JESSICA PROUTY BAND SEMI-FINALIST IN NATIONAL COMPETITION!

LOCAL TEEN BAND SELECTED AS SEMI-FINALIST IN
SCHOOLJAM USA BATTLE OF THE BANDS COMPETITION

Teen Battle of the Bands Contest Aimed at Encouraging Music Making Among Teens and
Helping School Music Programs

[Marblehead, Swampscott, Wilmington MA], November 2, 2009— NAMM, the trade association of the international music products industry, has selected the Jessica Prouty Band of Marblehead, Swampscott, and Wilmington High Schools to move on to the semi finals of the SchoolJam USA teen battle of the bands competition.

The nationwide contest, sponsored by NAMM, is designed to encourage teen bands across the United States to demonstrate their musical talents and enjoy the many proven benefits of making music.

The Jessica Prouty Band will be included in the Online voting portion of the competition, which begins November 1, 2009, at www.schooljamusa.com. The general public is encouraged to visit the site and vote for their favorite band. The top two bands in five designated regions that receive the most votes will be announced on Dec. 19, 2009, and will be invited to the live SchoolJam USA battle of the bands finals held at the NAMM Show on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010, in Anaheim, Calif. The Jessica Prouty Band is competing for one of the top two slots in the Northeast region.

The SchoolJam USA Battle of the Bands helps highlight the best and most talented teens across the country, while supporting the bands’ school music education programs. The winning band will receive $750 toward new musical equipment and could win a trip to perform at the SchoolJam Germany live finals in Frankfurt, Germany, at the MusikMesse trade fair. The top band’s school music program will also receive $5,000 toward new musical equipment purchased at their local NAMM Member retailer of choice. The competition is sponsored with the help of MENC, the national association for music education; the Music Education National Conference; Music For All; the John Lennon Educational Bus; SchoolJam and InTune Monthly magazine.

About the Jessica Prouty Band
The Jessica Prouty Band, a 4-piece, teenage-rock band is fronted by Jessica’s clean, power vocals, backed by stellar bluesy guitar riffs and showmanship. Their original songs have been played on Boston’s 92.5 The River and WAAF. Enjoyed by all ages, in addition to many benefits, they’ve played Six Flags Amusement Park, the Hard Rock Boston, Hampton Beach, NH, Higher Ground, VT, state parks, camps, and numerous VT, ME and MA fairs, including Topsfield Fair. For more information, visit www.JessicaProuty.com.

About NAMM
NAMM is the not-for-profit association that unifies, leads and strengthens the international musical instruments and products industry. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,000 Member companies. For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit www.namm.org or call 800-767-NAMM (6266).

TEEN READ WEEK 2009

Teen Read Week is a nation-wide program sponsored by the American Library Association. This year’s theme was Read Beyond Reality@ your library!
Thank you to everyone who came to the Pastel Painting Workshop or to the Indulgent Evening. It’s nice to see kids leaving the library after having fun.

A special THANK YOU to Whole Foods Inc. for donating delicious treats and waters for our Indulgent Evening. We appreciate their generous support.

If you haven’t been by the library yet, you can still pick a treasure from our treasure basket on the table in the Teen Area. You can also pick up a coupon to Clear your Swampscott Public Library fines. BUT the treasures and coupons will disappear on Monday, October 26th.

SCHOOL DAZE: NAVIGATING THE COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXPERIENCE

Thank you to our 4 speakers: John Solazzo, Joanna Ganci, Migdalia Gomez, and Thomas Gately, for making our program such a success. It was standing room only and the audience came away with excellent information.

List of recent college guides at Swampscott Public Library

And here is Ms. Ganci’s presentation:
Joanna Ganci, English Teacher
Swampscott High School
I Was A Teenage Application Zombie !
Waking from the College Application Nightmare

Most colleges will require that you get three references. Most schools desire that one or two of those three recommendations are written by an “academic” teacher. Academic, in this case, means one of your core subjects: English, math, science, or history. If you are interested in studying engineering in college, it would make sense that you ask a math or science teacher to write you a letter. You may also ask teachers from any other subjects, guidance counselors, coaches, principals, and assistant principals to write additional recommendations. You should ask teachers with whom you have a good relationship. Your grades are not the only area that a teacher will address; in fact, your grades are often of less importance than your character, effort, and potential. If your teacher does not feel she can write you a detailed, favorable recommendation, ask someone else. Don’t give up.

You want to ask those writing you the recommendations as early as possible. Be courteous and give that person as much time as you can so she can write you a good letter. The beginning of your senior year is a good time to begin asking. When you have your final list of schools, give the following materials, neatly placed in school-specific folders, to the recommender(s):
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Copies of application forms that need to be completed including teacher evaluation form
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stamped/addressed envelopes
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resume
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copy of your transcript
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due date for materials
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any additional information you feel is necessary for the writer

A thank you note is a great way to show your appreciation to the person who wrote you the recommendation.

