Learning | 5, 6, 7, Nate!

I spent my evenings this week listening to an audiobook for tweens. You know, tweens, those people who are no longer small children, but not quite teenagers yet (never mind not quite being adult yet.)  

The main characters in Five, Six, Seven, Nate! are thirteen years old.  The narrator of this story is Nathan (Nate) Foster, a theater geek who is leaving home to appear in his first Broadway musical. Okay, so he'll be playing Alien Number Seven, not actually starring in ET: The Musical, but, still! This could be his big break.

After Nate says goodbye to his best friend (and fellow theater nerd) Libby, he arrives on the first day of rehearsals to find that practically everybody else in the production has professional experience.

Five, Six, Seven, Nate gives us a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes production of a Broadway musical, and the large number of (often interesting) people involved in making a show happen.

I listened to the audio version of this book, because it was honored by the 2015 Odyssey Award committee. This award is given to the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults available in English in the United States. The author of the book, Tim Federle, reads the book out loud in the audio version. He makes the character of Nate come alive.

I see that Five, Six, Seven, Nate! is the sequel to a book called Better Nate than Never. I'll be looking for that one and reading it soon. I hope there will be more books about Nate. He's such a likable character.

Teens Only | Lead a Better Life

I've got a poster above my computer that says: Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. 

I do hope you've not grown weary of my always promoting reading. I am a librarian, after all. And beyond that, I love reading and want all of you to experience the awesomeness of reading a really great book.

So along those lines, let me ask you: Did you know you can check out ebooks from the Library. I imagine there were a couple of gasps of surprise there. No? Well, it's true. The Library has access to two great services (Overdrive and Axis360) providing ebooks and audiobooks that can be checked out and enjoyed on your own device. 

All you have to do is go to the Library's website -- www.ssjcpl.org -- and click under the "Books & More" tab for ebooks and audiobooks. On that first page you'll see what you need (apps and such) to enjoy your favorite books. But it's so easy and with a SSJCPL library card, it's free. Yes, I said free. 

I was just browsing in the recently returned titles on Axis360. Oh. My. Gosh. So many great titles that I just know you've been waiting with bated breath to read:

Anthony Horowitz' Oblivion, the final installment of the Gatekeepers series, is available on Axis360. If you've been reading this series, here's your chance to find out how it all ends. Matt, Pedro, Scott, Jamie and Scar. Five Gatekeepers have finally found one another. And only the five of them can fight the evil force that is on the rise, threatening the destruction of the world. No light reading there, right? BTW, you can also check out this book in book form. But ebooks are fun, don't you think? (The link above takes you to the book. Like I said earlier, to see ebooks the Library has access to, go to ebooks and audiobooks under the Books & More tab.)

I've just gotten back into listening to audiobooks while I'm driving, or just hanging out at home. It's way relaxing to have someone read a book to you. And again, there are lots of great audiobook titles to choose from.

Browsing again in Axis360 I found Discovering Wes Moore, the story of a Rhodes scholar who looks at the factors that influenced him as well as another man of the same name and from the same neighborhood who was drawn into a life of drugs and crime and ended up serving life in prison. In fact, Wes Moore is the subject of the #ReInventStockton Summer Book Club being led by City Councilman Michael Tubbs at the Maya Angelou Branch Library on Wednesdays at 3 pm (through July 31). You really should check that out! (P.S. The link above also takes you to the book.)

I've gotta say: SSJCPL rocks. We've got it going on. Check us out, and remember to look at the events calendar often. There's always something going on.

Read Every Day. Lead a Better Life. (And it's so easy at your Library!!)