April 2024 Teen Newsletter | |
April Fool's Day & Teen Literature Day
April Fool's Day and Teen Literature Day are two of the fun holidays, because school break, to look forward to.
To learn more about April Fool's Day go here.
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Murder Mystery: Death of a Gangster | |
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Book Review by Alina Pham
Kaz “Dirtyhands” Brekker, the ruthless criminal mastermind who brought his gang of Dregs to infamy, is offered a chance of a lifetime. The job? Dance with death and break into the most secure prison in the world, then walk out rich beyond his wildest dreams.
With twists and turns on every page, Kaz’s crew of six sets out to achieve the impossible, or die trying. Leigh Bardugo, author of the Shadow and Bone series (which is a series prequel to the world of Six of Crows), creates an incredible heist as she switches between each character’s perspective through the story. I can’t get enough of this book.
Exhilarating fights, traitors at every corner, blossoming romance, dangerous powers, and the crew’s matchless cunning and jaw-dropping wit will keep you gaping at the pages. The characters are built on their own hellish pasts, and their unique experiences bring them working together at the same place, all with the motive of money and survival. The unpredictable Six of Crows is simply a must-read!
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Book Review by Niamh Kelly
“A Good Girl's Guide to Murder” is a thrilling mystery novel written by Holly Jackson. The story follows high school Pippa Fitz-Amobi who chooses to investigate a murder case for her senior project. The book is full of plot twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I really enjoyed how the author cleverly weaved together different clues and suspects, making it hard to guess the real culprit. The characters were well-developed and relatable, and I found myself rooting for Pippa throughout her investigation. Overall, “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” is a suspenseful and engaging read that I highly recommend to readers looking for a mystery story full of suspense.
*Book 1 of 7
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Book Review by Niamh Kelly
One of us is lying is a thrilling novel by Karen M. McManus that had me hooked from the beginning. The setting takes place in Bayview High, where five students with different backgrounds end up in detention together. But when one of them winds up dead, the remaining four become suspects. I loved how the author kept me guessing throughout the book, constantly questioning the characters’ motives and trying to uncover the truth. Each character had their own agendas, causing it to be a real page-turner. The writing style was easy to follow and the pacing was perfect, keeping me engaged until the end. If you're into suspenseful reads with a touch of teenage drama, One of Us is Lying is definitely worth your time!
*Book 1 of 4
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by Ernest Hemingway
Book Review by Amrutha Veduri
Ernest Miller Hemingway, a famous American writer, novelist, and journalist, is best known for his short stories. His novel, "The Old Man and the Sea." won the Pulitzer Prize and prestigious Nobel Prize in Literature. The story revolves around one main character Santiago, who is an elderly but determined fisherman who wants to have a big catch despite his recent bad luck in fishing. Santiago is not alone in his fishing journey but with him is a devoted young boy, Manolin, who shares Santiago's passion for fishing and also loves helping out Santiago.
Santiago is an elderly fisherman who was considered unlucky because he could not catch a fish continuously for eighty-four days. His trainee, Manolin, who is a young boy, loves to hang out with him. Manolin's parents do not want him to be with an unsuccessful fisherman. Despite his parents' dislike for Santiago, Manolin helps him prepare his fishing gear every morning and evening. Santiago’s determination and optimism to be able to catch a big fish is tested throughout the book. He manages to catch a huge marlin fish on the eighty-fifth day. But his happiness is short-lived. A pack of sharks attack Santiago’s boat and eat away the huge marlin leaving bones behind. After three days struggling on the sea, he manages to reach the shore along with the skeleton of marlin.
I feel strongly connected to the Oldman’s character, Santiago in the novel. He is an 84-year-old fisherman whose life is full of struggle and pain. His audacity to maintain his identity and dignity despite all odds of age, loneliness and poverty is what fascinates me till date. The heroic deed of continuing to fight despite knowing that his defeat is certain, is quite inspiring to teenagers like me.
The most compelling traits of Santiago’s character are determination and perseverance. Despite being old, unable to catch fish continuously for eighty-four days and mocked by his fellow fishermen, he doesn’t give up his hope to catch the fish despite eighty-five days of fishing. He doesn’t give up fighting with marlin and sharks, despite knowing that he is likely to fail. To succeed in life, one needs to be accustomed to hard work and discipline.