Great Tips for Writing Your College Admissions Essay
Write as you speak. The purpose of the essay is to show the admissions committee the real you, why you think and act the way you do, and what motivates you. So don’t write as if you are someone else, use stilted language, or gloss over how you really feel. Be authentic, not superficial. Use a relaxed, conversational style.
Be original. Too many essays use the same tired themes. For example, instead of showing yourself as a victim, focus on how you overcame the situation. You’re not running for Miss America, so avoid presenting your solutions to world peace and hunger. Remember that what bores you pretty much bores others.
Show genuine enthusiasm. Nothing draws a reader more than invigorating writing. Pick topics that excite you. Your enthusiasm will show.
Create some mystery. Begin with an introduction that surprises your readers and makes them want to read past the first paragraph.
Focus. Rather than describing everything you’ve done with your life, give a full description of one or two items or events. The magic is in the details.
Use active verbs. Action verbs make your essay more engaging than passive voice, which comes across as cold and detached.
Use short sentences and simple words. According to a recent study at Stanford University, individuals who use complicated language are viewed as less intelligent than individuals who use simpler, more concise language. You want your readers to understand your essay.
Courtesy of Gregory Lloyd www.back2college.com/admissionessay

WILL THE 2009-10 COMMON APPLICATION ESSAY TOPICS BE THE SAME?
Yes; the essay prompts will be the same. Check to see if your school uses the common application.
Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

The Horror! : You Don’t Need to Hire a Tutor
Writing your college admissions essay should not require that you hire a tutor. The reason that college admissions is asking you to write an essay in the first place is to see if you can write independently at the college level. Because there is the perception that students won’t get into college without an advantage, many parents are paying tutors to assist in the process. This is not necessary and may even be detrimental since it may be a false representation of a student’s abilities.
All writing benefits from revision; the college admissions essay is no exception. Do not wait until the day before your materials are due to begin the process. Know how many different essays you will have to write, and then spend at least a week on each one. This week should include the writing of a rough draft and any revisions that are necessary to make it a representation of your best work. Do not try to accomplish this task in one day. You need time to reflect and revise. You may also want to share your essay with a parent, a peer, or even a teacher who has the time to read your essay and give you constructive feedback. Your final draft should be free of grammatical and spelling errors, should be interesting and engaging, should reflect your writing style, and should fulfill the parameters of the question.
My BFF is, Like, Awesome: Comments on Style
Many critics argue that the advent of technologies like email and texting have caused the deterioration of more sophisticated elements of the writing process such as personal style. While many of you can consciously define your style when it comes to clothing, music, or even art, you cannot begin to define your writing style.
In your essay, your style will be reflected in the way you use language. Your grammar, sentence structure, and word choice will create this style as well as your level of formality or informality. Do not use the thesaurus function on your computer too often. If “use” is more natural and authentic to you than “utilize”, use (wink) “use.” If you don’t understand a word (and therefore may use it in the wrong context), don’t put it in your essay. At the same time, don’t be afraid to show off your understanding and appropriate use of all that vocabulary that you’ve learned in the last four years.
In addition, don’t be too informal. You are not writing an essay for a friend. These technologies have helped us be more efficient, but by using them we often sacrifice clarity and style. If you’re writing an essay about your best friend Julie, don’t refer to her as your “bff” unless it is used in dialogue to give the reader a sense of character.

COOKING WITH KATIE

Katie Wilton led a hands-on cooking class on July 22nd. You can see for yourself how delicious all of the recipes were: deviled eggs, pizza wontons, parmesan pita triangles, yogurt fruit shakes, and strawberries stuffed with cream cheese. It’s fun having a class where you learn and get to eat yummy stuff at the same time. We hope to have her come back some time in the futre.

SWAMPSCOTT CALLING: TEEN BAND CONCERT

The Swampscott Public Library local teen band concert, SWAMPSCOTT CALLING!, was held on Saturday, July 11th. A big thank you to the bands: Red Rock, Anything Goes, Soot, Exit Left, James Roseman, Calling Aviv, Handfulls of Happiness, The Anchors, 8th Brigade, Day Luge and Squad Room Antics. A special thank you to the Red Rock/Handfulls of Happiness folks who handled all the sound system work, the Swampscott Yacht Club for all kinds of assistance, the DPW, Fire and Police Departments, Newbury Comics for donating gift certificates for all the musicians, and the fans who came to hear everyone play.
Click here to see a slide show from the concert:
2009 Concert Pix

Vote for the Teens’ Top Ten

Beginning August 25th, vote on your favorite books–you always have an opinion on something, so this is your chance to let everyone know what you think. Other teens have selected the books on thelist, you just have to vote.
:Teens’ Top Ten

