Steampunk recommendation

If you come by the library today you'll see me dressed up for Halloween. Wondering what I'm dressed up as? It's Victorian Steampunk!

Steampunk is a sub-genre of Science Fiction. It's usually set in an alternate 19th century and features a lot of steam-powered machines and mechanics. It's a lot of out-of-time and place technology. 

Fashion, art, and literature can all have elements of steampunk in them (like my outfit above!). One of my favorite teen steampunk series is Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. 

Leviathan is set in an alternate World War I era (so that means around 1912-1914). The Germans are using mechanized weapons while Great Britain has fabricated creatures genetically. The two sides greatly oppose the other. The heroes of the series are Aleksander, son of Archduke Ferdinand, and Deryn, a Scottish girl who poses as a boy so that she can join the British Air Service.

I don't want to give too much of the plot away- but it is an exciting and fun read. Be warned, it ends in a cliffhanger so you'll probably want to pick up Behemoth too. The series ends with Goliath.

Looking for a good scary read?

Halloween is tomorrow which means it's the perfect time to read a scary novel. I've put together a list of 5 great titles that you can check out. Click on the title and it will take you to it's page in the catalog so you can see if it's in or to request it. Looking for more suggestions? Come on in to the library and I can show you a list of some spooky titles perfect for this time of year.

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

When fifteen-year-old Lexi's younger sister Kasey begins behaving strangely and their old Victorian house seems to take on a life of its own, Lexi investigates and discovers some frightening facts about previous occupants of the house, leading her to believe that many lives are in danger.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens is a normal boy, except that he has been raised by ghosts and other denizens of the graveyard.

Lord Loss by Darren Shan

Presumably the only witness to the horrific and bloody murder of his entire family, a teenage boy must outwit not only the mental health professionals determined to cure his delusion, but also the demonic forces only he can see.

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy

In 1888, twelve-year-old Will Henry chronicles his apprenticeship with Dr. Warthrop, a scientist who hunts and studies real-life monsters, as they discover and attempt to destroy a pod of Anthropophagi.

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

In a post-apocalyptic world where fences and border patrols guard the few people left from the zombies that have overtaken civilization, fifteen-year-old Benny Imura is finally convinced that he must follow in his older brother's footsteps and become a bounty hunter.

Want to have a say in what happens at the library?

Join the Teen Advisory Board and you can have a say in what programs we offer for teens, what books we select, and what you'd like to see happen around the library.

Your voice is really important to the Pawtucket Library so we really want to hear from you. Right now there is no scheduled meeting date, but there will be one soon (maybe before Christmas vacation). So if you're interested in signing up, now is the time to do it.

Ready to join? You can comment on our Facebook post about it or email sbloom@pawtucketlibrary.org.

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