YA teens

The ALA Public Programs Office and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) are now accepting applications for the next round of Great Stories CLUB  grants. Electronic applications for the reading and discussion series will be accepted through November 19 at www.ala.org/greatstories. Funding was provided for this program by Oprah’s Angel Network.

The Great Stories CLUB (Connecting Libraries, Underserved teens and Books) is a book club program designed to reach underserved, troubled teen populations through books that are relevant to their lives. All types of libraries (public, school, academic and special) located within or working in partnership with facilities serving troubled teens in the United States and its territories are eligible to apply for a Great Stories CLUB grant. Potential organizations for Great Stories CLUB partnership include juvenile justice facilities, drug rehabilitation centers, nonprofits serving teen parents, alternative high schools, agencies serving teenaged foster children, shelters serving homeless and runaway youth and other agencies. For tips on creating a partnership, visit www.ala.org/greatstories.

The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest is here to help!

The Great Scavenger Hunt Contest (www.kaycassidy.com/hunt/) is a brand-new, super easy, totally FREE outreach program for teen and youth librarians.  The program is open to librarians in the U.S. and Canada, in public libraries and school libraries alike.  It offers year-round free programming that'll keep your readers coming back to the library for more.

Over 120 YA and middle grades authors have created a 10-question scavenger hunt (i.e. super fun trivia quiz) for one or more of their books.  Scavenger hunts include questions like "What was the color of Moe’s hideous car?" or "What is Gemma's favorite comfort food?"  Every scavenger hunt also has a special note from the author to give it a personal touch.