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Showing posts with label john green. Show all posts
Showing posts with label john green. Show all posts

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Books + YouTube???

Young Adult books have found a new outlet: YouTube! Tons of kids, teens, and adults are reading YA books and posting video reviews in all forms.








Some people have even gone further with book videos. Book trailers are great new ways of giving the plot of a book in a video. Even book publishers are releasing official book trailers! Here are some great examples.... (Can you tell the official trailers from the fan-made ones?)





(Do you have a book trailer or an idea for one? Send it to us!)

It's not just book trailers and reviews that go online. Authors make videos and post them. Some are related to their books (before its release, John Green read chapters of The Fault in Our Stars--and it's hilarious hearing him talk about how cuuuute Augustus Waters is). Other videos are just for the fans. Maggie Stiefvater (who was born in Harrisonburg, thank you very much!) posted a video about how a car looked in her book The Dream Thieves:



One channel, with over 100 million views, is itself a YA book! Nick Hagen and Mercedes Rose released a video series called The Haunting of Sunshine Girl. It's about a girl who finds out she lives in a haunted house--and tries to fight off all the scary, terrible things that happen to her. Now they've adapted it into a book, which was released this month, and the Weinstein Company will be adapting that into a movie series! That's a lot of adapting. Here's the first video of the first season, but--WARNING!--it's a seriously scary series, so watch at your own risk!



And speaking of adaptations on YouTube, check out the Paper Towns trailer (which just released today!!!):



So there you have it: YouTube is the new library. (Just kidding! Please don't stop coming to the library!)
Have fun--and be safe!--on the Interwebs!

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Bonus Post: Paper Towns Movie Poster!!

PAPER TOWNS MOVIE STOP WILL POST UPDATES AS THEY ARE AVAILABLE STOP DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT TELEGRAMS ARE STOP SORRY STOP I'LL STOP

via E! Online

And here's a behind-the-scenes look about the photoshoot, from the director's (Jake Schreier) Instagram--
A video posted by Jake Schreier (@jakeschreier) on

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Snowflakes!

Don't you guys just love snow? Come into the Main branch to make your own snowflakes! I mean, they're made of paper, but they're cool--and we'll put them on display on our bulletin board! We have a few instructions printed out, but for awesome designs, look at samples online!

And speaking of snow, when people say, "No two snowflakes are alike," they're totally right. But they don't mention how incredible snowflakes are up close! Here are some samples from a photographer named Alexey Kljatov (who even teaches you how to photograph snowflakes on his blog!):


Unreal, right?!

And for more snowy weather fun, grab a mug of hot cocoa and settle in with one of these books for snowy days (all of which are available through the library system!):
  • Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle
  • Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
  • Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
  • My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories by Stephanie Perkins, Holly Black, Ally Carter, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Matt de la Pena, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, and Kiersten White
  • Six Months Later by Natalie Richards
  • Starry, Starry Night: Three Holiday Stories by Lurlene McDaniel
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  • Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen
  • The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (we have the graphic novel and audiobook, too!)
  • Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
  • The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa
  • Holiday Princess by Meg Cabot
  • Tug-of-War by J.C. Pearce
  • The Year the Wolves Came by Bebe Faas Rice
  • The Diamond of Darkhold by Jeanne DuPrau
  • Far North by Will Hobbs
  • The Trap by John E. Smelcer
  • Winter On Her Own by Elizabeth Howard
  • Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (or really any HP book; they have great winter scenes)



Thursday, November 20, 2014

Exciting Adaptation News!!

Last night I had a dream that people were turning YA books into TV series and I could watch an in-depth, (hopefully) accurate adaptation of an awesome book series.

OH, WAIT! It's actually going to happen!!1!

Netflix is going to turn A Series of Unfortunate Events into an online series!! A VP at Netflix said: "The world created by Lemony Snicket is unique, darkly funny and relatable. We can't wait to bring it to life"!!! 

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!!!

Netflix is also in the works to create four Marvel series and a mini-series starring Daredevil!!
 
