My Zombie Form

Vampires were so 2008, while Zombies are so 2009.

Have a little fun and "zombify yourself."

Toy Story

Ever wonder what inanimate objects would do if they could move around? Flickr user Stefan created an internet sensation with this concept in his flickr set Stormtroopers 365. Each day he takes a picture of two stormtroopers enjoying their free time away from Darth Vader.

I wonder if the stormtroopers checked out their manga book from their local library...

Do you tweet?

Demi Lovato does and so do her Camp Rock costars, the Jonas Brothers!

Here's one of Demi's most recent tweets:

Looks like I'll be trick-or-treating in a hotel this year somewhere on the east coast.... What to wear, what to wear...3:46 PM Sep 15th from web

And not to forget the JoBros, here is a tweet from today, honoring their brother Nick:

Happy Birthday to our bro' Nick J!! We love you man, many more to come!!!! - Joe and Kevinabout 3 hours ago from web

The Clique: Teen Queen DS

If you love The Clique series by Lisi Harrison, then you’ll want to check out the soon to be released Nintendo DS game from Gorilla Systems. Slated for an Autumn 2009 premier, The Clique: Teen Queen will allow users to take on the role of the new girl at school and compete in a bunch of challenges to climb the social ladder. For more information, visit the official site. You can also download lots of cool freebies like ringtones and wallpapers!

Vote Now!

You may not have been old enough to vote in last year's election, but you can still have your opinion heard. Below are two on-going award campaigns that are waiting for your vote.

Books
Polls are now open for the Teens' Top Ten 2009! Click here to go to the ballot and select three of your favorite titles. We will post the results here, so stay tuned!

Movies

Spike TV is looking for voters to honor their favorite science fiction, fantasy, horror movie actors, actresses, movies and comics with the 2009 SCREAM awards. Some literary favorites are among the nominees, such as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Twilight and slew of comic/graphic novel titles.

School Shopping

Need some new school duds? Why not take some inspiration from your
favorite book and tv characters this season! Some lines to be on the
lookout for include:

The new Miley Cyrus/Max Azaria line now available at Walmart will
feature a variety of leggings, tie-dyed camisoles and lots of basic
tees.

The Jonas Brothers have a line aptly called “JONAS” that mixes prep
school style with a rocker twist. It is avaliable at J.C. Penney,
Kmart, Sears, Wal-Mart and Target.

A line inspired by “Wizards of Waverly Place” will feature boho chic
tunic tops and miniskirts. Most of the fashions will be available at
Kmart, Sears and Target.

Beyonce has a collection for teens through her Sasha Fierce collection
that will be sold exclusively at Macys.

“Mad Style for True Jackson” is inspired by the Nickelodeon hit and
has items designed by the star, Jane Siskin. Sold at Wal-Mart, this
line will feature a wide array of jean styles.

Love Gossip Girl? Target will be selling a line inspired by the show
from September 13-October 17.

Twilight: New Moon apparel will drop in Nordstrom’s on October and
will feature clothing all of the main characters would wear.

Guilty Pleasure Music

This time tomorrow my tween cousin and I will be on my way to the Taylor Swift concert. And I’m trying to keep a pretty low profile about it. Why? Because Taylor Swift is what I would define as a guilty pleasure. You know, those songs that you blast when you’re alone but would never admit to liking in public?

I started thinking about some of my other guilty pleasures and have compiled a playlist of sorts. Sadly these six tunes appear on my iPod and are on frequent play. All of these songs are available through your library for no charge. And don’t worry. They have plenty of other music available you won’t be embarrassed to listen to in front of your friends!

Song Title: Wannabee
Artist: The Spice Girls

Song Title: Dress You Up
Artist: Madonna

Song Title: Kiss Me Deadly
Artist: Lita Ford

Song Title: The Final Countdown
Artist: Europe

Song Title: It’s Not Unusual
Artist: Tom Jones

Song Title: Right Now
Artist: Van Halen

What's your greatest guilty pleasure?

DVD Alert: Disaster Flicks

I know most people get their thrills from roller coasters in the summer but when I’m looking for an adrenaline rush, I love to hit up the library’s DVDs. I’m pretty much obsessed with disaster flicks, especially those old school films that rely less on special effects and more on tapping into the fear of the unknown and dread of the expected. These films may have been made years ago, but they definitely hold up. Below is a list of my top five favorite disaster flicks. And the best part? You can check them out and it won’t cost you a thing! So the next time you’re looking for a reason to stay in the air conditioning, pop in one of these bad boys. You won’t be disappointed!

5. The Swarm
The premise is pretty simple really: a swarm of killer bees attack the United States. But what makes this disaster flick so irresistible is the clichés and ridiculous dialogue. If you prefer humor in your disaster films, look no further.

4. Earthquake
While earthquakes and their aftermath are pretty standard fare these days, check out the movie that started it all. Charlton Heston leads a ragtag group as they try to deal with the aftermath of an earthquake that has leveled Los Angeles.

3. Poseidon
Although I still have a special fondness for the over the top acting of the original film, the Poseidon Adventure, this remake stands apart for its excellent action sequences. On New Year’s Eve is capsized by a wave trapping a group of people beneath the sea. Their only hope of survival is making their way to the water’s surface- a task made more difficult by fires, flooding and falling debris.

