BITS AND BRAMBLES

It’s winter, Bits and Bramblers! Kind of, anyway. I mean…we may not have a lot of snow and subzero temperatures (hurrah!) but the days are still short, and you have to wear a coat. So…in my opinion? Perfect movie watching weather. Take a look at these movies, which are coming soon to a theater near you!

First up, Big Miracle. The movie, about three whales trapped behind solid sheets of ice in Alaska, is based on a true story. It stars Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski, and you can catch it February 3rd:
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Next up, it’s The Lorax. Honestly…who wouldn’t love a movie based on an awesome Dr. Seuss book you loved as a kid? Especially when you’ve got people like Ed Helms and Zack Efron doing the voices? You can catch this one when it opens March 2nd:
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Last but not least, it’s Mirror Mirror. The Evil Queen is played by Julia Roberts! In my opinion, you should avoid apples and stick to snacking on popcorn when this movie opens March 16th:
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No Comments | In: General Chatter, Pop Culture, Television/Movies | tags: General Chatter, Pop Culture, Television/Movies. | #

HAPPY NEW YEAR, BITS AND BRAMBLERS!

I hope you had fun saying goodbye to 2011 and ringing in 2012. But before we forget about 2011 completely, let’s talk about THE BEST TEEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR!

As promised, our staff and Teen Advisory Board picked their favorite books of the year…and here they are!
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So…did your favorite make the list? What books are you looking forward to reading in 2012? Don’t be shy, Bits and Bramblers…let us know in the comments!

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Okay, Bits and Bramblers…we are definitely in the season. Have you done your shopping? Decked your halls? Baked your gingerbread? ‘Cause like I said, it’s definitely the season. And it’s the SEASON OF GIVING!

Because while you’ve giving gifts to all your friends and family, it’s always good to give a little to those in need, right? And it’s easier than you think. You can…

• Go to FreeRice. All you have to do is answer some easy trivia questions on English vocabulary, math, geography, and lots of other subjects. For every correct answer, ten grains of rice will be donated to the people that need it the most. And you get smarter. That’s what we call a win-win
• Check out FreeKibble (because animals need our help, too!) This site is a lot like FreeRice, with one minor difference–it doesn’t matter if you’re right or wrong. All you have to do is answer a trivia question, and ten pieces of Kibble will be donated to animal shelters to help feed hungry dogs. After all, nobody deserves to be hungry over the holidays, not even our furry friends.
• Head over to the Bread Art Project They give you a piece of virtual bread, and you decorate–or toast it–any way you like. Submit your bread art, and if it’s approved, the Grain Foods Foundation will donate a dollar to Share Our Strength, an awesome organization dedicated to ending Childhood Hunger. And what’s not to love about turning bread into art?!
• Shift your gift! It’s pretty much exactly like it sounds. Try Shift My Gift! After you get your parents’ permission, you can create a profile, picking different nonprofit organizations that are important to you. Then your friends and family can make donations…and shift your gift!
• Give back to the Mansfield community. Get your parent’s permission, and make a donation to the Richland County United Way. Every year, the United Way has a holiday fundraiser to help throughout the year. So far, they’ve raised about 57% of their goal…and you still have time to help them reach it, and make a difference here in Richland County!

…See? Told you it was easy. And nothing makes you feel quite so good as helping another person, right? But no matter who you help, or what you do…have a safe and happy holiday season, Bits and Bramblers!

No Comments | In: General Chatter, Getting Involved, Holidays | tags: General Chatter, Getting Involved, Holidays. | #

No Comments | In: Books, General Chatter, Holidays | tags: Books, General Chatter, Holidays. | #

…and all through the (NOUN) not a (TYPE OF ANIMAL) was stirring, not even a…

You see we’re going with this, right?

Good. Because let’s be honest, Bits and Bramblers, fill-in-the-blanks games are awesome. And always, always funny. It might be the only thing in the universe that makes adjectives and adverbs fun. Next to old school School House Rock, obviously.

And because fill-in-the-blanks games are so awesome, we’ve created the ‘TWAS THE __________ BEFORE CHRISTMAS CONTEST!

Thaaaaat’s right, all you have to do is pick up an entry form at your faaaaaavorite library during the month of December, fill it out, and turn it in to your faaaaaaavorite librarian. Not only does that automatically enter you to win FREE GIFT CERTIFICATES TO CINEMARK, but you might see your very own Fill-in-the-Blank story here @ Bits and Brambles!

So…what are you waiting for, Bits and Bramblers? Head to your (ADJECTIVE) library in December and grab a (NOUN) and get writing!

Oh, and…not that you need it or anything (because you, Bits and Bramblers, are all wicked smart,) but just in case you don’t have your English book with you, here’s a refresher course in the parts of speech, so you’re not getting your adverbs and action verbs all tangled. Okay, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I think you’re ready. So get ready to fill in the blanks for your chance to win!

No Comments | In: Contests, General Chatter, Holidays, Library Programs | tags: Contest, General Chatter, Holidays, Library Programs. | #

Okay, so a couple weeks ago, I posted the the trailer for reading The Hunger Games movie, and admitted that I…er…hadn’tactuallyreadthemoranything.

A lot can change in a couple weeks though, and now I’ve read my way through the trilogy. And yes, once I got past the first few chapters, I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND I DIDN’T CARE ABOUT STUPID THINGS LIKE WORK OR SLEEP, ONLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THE BOOK. Now I know my districts from my tributes, and I quickly found a favorite character (other than Katniss, of course. What can I say? I love Peeta. Sue me,) and I have to admit, all I can say is…wow. I mean, just…wow. You Hunger Games fans weren’t kidding, were you?