And Mortal Instruments is going to become a TV series, too! A producer from one of the movie adaptations for MI praised the new showrunner, saying, "We wanted someone who shares our passion and love for these characters and stories." That's an awesome sign! Hopefully they'll take a lot of care to get it right!

Speaking of movie adaptations, John Green has been posting photos, videos, and teasers for the Paper Towns movie. Can it be released already?!
A photo posted by John Green (@johngreenwritesbooks) on



Also here are some awesome trailers for YA movie adaptations. (If you're going to see THG: Mockingjay Part 1 this weekend, let us know how it is! Comment with your review.)



Thursday, October 2, 2014

"Can You Get Too Old For YA Novels?"

The Denver Post published an article called "More Adults Than Youths Are Reading Young Adult Fiction." If so many adults are reading YA, that makes us wonder why they're interested in books targeted toward a younger audience.

Here are some reasons we've compiled as to why adults are reading YA:
  • Young adult author John Green wrote an article for Cosmopolitan--yeah, you read that right--about the YA phenomenon across age groups. Green contends that the YA genre is so appealing to other age groups because the books contain "unironic emotional honesty."
  • Alyssa Rosenberg wrote in the Washington Post that some adults are "highly engaged readers, and are simply adding YA novels to other categories of books they read."
  • Rosenberg also believes that even YA novels with unhappy endings prepare us for the blow better than adult novels.
  • Others believe YA books are popular because it's a chance for adults to recapture their glory days.
  • Another reason could be that YA books are more abundant, popular, and relatable today than before. Even though YA pioneers like Judy Blume, Madeleine L'Engle, and even Mark Twain did wonders for teen lit, the YA genre is booming now.
  • A staff member here believes it's a form of escapism; adults like to forget their adult-ish problems and focus on a YA character.
  • Some parents also like to read what their YA children are reading as a way of connecting to them. (Remember that episode of Parks and Rec about the dad who reads Twilight with his daughter?)
  • In the comment section of this CNN article, one reader sums it up: "A good book is a good book regardless of its intended audience."

What do you think? If you're a young adult, why do you believe adults love the genre more than ever before? If you're an adult, why do you love to read YA books? Comment with your opinion!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Children's/YA Movie Adaptations!! (Masterpost)

There are so many YA movie adaptations hitting screens. Before we begin, I'll just say: SPOILER ALERT. Now, let's break it up by book:

The Giver - in theaters now!


If I Stay - in theaters now!
  • Here are some observations about If I Stay and why it did/didn't work. **Spoiler alert!


The Maze Runner - release date: September 19, 2014


The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 - release date: November 21, 2014



Movies in production:
Available now:
  • The Fault in Our Stars
  • Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
  • Divergent
  • Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters
  • How I Live Now
  • THG & Catching Fire
  • Beautiful Creatures
  • The Book Thief
  • The Spectacular Now
  • Where the Red Ferns Grow
  • The Golden Compass
  • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (in the Juvenile section)
  • Old Yeller (in the Juvenile section)
  • White Fang (in the Juvenile section)
  • Treasure Island (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Percy Jackson movies
  • The Host
  • Inkheart (in the Juvenile section)
  • Jumanji (in the Easy section)
  • The Polar Express (in the Easy section)
  • Shrek (in the Easy section)
  • Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (in the Easy section)
  • Madeline (in the Easy section)
  • The Perks of Being a Wallflower
  • The Neverending Story
  • How I Live Now
  • Mary Poppins (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Borrowers (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Seeker
  • Tuck Everlasting
  • Matilda (in the Juvenile section)
  • James and the Giant Peach (in the Juvenile section)
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Witches (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Wizard of Oz (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Lord of the Flies
  • Tiger Eyes
  • The Outsiders
  • Coraline
  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (in the Juvenile section)
  • Around the World in 80 Days (in the Juvenile section)
  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (in the Juvenile section)
  • I Am Number Four
  • The Hobbit movies (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Lord of the Rings series
  • A Series of Unfortunate Events (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Twilight series
  • Youth in Revolt
  • The Adventures of Tin-Tin (in the Juvenile section)
  • City of Ember
  • Stardust
  • Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
  • Bridge to Terabithia (in the Juvenile section)
  • A Little Princess (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Secret Garden (in the Juvenile section)
  • Little Women (in the Juvenile section)
  • Spiderwick
  • Charlotte's Web (in the Juvenile section)
  • Howl's Moving Castle
  • The Indian in the Cupboard (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movies
  • Eragon
  • The Princess Diaries movies
  • I Know What You Did Last Summer
  • The Neverending Story
  • Marvel movies
  • DC Comics movies
  • The Harry Potter series (in the Juvenile section)
  • Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (in the Juvenile section)
  • The Chronicles of Narnia movies (in the Juvenile section)
  • ...and tons more! Check out the books, then watch the movies!