2. The Andromeda Strain
Based on the best selling novel by Michael Crichton, the last ten minutes of this film will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. The story starts as a remote village in New Mexico is contaminated by a satellite crash. When scientists discover the origin of the deadly matter, everything starts to unravel.

1. The Towering Inferno
On the night of its dedication, a raging fire breaks out in the world’s tallest skyscraper trapping all of the party goers inside. Paul Newman and Steve McQueen lead this all star cast with some of the most quotable film lines ever. I still think of this film every time I enter a building over five stories tall!

Upcoming Program at WGL

This Saturday we are having the first annual Teen Summer Writing Festival at the Watchung Library. There will be a variety of different writers offering mini presentations, workshops and fun writing games to help combat writer's block and allow you to Express Yourself @ your library this summer! For more information on the program details, check out the flyer below.

Miranda Cosgrove Visits Bridgewater Mall!

Attention all iCarly fans! According to Miranda Cosgrove’s official Twitter page and website, she will be at the Bridgewater Commons Mall on September13, 2009 at 12:00PM signing autographs at the Aeropostale store!

The 99: Superheroes You Need to Know

Move over Batman and Spiderman, the 99 are coming! Word has it that the world’s first Muslim Superheroes, the 99, are headed to British television screens as early as next year. Created by Dr. Naif al-Mutawa to counter Jihadist role models, characters include a burka-clad woman named Batina the Hidden and a Saudi Arabian Hulk-type man named Jabbar the Powerful. The show is called the 99 because each character (yes that means 99 characters!) possesses one of Allah’s 99 attributes. Given that Forbes magazine just listed the 99 as one of the top 20 trends sweeping the globe, many eyes will be on the series to gauge its potential crossover appeal with western viewers.

To read more media coverage of the new British show, visit the 99!

TV Alert: Project Runway

After what seems like decades of legal wrangling, the sixth season of Project Runway finally drops tonight at its new home on Lifetime. Time will tell how much spandex and glitter will fall victim to this current crop of designers. In the meantime, bust out your best dress crafted from produce and check out these books guaranteed to unleash your inner fashion diva!

Title: Influence
Authors: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

Title: The 1980s and 1990s
Author: Deidre Clancy Steer

Title: Careers for Fashion Plates & Other Trendsetters
Author: Lucia Mauro

What's happening at WGL

Last night in the kitchen of the Watchung Library, three of our teens had a blast creating candy sushi as part of a new monthly program called Teen Cafe. Take a peek at the cooking process and see the artistic snack they made!

What would sushi be without sticky rice? Observe our teens rolling out freshly made rice krispie treats to begin the sushi process:

Here you can see our teens wrapping their "sticky rice" with fruit roll-ups:

And voila! Candy sushi, complete with some Swedish Fish:

Interested in coming to the next Teen Cafe? Join us in Watchung next month and learn how to make chocolate-dipped peanut butter pretzel sandwiches!

Need a new look?

Thought of all the ways you could possibly Express Yourself this summer? Think again! Try mixing up the way you tie your shoelaces with these neat instructions.

Anyone that has read Scott Westerfield's So Yesterday can tell you that funky shoelaces are a great way to get noticed.

Did you hear?

The N, known for it's television programming for teens, will be changing their name to TeenNick starting September 28th. Here is an excerpt from their FAQ page:

Is it true that The N is going to turn into TeenNick?

Man, you are on top of this stuff! Here's what's up: This fall The N is going to change its name to TeenNick. That's all. We'll still have the same awesome shows, an awesome website, and Degrassi... we'll just have a different name and logo. We might change how things look but not how things are. The same people are still gonna work here. Basically everything here will have the same spirit, attitude, and audience that it does right now; it's just going to be called TeenNick.

Can't get enough Twilight?

Then good thing it's coming out in graphic novel format! Entertainment Weekly reports that Stephanie Meyer is working closely with the artist Young Kim to ensure this next adventure for her saga meets her vision.

Here is a sneak peak at a frame (sans dialogue):

New Moon Trailer

Check out the trailer for New Moon:
http://www.newmoonmovie.org/trailer/

Mark Your Calendars

The release date for the movie version of "Twilight" has been moved up to Friday, Nov. 21. Do you think it will be the No. 1 movie of the weekend? How much do you think it will make? Do you plan to see it?

Teen Book Review: Payback by Paul Langan

(also published as The Gun)

Payback is a very fascinating book, if you like realistic fiction. The Payback is a book about a boy name Tyray Hobbs who, if you ask me, is a really stupid boy who likes to get in lot of trouble. Last year, a little boy name Darrell learned to face up and decided to take down Tyray Hobbs. Following with his bullying behavior, the reader learns that he has family problems. I wouldn’t want to cause any more problems for myself, if you hear what I’m saying. I wouldn’t make a lot of trouble or do hateful things to people because it may turn back to bite you.

-by Maddy

City of Ember Movie

The movie version of popular novel by Jeanne DuPrau is due out in October. Check out the trailer at http://www.cityofember.com/