The Old Man and The Sea is a slow-paced book and is recommended to teens/young adults. A common message emphasized throughout the book is to have perseverance even when setbacks occur in life.
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Pointillism with Miss Mehta
Grades 7-12
April 6
1:00-2:30
Boyden Community Room
Learn Pointillism with our amazing Miss Mehta!
She is an amazing artist with a wide range of talents.
To see the extent of her work go to:
Miss Mehta's Instagram
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Prom Dress Swap
Grades 7-12
Friday, April 12
3:30-4:30
Boyden Community Room
Prom is fast approaching!
Dresses are expensive!
Swap prom dresses for a fresh look as we move into prom season.
Bring your gently worn prom dresses to exchange or give away to hopeful prom goers!
Anyone may bring dresses, but only teens may take one home.
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MCAS/Finals Study Hour
Wednesday, April 17
3:30-4:30
Boyden Community Room
Need a place to study on your own or with friends. The Boyden Community Room will be open for you to gather and get ready for MCAS and Finals.
Bring your laptop and library card and use Brainfuse HelpNow to aid in your preparations for the tests!
Registration Strongly Encouraged.
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Juri Love Presents How to Make Sushi: Vegetarian
Teens & Guardians
Boyden Community Room
A fun activity for Guardians and Teens to do together!
Learn to make your own Sushi with Foxboro Reporter's Juri Love!
We will be making a vegetarian version.
Sponsored by the Friends of Boyden Library
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Crafty Teens: Book Gardens
Grades 7-12
Saturday, April 20
12:00-1:00
Boyden Community Room
Celebrate Earth Month and Day by making a garden with old books!
Sponsored by the Friends of Boyden Library
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Snackable Chats and Delicious Sips
Wednesday, April 24
4:00-5:00
Fuller Conference Room
Teen Led
With a different drink each month!
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by Cynthia Murphy
Thriller
From TikTok's "CEO of plot twists" comes a supernatural thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end. Packed with voice-driven whodunit storytelling, and a classic slasher-movie feel, this dark, pacy, and irresistibly creepy thriller really has something for everybody!
16-year-old, Irish-born Niamh has just arrived in London for the summer, and quickly discovers that girls who look frighteningly like her are being attacked.
Determined to make it through her Drama Course, Niamh is placed at the Victorian Museum to put her drama skills to the test, and there she meets Tommy: he’s kind, fun, attentive, and really hot! Nonetheless, there's something eerie about the museum...
As present-day serial attacker and sinister Victorian history start to collide, Niamh realizes that things are not as they seem. Will she be next? ~Amazon
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by Victoria Aveyard
Fantasy
“A true fantasy masterpiece." —Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Since Victoria Aveyard launched the instant #1 New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker, the series has taken readers by storm. Now the finale is here to continue this epic fantasy series.
Change your fate—or kneel to it.
The Companions are scattered and hopeless, torn from each other. After Corayne barely escapes with her life, she must forge on alone, leaving her blade broken and her allies behind her. Her only consolation: Corayne now has Taristan's sword, the only Spindleblade left in existence. Without it, he can’t rip open any more Spindles. Without it, he can’t end the world.
But Taristan and Queen Erida will not be defeated so easily. Both will burn the world to bring down Corayne—and bring forth their demon god, What Waits, ready to claim the realm of Allward for his own.
In a final clash between kingdoms and gods, all must rise to fight—or be destroyed.
Everything has come to this. Prepare for a larger-than-life, unforgettable finale to the instant New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker series, where a shattered alliance must rise from the ashes to make their final stand against a ruthless enemy…and the demon god who looks to shroud the entire world in darkness.
Don’t miss Victoria Aveyard’s New York Times bestselling Red Queen series, a sweeping tale of power, intrigue, and betrayal, where the only certainty is betrayal. Perfect for fans of George R. R. Martin and Leigh Bardugo. ~Amazon
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by Ream Shukairy
Social Themes, Prejudice and Racism
Six Muslim teens are falsely accused of a deadly attack in this timely and harrowing examination of America’s justice system, perfect for fans of Angie Thomas and Samira Ahmed.
As fireworks pop off at a rowdy Fourth of July bonfire party, an explosion off the California coast levels an oil rig—resulting in chaos and worse, murder.
At the center are six Muslim teens - six patriots, six strangers, and six suspects.