Also, check out this list of YA books that should be turned into movies! What are your thoughts? Want to see your fave YA book on the big screen? Comment with your suggestions!

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Authors Sort Their Characters Into Hogwarts Houses!

At LeakyCon last weekend, BuzzFeed asked famous YA authors to sort some of their characters into Hogwarts houses, and the results are amazing. The photos are here (and the drawings are hilarious--I mean, let's just say that some of these authors should stick to writing *ahem*JohnGreenGayleForman*ahem*), but I'll type them up here:

John Green (The Fault in Our Stars)
Augustus Waters - Ravenclaw
Hazel Grace Lancaster - Gryffindor

John Green (Looking For Alaska)
Alaska - Ravenclaw
Pudge - Hufflepuff

Gayle Forman (If I Stay)
Mia - Gryffindor
Kim - Ravenclaw
Adam - Gryffindor

Rainbow Rowell (Eleanor & Park)
Eleanor - Gryffindor

Rainbow Rowell (Fangirl)
Levi - Hufflepuff

Holly Black (Magisterium: The Iron Trial)
Callum Hunt - Slytherin

Holly Black (The Coldest Girl in Coldtown)
Gavriel - Gryffindor

Holly Black (The Darkest Part of the Forest)
Hazel - Hufflepuff

Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss)
Anna - Ravenclaw
Etienne St. Clair - Gryffindor

Stephanie Perkins (Lola and the Boy Next Door)
Lola - Gryffindor
Cricket Bell - Hufflepuff

Stephanie Perkins (Isla and the Happily Ever After)
Isla - Ravenclaw
Josh - Ravenclaw

Scott Westerfield (Uglies)
Shay - Slytherin
David - Gryffindor
Tally - Gryffindor

Lev Grossman (The Magicians)
Julia - Ravenclaw
Janet - Slytherin
Quentin - Ravenclaw
Alice - Gryffindor


So what do you think?? Are there any that you agree with? What about ones that you disagree with? Comment with your suggestions for characters they didn't sort!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Adaptation News!!!

THERE'S A MOCKINGJAY PART 1 TEASER THAT'S SO AMAZING IT MAKES ME WANT TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS.


"PANEM TODAY, PANEM TOMORROW, PANEM FOREVER."

Wow, guys. This is going to be great. Which reminds me...

I've been speculating with people about where the first part of Mockingjay is going to end. It's not like the book is easily broken into parts. Where do you think they're going to end Mockingjay Part 1? Comment with your thoughts.
*Note: This makes the comment section definitely a spoiler zone! Watch out for that!

Also, if you haven't heard already, John Green broke some major news on his Twitter last night:
For those of you keeping tally of John Green movie adaptations:
TFiOS: Check
LfA: They're working on it
Paper Towns: Other people are working on it
An Abundance of Katherines: Some other people might be working on that one, too? There have been rumors.

So if you like John Green's books, this is a really good week for you.