The nominated titles are:
2009 Teens’ Top Ten Nominations
Cashore, Kristin. Graceling. Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. (9780152063962).2008.
Lady Katsa is born with a Grace (super talent) of killing and her uncle, the king, makesher his brute squad. When she meets Po, a rival kingdom’s Graceling, she becomes morepowerful as a woman of justice, self knowledge, and romance.
Cast, Kristin & P.C. Untamed. St. Martin’s Griffin. (9780312379834). 2008.
At finishing school for young vampyres, Zoey makes a shocking discovery about the school’s leader, but no one will listen to her as her undead friends and 3 boyfriends turn against her. Loyalties are strained, truths are revealed, and an ancient evil is awakened in
Cast’s fourth House of Night novel.
Clare, Cassandra. City of Ashes. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry.(9781416914297). 2008.
The second in the Mortal Instruments trilogy, this volume continues the saga of Clary and her best friend Simon as they struggle to find their place in a magical world parallel to their NYC home. Demon-fighting shadowhunters, vampires, warlocks, werewolves, faeries, and a master villain named Valentine provide a heart-pounding backdrop as Clary uncovers secrets about her past.
Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. Scholastic. (9780439023481). 2008.
To save her young sister from competing, Katniss Everdeen takes her place in the annual Hunger Games, a televised competition in which only one person, the winner, survives. By turns an adventure, a love story, and a futuristic thriller, this is the first in a planned
trilogy.
Fukui , Isamu. Truancy. Tor Teen. (9780765317674). 2008.
In the totalitarian society that Tack lives in, a rebel group called the Truancy is fighting for freedom. But Tack vows revenge on the Truancy when someone he loves is killed accidentally during one of their attacks on the government.
Fukui , Isamu. Truancy: Origins. Tor Teen. (9780765322623). 2009.
Umasi and Zen, adopted and raised in a life of privilege, are horrified to discover that their father is behind the restrictive policies of their city. One brother will be driven to rebellion.
Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. HarperCollins. (9780060530921). 2008.
When a toddler wanders away from his home just before assassins slay his family, he ends up in a graveyard. Named Nobody Owens, the ghosts and other denizens of the cemetery adopt him and teach him important skills he will need to survive.
Green, John. Paper Towns. Penguin/Dutton. (978025478188). 2008.
When they were little, Margo Roth Spiegelman was Q’s best friend. Now, a month before high school graduation, she disappears after taking Q on a night of pranks involving dead fish and a depilatory, sending him on a quest to find her.
Harris, Joanne. Runemarks. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf. (9780375844447). 2008.
Maddie is shunned by the town because of the mysterious rune mark on her hand. This same rune mark will shatter her dull existence as it propels her into the center of a war between the new controlling religious government and the Norse gods of old.
Hopkins, Ellen. Identical. Simon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry. (9781416950059). 2008.
Identical teenage twins, Raeanne and Kaeleigh, respond in totally opposite ways to the abuse and abandonment from their parents. One twin finds bulimia and cutting eases the pain and helps her to maintain her passivity, while the other, more rebellious twin sinks into the world of drugs and sex.
Lockhart, E. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. Disney-Hyperion. (9780786838189). 2008.
When Frankie’s boyfriend joins a secret society that she isn’t supposed to know anything about, she surprises everyone—including herself—by trying to beat them and become the biggest prankster of them all.
Marriott, Zoё. Daughter of the Flames. Candlewick Press. (9780763637491). 2009.
Zira bears scars from the battle that left her orphaned and in the care of the Ruan people. When a tyrant king threatens her home, Zira seeks help from an unlikely romantic interest and uncovers the truth about her past.
McMann, Lisa. Wake. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse. (9781416953579). 2008.
Going to sleep isn’t a big deal for most of us, but for Janie, falling asleep means getting sucked into other people’s dreams. The supernatural ability she’s always considered a nuisance quickly becomes a nightmare when she blunders into a dream and witnesses a
murder.
Meyer, Stephenie. Breaking Dawn. Megan Tingley/Little, Brown. (978316067928).2008.
In this, the fourth and final installment of the Twilight Saga, Bella’s new life as the wife of vampire Edward Cullen is wrought with unexpected obstacles, difficult decisions, and potentially overwhelming outcomes.
Moran, Katy. Bloodline. Candlewick Press. (9780763640835). 2009.
In the brutal world of Dark Age Britain, Essa fights for his life, his identity, and the lives of those he loves. Paolini and Tolkien fans will be drawn in.
Ness, Patrick. The Knife of Never Letting Go. (Chaos Walking. Book 1). Candlewick Press. (9780763639310). 2008.
Dangerous secrets can even be hidden in a world where all men and animals hear each others’ thoughts. Because all women died shortly after he was born, Todd Hewitt is the last boy left in his town. When he learns a dangerous secret, he runs for his life with his dog and finds something even more surprising: a girl!
Noёl, Alyson. Evermore. St. Martin’s Griffin. (9780312532758). 2009.
Her life ripped apart by a tragic accident that killed her family, Ever struggles with her newfound ability to hear people’s thoughts. Enter Damen, the new boy who seems the perfect distraction — except he doesn’t eat or drink, and soon Ever discovers a supernatural new world of which she is now part.
Palmer, Robin. Geek Charming. Penguin/Puffin. (9780142411223 ). 2009.
Dylan’s middle name is “crisis.” It seems to follow her wherever she goes. First she catches her boyfriend staring at another girl. Then her beautiful designer bag takes a swim in a fountain. However, along with crisis comes opportunity, and Dylan’s Beverly Hills world is about to be turned upside-down.
Pierce, Tamora. Melting Stones. Scholastic/Scholastic Press. (9780545052641). 2008.
All life, both plant and animal, on the Battle Islands is mysteriously dying. Stone mage Evvy responds to the islander’s call for help. They need her magic to solve the mystery. Accompanied by her friend and mentor, Luvo, she uncovers the deep secret revealed by the stones and the volcano. Will it be in time to rescue the children?
Scott, Elizabeth. Living Dead Girl. Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse. (9781416960591).2008.
Alice was kidnapped when she was young and is forced to pretend to be a little girl to please Ray. She could never escape and wishes for death. Soon her wish will become true, as she had become too old and now she must find Ray a replacement for her.
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. Eternal. Candlewick Press. (9780763635732). 2009.
Zachary, a guardian angel has, against all rules, fallen in love with his charge. When he sees Miranda sleeping in the shadow of death, his attempt to save her hurls her into life as a vampire princess and exiles him from heaven.
Smith, Sherri L. Flygirl. Penguin/G.P. Putnam’s Sons. (9780399247095). 2009.
Because she wants to fly and to support her soldier brother, 18-year-old Ida May Jones passes for white amidst obstacles of race and gender and joins the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II .
Weingarten, Lynn. Wherever Nina Lies. Scholastic/Point. (9780545066310). 2009.
Two years after 16-year-old Ellie’s older sister, Nina, disappeared, Ellie pieces together clues to her whereabouts and heads out on a road trip that leads to murder and mystery with her hot new boyfriend, Sean.
Werlin, Nancy. Impossible. Penguin/Dial. (978080373001). 2008.
This gentle story details young teen Lucy’s rape and subsequent pregnancy, with an amazingly supportive cast of a faithful boyfriend and loving parents. A fairy tale set in the present, with flashes of realism and romance.
Yee, Lisa. Absolutely Maybe. Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine. (9780439838443). 2009.
Maybe (short for Maybelline, her mother’s favorite mascara) leaves home and heads to California on a mission to find her biological father, and avoid her mother’s planned wedding number seven.

