auction, but what are their motives?

~Joseph
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Teen

Reads for a "Dark Knight"

If you're like me, you've already seen Chris Nolan's masterful The Dark Knight. And if you're anything like me, you need more Batman. And more Batman. And even more Batman until you've stopped sleeping, started talking in a low-pitched, gravelly voice, and committed yourself to being a hero of the shadows.

Well, rest assured, teens, because the library is your place to fill your Batman needs. We have everything from classic collections to the latest trades. If you just saw The Dark Knight, you might be especially interested in the stories that most influenced the movie.

Frank Miller
Batman: Year One

Frank Miller's classic origin story set the stage for Batman's psyche and charted the course that Batman would take in years to come. It also introduced District Attorney Harvey Dent, one of Batman's closest allies in the fight against the mob, albeit one with a dark side (sound familiar?).

Alan Moore
Batman: The Killing Joke

This was one of the most sadistic renditions of the Joker when it was published in 1988. Joker's fixation on corrupting the sane through tragedy and chaos fed Christopher Nolan's storyline and Heath Ledger's performance.

If that's not enough, check out this list of everything we have to offer that could possibly do with Batman. Before you head off into the night to fight what evil lies behind the heart of the city, check out a Batman book today!

Joseph
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main

It Came from the Stacks: Finding Cool Fiction

It's summer, which means every day hungry teens tear through our books. It also means It also means each morning, we try to make everything look nice again after the teen tornado has swept through. While it's not fun stooping to pick up the books that have half-fallen through the floor and sneezing through clouds of dust, nothing can quell the feeling of when an interesting book catches your attention.

Here are the books that I found as I stooped, squatted, reached, lifted, and otherwise cleaned up after our illustrious teen readers:

Catherine Ryan Hyde
Becoming Chloe

Jordy is a gay 17 year-old who's left alone in New York City, with no family or friends to worry about. One day, Chloe comes into Jordy's life, with more secrets than a teen should ever have to bear. Chloe has been taught that the world is an ugly place, and it's up to Jordy to show her that it's not--before it's too late.

Brian James
Dirty Liar

Benji has to leave home after his mother's boyfriend crosses an unimaginable line. He moves into his father's Portland home with his new stepmother, but he doesn't trust her. Nor does Benji's father trust him. At the end of the day, can Benji even trust himself?

A.M. Jenkins
Repossessed

When a demon (who prefers to be called a "fallen angel") gets bored in hell, it makes its way to earth to inhabit the body of a seventeen-year-old slacker. Meanwhile, the teen's parents and friends are wondering why he's suddenly acting so strange...

Paula Jolin
In the Name of God

Nadia is a devoted student, daughter, and sister, but nothing compares to her desire to walk the straight path and follow the laws of Islam. But that doesn't stop her from being conflicted as her peers become Westernized; economic, social, and political struggles rage around her; and war breaks out in Iraq. Soon, her cousin is arrested for speaking out, and Nadia is drawn into an unforseen path of doubt and sacrifice.

David Nicholls
A Question of Attraction

The year is 1985, and Brian Jackson--a working class kid on a full scholarship to university--has a dark secret: he's always wanted to appear on the TV quiz show University Challenge. After he joins the school team and makes it through the qualifying rounds, Brian's finally poised to appear on television for the first time ever. But love has other plans for Brian. After he falls for one of the members on his team, he has harder questions to answer than trivia can provide.

Shana Norris
Something to Blog About

Libby Fawcett is not having a good day. First she lights her hair on fire with a Bunsen burner (with her longtime crush Seth Jacobs watching). Then she finds out that her mother is dating the father of Angel Rivera, the meanest, nastiest girl in school! Libby starts a secret blog to vent, but can even a blog contain what cruel prank Angel Rivera is about to play next?

Jon Ripslinger
How I Fell in Love & Learned to Shoot Free Throws

Danny "the Bruiser" Henderson plans on wooing the beautiful Angel McPherson. But not through traditional means like dinner, flowers, or chocolate. Angel McPherson happens to be the best female basketball player in the state of Iowa, and Danny knows the only way to her heart is through his jump shot. Unfortunately, Danny can't shoot a free throw to save his life.

Janet Ruth Young
The Opposite of Music

When his dad stopped listening to music, Billy knew something was wrong. Then he stopped eating, sleeping, or even being a father at all. Billy's family undergoes a series of creative remedies to fight the depression, but will their efforts drain them past the point at which they can keep their father alive?

~Joseph
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main

CLPTeens Congratulates the Pittsburgh Penguins!

Though the ice has cleared and our beloved Pittsburgh Penguins are without a Stanley Cup, we'd like to send a warm thanks for an exhilarating season. Teens and librarians alike admired the Pens for showcasing skill, determination, and the power of youth.

In honor of the greatest show on ice, Connie put together a zamboni full of books, games, zines, music, and more. Check them out today, and extend your love of Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, Whitney, and the rest of the black and gold all summer long.

Fiction

Klutzhood
Chris McMahen

Arlo is the new kid in a hockey-crazy school in a crazy town. The thing is, Arlo's never even laced up a pair of skates! To fit in somewhere, Arlo joins a group of Misfits called the "Dumpster Dudes." Soon, Arlo is breaking windows and unleashing ants in the hallway. Will Arlo be put in the penalty box?

Getting in the Game
Dawn FitzGerald

When everyone tries to get thirteen-year-old Joanna off the boys’ ice hockey team, including Ben, her best friend since kindergarten, Jo resolves to deal with the problems caused by her participation.

Non-fiction

Ice Time: The Story of Hockey
Michael McKinley
GC846.5.M374 2006

A history of ice hockey emphasizing the professional game and players, from the roots of the NHL to current breakout stars and young talent.


The Rookie: A Season with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins
Shawna Richer
GV848.5.C76 R53 2006x

Sidney Crosby had been hailed as the NHL’s next savior. Young, bright, photogenic, personable, and a media darling, the only question that remained was whether he could handle the big time.

Manga

My Heavenly Hockey Club
by Ai Morinaga

When Izumi Oda asks Hana, his major crush, to join the school hockey club, persuading her proves to be a difficult task. True, the Grand Hockey Club is full of super-cute boys, but given a choice, Hana prefers a sizzling steak to a hot date.

Game

NHL 08 (Xbox 360)

Dominate the ice as the NHL franchise of your choosing, delivering heavy hits and making key saves and scoring that clinch goal.

Magazine

ESPN

Look for frequent features about professional hockey teams and individual players from the major and minor leagues.

Zine

Murder Can Be Fun
“Issue #18: Sports Thrills”
Johnny Marr

~Joseph
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Main - Teen