And finally, we've all been totally excited for the addition to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios--and totally jealous of anyone who's lucky enough to visit. But now you can see what it's all about! Slash Film offers us an insight into Diagon Alley with tons of detailed pics of the decor, props, and even food & drinks! Take a look around and enjoy--and get ready for the Harry Potter Birthday Party we're throwing here at the library on July 31 (more details to follow)!

Thursday, June 5, 2014

LAST TFIOS Movie Entry, Okay?? (...Okay.)

This is it, you guys. The TFIOS movie is coming out this week. My expectations are so high, they are going to come crashing to the ground if it isn't perfect. But as John Green said in his vlog, he doesn't get a cut from the movie, and if he didn't like it he would say so, and he loves it, so that's a good sign.

So to get you psyched for the premiere, here are some links you may want to check out:

  • In case you're lucky enough to traverse far and wide, you can see TFIOS tonight instead of Friday! It's called The Night Before Our Stars, and it includes a simulcast with the cast/crew/author, live performances by Birdy and Nat & Alex Wolff, and gifts, such as a charm bracelet and poster. Attendees will also get to see John Green's cameo, which was famously cut from the film. (Or some theaters, like the Harrisonburg Regal 14, are doing "midnight" showings at around 9:00 PM, without all the fancy stuff. Still! The movie!)
  • BuzzFeed has been obsessed with TFIOS. Here are 8 cool facts about the book/movie that you may not have known! (For example, did you know the "I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once" line was inspired by Hemingway?)
  • Ansel, Shai, and John drew what they thought love looked like, and the results are adorkable.


  • John Green was recently featured in The New Yorker. The article is long because it follows him around as he does a lot of what he does in his life--and he has a lot going on, obviously--but if you read anything, skip to the bottom and read from the giant O to the end. It describes a video chat that John has with a group of kids who happen to have cancer. I don't want to tell you much about it, except that they have questions you might have about the book/movie and he answers them, so you might get some resolution (or not).
  • This movie reviewer from the Chicago Sun-Times says Shailene Woodley should get an Oscar for TFIOS. Wow.
  • Finally, after you watch TFIOS and want some more books to read this summer (because, you know, you need to get your hours in for the SUMMER READING GAMES), here's a suggested list of 17 books you may also like!

Thursday, May 22, 2014

TFIOS (again) + X-MEN!!

For those of you who can't wait to see X-Men: Days of Future Past this weekend, but don't know where the characters stand, don't worry! This article from the Huffington Post will catch you up.

And did you honestly think I was going to make a blog post without mentioning TFIOS? This other article from HuffPost compares The Fault in Our Stars soundtrack to The Breakfast Club, in terms of defining a generation. What do you think?? Does the newly released TFIOS soundtrack define Gen Y/Z? Comment below!

EDIT: Also, Brilliance Audio is having a great John Green sale. All books by him (+ This Star Won't Go Out by Esther Earl, the real-life inspiration for TFIOS's protagonist, Hazel Grace Lancaster) for only $9.99!

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

TFIOS Livestream Event TONIGHT!



You guys, so much TFIOS stuff has been happening lately. First of all, the TFIOS folks have been going on a nationwide tour screening and promoting The Fault in Our Stars movie. There have been lots of screaming fans, adorable moments, and definitely tears. My fave photo so far: Ansel Elgort and Nat Wolff recreating the poster.
From John Green's Instagram

Also,
  • Some more tracks have appeared from the soundtrack. Notable music videos:
  • People have been having #littleinfinities parties and the details are SO CUTE, you guys.
  • From iconosquare.com
  • This happened:
  • Okay, so the most squee-inducing thing was that the TFIOS movie created Instagram accounts for Gus and Hazel.

    I KNOW, RIGHT?! Their instagram accounts are here and here, and They're so heart-wrenching. Gah. These producers, man. Can you imagine what they're going to do for Paper Towns?? Road trip IGs for Q and Crew?
  • Also, there will be a livestream concert/Q&A TONIGHT at 9 PM EST! You can submit questions via Twitter and Shailene/Ansel/Nat/John might answer them LIVE! Watch here!