And now I’m totally excited for the new movie…I mean, I was excited when I had absolutely no idea what was going on, but now that I know the story? I can’t wait. I’ve started playing what if, like you do when a book you love gets turned into a movie—what will Cinna’s “Girl on Fire” dress look like? How creepy is the arena going to be? And will we see Peeta and Katniss in the cave (please? please?!)

Luckily, we have this handy dandy OMG SO AWESOME countdown widget to tell us EXACTLY how much time we have left. Okay, fellow Hunger Games fans (’cause I’m so totally one of you now,) what do you want to see in the movie?!
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No Comments | In: Books, General Chatter, Pop Culture, Television/Movies | tags: Books, General Chatter, pop c, Television/Movies. | #

Thaaaat’s right, Bits and Bramblers, it’s Thanksgiving! Time for turkey, pumpkin pie, shopping in the middle of the night, and a whole bunch of other traditions that make this time of year awesome.

But the most important thing, though, is right in the name. Thanksgiving. It really is time for everybody to think about all the little things they have to be thankful for…and that includes your faaaaaavorite library.

Know what we’re most thankful for? Guess…
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That’s right, it’s you! You’re one of the things we’re most thankful for this year.

Know what else we’re thankful for (other than you? You being the most important thing we’re thankful for?) We’re thankful for funny YouTube videos. Now, I know I post this every year, but…that’s because it makes me laugh, every year. John Madden and Christopher Walken as pilgrims? Never not funny. Never. Not. Funny.
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…See? Even if you’ve seen it before, you’re laughing again, aren’t you? You totally want to grab some Bric-a-Brac, or some action figures, and act out the first Thanksgiving. And I totally, totally think you should.

But no matter what you do…Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving, Bits and Bramblers!

No Comments | In: General Chatter, Holidays, Pop Culture, viral Videos | tags: General Chatter, Holidays, Pop Culture, viral Videos. | #

…Seriously, you should really see this.

But before you do, I have a quick admission to make, Bits and Bramblers. See, I’ve written some posts about The Hunger Games before. I’ve talked to tons of librarians and a lot of you who lovelovelovelovelove the series, and they all want to talk to me about it, kind of…automatically assuming that I’ve read it, too.

Which…I…er…haven’t. Okay, here’s the thing. I started reading The Hunger Games, and I totally finished the first few chapters. It’s just that…it didn’t suck me in, you know? It wasn’t the kind of book I had to KEEP READING because I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND I DIDN’T CARE ABOUT STUPID THINGS LIKE WORK OR SLEEP, ONLY WHAT HAPPENED IN THE BOOK. Also, a lot of you were waiting to read or re-read it, so I couldn’t renew it, and I just…you know…never picked it back up. So I’ve totally been…well “lying” is kind of harsh. Let’s just say I’ve been “faking enthusiasm” for a book series I’ve never read.

And then I saw this. OMG, HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? YOU HAVE TO SEE!
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Is this what I’ve been missing?! Is this why you all love it so much?! I was practically biting my nails for Katniss, and I don’t even really understand what’s going on! So…guess what, Bits and Bramblers? Looks like I’m giving The Hunger Games one more try.

So…are you a big Hunger Games fan? Be honest…what am I getting myself into?! Should I be prepared for anything? I heard that a bunch of characters called “tributes” die, is that true? Should I have Kleenex on hand when I read? And more importantly…what do you think of the trailer?!

No Comments | In: Books, General Chatter, Pop Culture, Television/Movies | tags: Books, General Chatter, Pop Culture, Television/Movies. | #

…If so, then it’s definitely the day for you. After all, it’s I Love to Write Day! (Which might not be as…let’s say…Chocolate Cupcake Day. But who says you can’t eat chocolate cupcakes while you’re writing? No one. That’s who. No. one.)

And speaking of writing…did you know that I Love to Write Day falls right in the middle of National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo, which is much more fun to say?) That’s right, every November, writers everywhere devote themselves to writing an entire novel in the month of November. Know what? I’m just going to let John Green explain. While playing video games. Which is awesome.
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So…the bad thing is that November is half over, so it might be a little late to start NaNoWriMo. Unless you want to, that is. Unless you have a great idea for a novel, and then every month can be NaNoWriMo. And every day can be I Love to Write Day. And don’t forget…your library is here for you everyday, full of books on how to write, and (obviously) full of novels and stories and movies to inspire you. So what are you waiting for, Bits and Brambers? Grab some cupcakes (yay!) and start writing!

No Comments | In: General Chatter, Holidays | tags: General Chatter, Holidays. | #

,,,HAAAAAAAAAAPY HALLOWEEN, BITS AND BRAMBLERS! Are you wearing costumes? Are you eating candy? (because let’s face it, that is the most important thing about this holiday. Seriously. It’s about pretending to be someone else and asking people to give you candy. It’s pretty much the most awesome day of the year, right?)

But if you’re too old to trick or treat (and you have to get candy in a totally boring way, like…going to the store and paying for it, or something,) then…what is there to do on Halloween? Well…you could visit your faaaaaaaavorite library!

Seriously…it’s scarier than you might think. Check it out:
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Now…what are you waiting for Bits and Bramblers? Head to your favorite library to grab some spooky stories, eat some candy, and HAVE A VERY SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

No Comments | In: General Chatter, Holidays, viral Videos | tags: General Chatter, Holidays, viral Videos. | #