Bright Stars campers learn green screen

Kris DeBolt, owner of Digital Matters Productions, teaches the Bright Stars Over Des Moines spring break film campers at the East Side Library how to use a green screen on Wednesday, March 21, 2012.

Complete Your FAFSA this Saturday

Get help filling out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

• Central Library (1000 Grand Ave)
• Saturday, February 25th
• 10:00-3:00

Local financial aid volunteers will help families with the FAFSA, the government-required form for many types of financial aid for college. This event is part of the national College Goal Sunday program held in 39 states and the District of Columbia, Iowa College Goal Sunday’s main focus is helping low-income and first-generation students attain the financial resources necessary to make college possible.

For more information, call ICAN at (877) 272-4692 or e-mail CGS@ICANsucceed.org.

Fiction 2 Film Winners!

In celebration of Teen Read Week, DMPL hosted a contest during the month of October to find out which books you thought would make great movies. Our six lucky winners have been drawn, and each winner received a $25 gift card to Carmike Cinemas. See below what books the winners at each library thought would make great movies:

Central Library: Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes would make a great movie. The winner wrote, “Danica Shardae, an avian shapeshifter and future Tuuli Thea of her people will do whatever it takes to the end the war between the avians and the serpiente, even if it means becoming bond pair to the serpiente’s leader, Zane Cobriana. The story is really good, and considering all the expression the characters possess, especially the serpiente, it would bring imagination to life in a movie, and the shapeshifting would be beautiful.”

East Side Library: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer would make a great movie. ”It would captivate the audience and could most likely surpass Avatar/Titanic or be on the same level because this book has it all: drama, action, romance, comedy, etc .”

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Forest Avenue Library: Suspicions by Sasha Campbell would make a great movie. Why? “Because the book keeps you going. It’s like a Tyler Perry movie, which gets really famous!”

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Franklin Avenue Library: First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, a non-fiction title, would make a great movie “because it is a beautiful and powerful story that deserves to be on film.”

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North Side Library: Maximum Ride by James Patterson would make a great movie. The winner noted the book “has lots of action and yet a family feel along with teen and family appropriateness.”

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South Side Library: Looking For Alaska by John Green would make a great movie. As a fan of Green’s books, the winner struggled with only picking one to nominate. In the end, he decided to go with his favorite.

Popcorn & Poe Tonight

Come see The Shadow of the Raven tonight. This one man play about the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe includes dramatic interpretations of “Annabel Lee,” “The Raven,” and “The Tell Tale Heart.”

• Location: Central Library, 1000 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA
• Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2011
• Time: 7:00-8:00 PM
• Category: Teen & Adult

Teen Events at Central: Popcorn & Poe and Delsol Book Launch

The Central Library in Des Moines is planning some exciting events for teens in October. On October 12^th, we are hosting a “Popcorn and Poe” program where actor, Duffy Hudson, will perform a dramatic interpretation of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous works. Then, to celebrate Teen Read Week, the library will host the launch of the new teen book Frost, by Wendy Delsol on October 18^th. For every member of your book club and/or school group in attendance at the Frost launch, you will earn a chance to win a pizza party hosted by Delsol.

 

Come see The Shadow of the Raven. This one man play about the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe includes dramatic interpretations of “Annabel Lee,” “The Raven,” and “The Tell Tale Heart.”

 

• Location: Central Library, 1000 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA
• Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2011
• Time: 7:00-8:00 PM
• Category: Teen & Adult

 

 

 

 

Celebrate Teen Read Week with a special author event. Waukee resident, Wendy Delsol, will read from her latest teen novel, Frost, which will be released on October 11th. Teens who read Stork will enjoy Frost, which was inspired by Norse mythology and Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen.”

• Location: Central Library, 1000 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA
• Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2011
• Time: 6:30-8:00 PM
• Category: Teen & Adult

Teen Read Week

Teen Read Week is October 16-22. At DMPL we’ve decided to have a month-long contest in October called “Fiction 2 Film”  to celebrate Teen Read Week. Think of a book you’ve read that would make a great movie (that hasn’t already been made into a movie!) and who you would cast in the movie. Starting on Saturday, you can stop in any DMPL location and fill out an entry form to name the book you’ve selected and who you would cast for the three main characters in the book. The lucky winners will receive a $25 gift card to a Cinemark theater!

Calling all fans of The Hunger Games!

Fan of The Hunger Games series? Looking for something new to read?  Read Enclave by Ann Aguirre and join us for a lively discussion at the South Side Library. If you loved The Hunger Games, this book is definitely for you!

Pick up your discussion copy at the South Side Library Information Desk today.  Discussion will be held on Tuesday, September 27 at 3:00 PM.

The Fresh, New Franklin is Open!

Teens had fun at the ribbon cutting and open house on Sunday and the teen open house and scavenger hunt on Monday at the new Franklin Avenue Library. Names were drawn for some fun “green” prizes at both events! Watch for a monthly “green” teen program at Franklin, such as altered books and making vases out of recycled bottles. Mondays @ 4 are for teens at the new Franklin Avenue Library!

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Teen Programs on Hiatus August 8th-21st

We had a fantastic summer reading program at all six of the Des Moines libraries this year! Thank you to all the teens who participated in the program and/or volunteered to help.

Please note, the library is taking a break from regularly scheduled programs from August 8th – 21st. We are planning a lot of exciting programs for the new school year so check back after the 21st to see what we’ve planned for September, October, and November. Have a great end to summer break!

Mexican Cooking!

 With the popularity of our Mexican cooking program this summer, we wanted to share a few of your favorite recipes from the program!  We made cheese quesadillas, salsa, chili con queso, guacamole, and cinnamon sugar tortilla crisps.

 To view pictures from the program at the South Side Library, check out these great photos on the Des Moines Register site.

 CHEESE QUESADILLAS

Ingredients

• 1 and ½ Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 Flour tortillas
• 2 Cups shredded cheddar cheese
• Precooked chicken from bag (dry)

Utensils

• Measuring spoon: Tablespoon, ½ Tablespoon.
• Measuring cup: 1 Cup
• Pizza cutter
• Cheese grater
• Aluminum foil
• Pizza cutter
• Cutting mat
• Oven mitt
• Spatula
• Pastry brush

Directions

• Preheat toaster oven to 350 degrees (F) and line the pan with foil
• Brush one side of the tortillas with olive oil and place oil side down on pan
• Scatter 1/2 Cup cheese on top, then add precooked chicken
• Cover with a second tortilla oil side up
• Cook about  7 min. on one side then flip and cook another 7
• Remove and serve in wedges

CINNAMON SUGAR TORTILLA CRISPS

Ingredients

• ½ Cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 Tablespoon butter
• 5 flour tortillas

Utensils

• Pizza cutter
•  Pastry brush
• Foil

Directions

• Preheat toaster oven to 350 degrees(F)  and line the pan with foil
• Brush both sides of the tortillas with butter and place on pan
• Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on tortilla
• Cut tortillas into wedges
• Cook until browned (10-15 min) and serve