Thursday, April 17, 2014

If I Stay + TFIOS News!

The trailer for If I Stay was released this week and it looks awesome! (Although we think it should have ended halfway through, but...wishful thinking.) Check it out for yourself below, then check out the book from the library!


The TFIOS metaphor scene debuted at the MTV Movie Awards and stirred up a little controversy. BUT, before you watch the clip, know that the award show cut out two minutes from what's going to be in the movie. So reserve final judgement!


Now, the controversy was that people thought Augustus was pretentious in the clip. Uh, yeah, that's how Gus was in the beginning of the book. John Green defended him, saying:

Gus wants to have a big and important and remembered life, and so he acts like he imagines people who have such lives act. So he’s, like, says-soliloquy-when-he-means-monologue pretentious, which is the most pretentious variety of pretension in all the world. 
And then his performative, over-the-top, hyper-self-aware pretentiousness must fall away for him to really connect to Hazel, just as her fear of being a grenade must fall away. That’s what the novel is about. That is its plot.
People also complained about the clip's flow, saying it was too choppy. We turn now to director Josh Boone:
Feel better now? Now, let's get to the cool stuff. If you have a Tumblr, you can Demand Our Stars. Reblog your state's post and the most popular posts will get special visits from Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, and John Green! You only have until April 25, so if you have a Tumblr, get to reblogging!

Oh yeah, and it's National Library Week, in case you didn't know! Enjoy this quote from Neil Gaiman. We know we do!
It's still National Library Week. You should be especially nice to a librarian today, or tomorrow. Sometime this week, anyway. Probably the librarians would like tea. Or chocolates. Or a reliable source of funding.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Paper Towns Movie!

Good news for John Green fans! His YA novel Paper Towns is finally being turned into a movie! I say finally because in 2008 he announced via his YouTube channel Vlogbrothers that the movie rights were bought by Mandate Pictures and Mr. Mudd (together they made Juno) and he wrote a screenplay, but then in 2010 he sounded pessimistic about the film moving forward. But on Monday he announced that the film rights were bought by 20th Century Fox and it would have the same "team" that is making The Fault in Our Stars. (That "team," by the way, consists of screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, producer Wyck Godfrey, and the same studio.) Oh, plus John Green's going to be an executive producer, too, and did I mention that Nat Wolff, who's playing Isacc in TFiOS, is playing Q in Paper Towns?!

via hypable.com
So what would the rest of your Paper Towns dreamcast look like? Would you keep it in the TFiOS family or get some new blood? Comment with your options for Margo, Ben, Radar, and Lacey!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Are Books Still Being Banned?

YA Author John Green posted on his Tumblr today about a teacher in Colorado who wants to start an elective course in YA literature for grades 10-12. The list of books on her curriculum has been challenged by a group of parents who consider the books to be "profane, pornographic, violent, criminal, crass, crude, vile, and will result in the irreparable erosion of my students’ moral character."

Here's a link to John Green's Tumblr post.

Here's the list of books:
  1. Feed by M.T. Anderson
  2. Thinner Than Thou by Kit Reed
  3. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
  4. Uglies by Scott Westerfield
  5. Taken by Erin Bowman
  6. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
  7. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
  8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
  9. Will Grayson, will grayson by John Green and David Levithan
  10. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
  11. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
  12. Paper Towns by John Green
  13. If I Stay by Gayle Forman
  14. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
  15. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
  16. Looking for Alaska by John Green
  17. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
  18. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
  19. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Have you read any of these books? Could you compare them to any other books from any other banned book lists? Do you agree with the group of parents? Discuss!

UPDATE: John Green posted on his Twitter that the School Board has voted to allow the teacher to go ahead with the proposed list of books. He adds:

Thursday, January 30, 2014

The Fault in Our Stars Trailer

Check out the TFIOS trailer for John Green's award winning YA novel. Then see the movie, coming out June 6. Be sure to read the book first! Okay? Okay.