Common hosts book club

Common’s Corner Book Club
Musician Common is running an online book club for teens called The Corner Book Club. Check it out!

Go Donated by American Go Foundation

The American Go Foundation has donated a Go set to the Swampscott Public Library. If you know someone who is interested in playing or starting a Go Club, please contact Sandy, Young Adult Librarian, 781-596-8867.

The latest game craze from Japan is actually a 4,000 year old board game called Go. Thanks to the massive popularity of the Hikaru no Go manga (comic) in Shonen Jump, US kids are flocking to learn this timeless game. Teen Go clubs have formed across the nation.

The rules of Go are so simple they can be taught in a few minutes, but it can take a lifetime to master the game. Go is about five times more complex than Chess and is played professionally in China, Korea and Japan. Players compete for hundreds of thousands of dollars in prize money and big tournaments are televised to rapt international audiences.

Swampscott Library on Facebook

Swampscott Library on Facebook is the library Facebook page. We’ll use it to add events.

Buy a Teen Book & Help the Library!

Thinking of a holiday gift for your favorite teen? Kindly consider supporting the Friends of the Swampscott Public Library by buying Intrigue in the House of Wong from Amazon ($12 with free shipping) or Barnes and NobleBarnes & Noble. The book is also available from local booksellers Cornerstone Books in Salem Cornerstone Booksand The Spirit of ‘76 Bookstore Spirit of ‘76 Bookstore in Marblehead. Copy us on your order and the author, Amy S. Kwei, will donate $3 for each book to the Friends of the Swampscott Public Library.

The book is a fun and fast read that combines Chinese immigration history and elements of Confucian culture to the adventures of kidnap, rescue and inter-racial romance. It also induces dialogue on Stereotyping and prejudice.

For more information see our flyer and a short video.