Are you a fan of Holly Black? Or maybe the writing of Tehereh Mafi or Nicola Yoon is more your style. Don't miss these authors plus an amazing line-up of additional Middle Grade and YA authors at this year's Yallwest Virtual Book Festival.

Saturday, April 24

https://www.yallwest.com/

Want to read and discuss books like these with other teens? Check out Central Library's book groups! 

Reader's Quest Middle School Book Group 

This book group is run like a Battle of the Books program. After a short discussion of the book, participants are asked trivia questions from the month's selection. For youth in 5th-8th grade.

Next Book: The Sixty-Eight Rooms  by Marianne Malone

Next Meeting: Saturday, April 17 @ 1:30 - 3:00 (virtual via Zoom) 

Rising Voices Social Justice Book Discussion Group

For teens in 9th -12th grade

Looking for something new to do? Read on to learn about Central's winter virtual teen programming! 

Teen Advisory Group (TAG)

TAG is a group of teens, ages 13 to 17, who meet once a month via Zoom to help the library figure out how to best serve teens and others. It's a great opportunity to build leadership skills, work on creative projects, and meet new people. 

  Time: 3:30-5:00 pm

• Friday, December 11
• Friday, January 8    
• Friday, February 12 
• Friday, March 12      
• Friday, April 9 

Teen Take and Make Craft Hangout

Each month, teens pick up a different Take and Make Craft bag at the Central library and join others, via zoom, to make the craft, listen to music and hang out. Registration is required for this program. 

  Time: 3:30-5:00 

Banned Books Week is September 27th through October 3rd, 2020.  This library stands by your right to read without censorship! 

What is Banned Books Week, you ask?
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types — in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.

What books are being banned in the United States? 

Looking for something new to do? Read on to learn about Central's virtual teen fall programming! 

Teen Advisory Group (TAG)

TAG is a group of teens, ages 13 to 17, who meet once a month via Zoom to help the library figure out how to best serve teens and others. It's a great opportunity to build leadership skills, work on creative projects, and meet new people. 

• Friday, September 11, 3:30-5:00
• Friday, October 9, 3:30-5:00
• Friday, November 6, 3:30-5:00
• Friday, December 11, 3:30-5:00

Teen Take and Make Craft Hangout

Each month, teens pick up a different Take and Make Craft bag at the Central library and join others, via zoom, to make the craft, listen to music and hang out. Bags are available at the beginning of each month and are given out while supplies last. 

Hello Everyone! 

Central Library’s social justice book group, Rising Voices, is meeting online currently.  Want to join us? Read on for details! 

We will be meeting via Zoom. You can participate on your computer, tablet or phone. I will invite people to the event with a link through their email. This link will not be made public. To obtain this code, you must email me, lowem@buffalolib.org, sometime before the start of the meeting date and time to let me know you’re interested. 

At this point, you may be wondering who I am. My name is Maria and I am the teen services librarian at the Central Library. It's nice to meet you. Now that we’ve got the nuts and bolts out of the way, on to the fun stuff! I am happy to meet you and/or a parent before the group, in a short Zoom meeting, if that makes you more comfortable. 

Rising Voices Social Justice Book Group

Hello Everyone! 

Central Library’s middle school book group is meeting online while we are closed. Want to join us? Read on for details! 

We will be meeting via Zoom. You can participate on your computer, tablet or phone. I will invite people to the event with a link through their email. This link will not be made public. To obtain this code, you must email me, lowem@buffalolib.org, sometime before the start of the meeting date and time to let me know you’re interested. 

At this point, you may be wondering who I am. My name is Maria and I am the teen services librarian at the Central Library. It's nice to meet you. Now that we’ve got the nuts and bolts out of the way, on to the fun stuff! I am happy to meet you and/or a parent before the group, in a short Zoom meeting, if that makes you more comfortable. 

Reader’s Quest Book Group

Hello Everyone! 

Central Library’s social justice book group, Rising Voices, is meeting online currently.  Want to join us? Read on for details! 

We will be meeting via Zoom. You can participate on your computer, tablet or phone. I will invite people to the event with a link through their email. This link will not be made public. To obtain this code, you must email me, lowem@buffalolib.org, sometime before the start of the meeting date and time to let me know you’re interested. 

At this point, you may be wondering who I am. My name is Maria and I am the teen services librarian at the Central Library. It's nice to meet you. Now that we’ve got the nuts and bolts out of the way, on to the fun stuff! I am happy to meet you and/or a parent before the group, in a short Zoom meeting, if that makes you more comfortable. 

Rising Voices Social Justice Book Group

Books + Read Down Your Fines

Read Down Your Fines

July 1 – December 31, 2020

Our annual Read Down Your Fines program for children age 16 and under has been extended! 

This year, Read Down Your Fines will run from Wednesday, July 1, 2020 through Thursday, December 31, 2020. 

Also new this year: children can read whatever and wherever they want!  Read at home, the library, summer camp, etc.  Read a book, eBook, magazine, a newspaper, instructions, a cereal box…  List what is read and minutes spent reading on the Read Down Your Fines READING LOG!

Completed reading logs can be:

EDIT: This program is FULL. 

Are you disappointed that Battle of the Books was canceled this year? Join Central's Tirade of the Tomes, hosted by Central's Teen Advisory Group!

If you are unfamiliar with this event, let me tell you how it works. We will split the participant list into two teams. You pick up a set of books from the Central library, read the books, and join us for online practices. You will answer questions about things that happen in the books and the teams will compete against each other in August. Whatever team gets the most questions correct, wins! 

Tirade of the Tomes is a smaller, gentler sibling to our usual system-wide program. We will be ironing out some of the details as we go along but if you're willing to take this slightly bumpy, but surely joyful journey with us, please sign up. I guarantee it will be super fun and full of awesome people.

The Nuts and Bolts

These are complicated times but social unrest often brings change and growth. It is also an opportunity for us to talk to one another, learn, and think about how our beliefs and actions impact those around us.