An old soul caught in the wrong place. An aspiring doctor. An influencer with a reputation to protect. A perfect daughter with secrets to hide. A soccer star headed for Stanford. An immigrant in love. Each with something to hide and everything to lose.
Faced with accusations of terrorism, The Six are caught in a political game that will pit them against each other in exchange for exoneration. They must choose: frame each other to guarantee their own independence or expose their secrets to earn back freedom for them all. ~Amazon
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by Gabriella Lepore
Thriller
Two friend groups collide when someone turns up dead over spring break in this heart-thumping YA thriller for fans of One of Us Is Lying and We Were Liars
Spring break is a vibe—until someone gets murdered
Partying with popular classmates they barely know is not what Eva and her BFFs had in mind for their spring break. But things have been off ever since Miles' academic career took a turn for the worse (they don't talk about it), so a trip to a private beach lodge might be exactly what they need. And Eva won’t admit it, but the chance to reconnect with Colton is worth putting up with Piper’s constant livestreams to her thousands of “besties.”
At first, it’s all sand and waves, but tensions run high when an anonymous letter shakes up an already-flailing love triangle.
When someone turns up dead, Eva can’t even trust her closest friends—but she thinks she can trust Colton. As they get closer to the truth, they uncover secrets that upend everything they thought they knew about their fellow spring breakers.~Amazon
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by Adam de Souza
Staring down the final days of high school, a group of friends run away from home in order to join a commune in this YA graphic novel for ages 14 and up. Stand by Me meets Catcher in the Rye by way of Skim.
Ever since Oli found a pamphlet for a remote island commune as a kid, it's all she can think about. Now that she's nearing the end of high school, feeling frustrated with the mounting pressure to choose a career and follow a path she has no interest in, the desire to escape it all has been steadily increasing.
Everything comes to a head when Oli's relationship with her best friend goes south and she claps back at a school bully with more than just words. Oli flees to find the commune on a Gulf Island off the coast of Vancouver, taking with her Milo, who can't help but hide his feelings behind the safety of a video camera, and Alvin, a shy teen who sees more than he lets on. Behind them trails Liam, Oli's ex-best-friend and sometimes love interest, who wants to apologize for the way things went down. All four are grappling with a world that cannot be changed . . . and simply trying to find their place in it.
This YA anti-coming-of-age road trip adventure, by talented up-and-coming comic artist Adam de Souza, captures at once the angst and humor of being a teen during a time of great transition. ~Amazon
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by Fern Haught
Author-artist Fern Haught weaves an enchanting, gentle fantasy tale of friendship, determination, and respecting nature in their debut graphic novel, The Baker and the Bard. Perfect for fans of The Tea Dragon Society, Legends & Lattes, and Animal Crossing.
Juniper and Hadley have a good thing going in Larkspur, spending their respective days apprenticing at a little bakery and performing at the local inn. But when a stranger makes an unusual order at the bakery, the two friends (and Hadley’s pet snake, Fern) set out on a journey to forage the magical mushrooms needed to make the requested galette pastries.
Along the way, Juniper and Hadley stumble across a mystery too compelling to ignore: Something has been coming out of the woods at night and eating the local farmers' crops, leaving only a trail of glowy goo behind. Intent on finally going on an adventure that could fuel their bardic craft, Hadley tows Juniper into the woods to investigate.
What started as a simple errand to pick mushrooms soon turns into a thrilling quest to save some furry new friends―and their caretaker, a softspoken little fey named Thistle―who are in danger of losing their home. ~Amazon
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by John Allen
"Artificial intelligence (AI) is the intelligence of machines or software, as opposed to the intelligence of humans. AI might someday become valued assistants in hospitals, medical clinics, law offices, science labs, military bases, and anywhere else where rapid data analysis is key. While AI is still a developing technology, there are concerns as well as excitement surrounding it"-- ~Amazon
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by Don Nardo
"Strong female mystical beings from far and wide came to specialize in or stand for a wide range of major themes from nature and society. Among the more common were war, death, love, healing, wisdom, and marriage. In whichever manner the tales of supernatural females came about, one thing cannot be denied. Namely, these stories never fail to fascinate, and sometimes inspire, members of each new human generation"-- ~Amazon
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Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m
Friday & Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m
Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m
508-543-1245
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