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by Christine  Click on the above image to watch the cartoon on BiblioBoard! This cartoon was inspired by “The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza” by Mac Barnett and Shawn Harris. First we came up with a story about what happens at night in the library. Then we drew the background and some props that could be moved around on the background. Throw in some “fancy” camerawork and you too can make a “Live Cartoon!” Shots of our set and props:   So, are you ready to make your own Live Cartoon? See our easy instructions here, and if you'd like to share your creation, consider submitting to our Local Teen Art collection.
Thanks for watching!
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by Becca     I’m Becca and I am the Teen Librarian at the Main Library. I absolutely love working with my Teen Squad volunteers. They are truly the most inspiring, community-minded, and driven people I know. They are making a difference every day and I am so lucky to be able to spend my time with them (even if we have to do it virtually!). We are working on so many great projects together this summer and I can’t wait for you to see what amazing work they are doing to improve both our Library and our wonderful Salt Lake City community!   Hello, I am Nate, a volunteer at the Teen Squad program at the Salt Lake City Public Library system. I am 13 and chose to become a Teen Squad member because I love books and the library and want to help out during this unusual summer. To help the library community this summer I am creating a project focused on helping kids stay occupied in the summer by making a series of crafts people can do. This is a fun and creative activity focused on tweens, (though most age groups will be able to do the crafts). There will be at least one craft posted a month this summer for people to do. I look forward to people doing my fun crafts this summer! (P.S. Here is a sneak peek of the first craft coming out in late June!)    Hello, my name is Anna. I am fifteen and I’m so excited to be a part of Teen Squad this summer! I chose to be part of Teen Squad this summer because the library has given so much to me and the community and this is just my way of giving back. Something I think is very important is learning how to be inclusive and kind to everyone. Books are a wonderful way to take a peek into different people's lives and perspectives. By reading and learning about other people's struggles and differences we can become a more inclusive society that values everyone equally. This summer I will be working on a zine that will be focusing on how books teach us how to become a more inclusive and accepting society. My hopes for this project is that it will inspire someone to pick up a book that shines light on a different culture, ethnicity, or sexuality.    Hi, my name is Trinity, I’m 14 and a Teen Squad volunteer for the Main Library Branch. I wanted to volunteer for Teen Squad because I love the library community, and this specific library has been a place that I have been going to and cultivating my love for reading for my entire life. One of the things that this library, and the entire library system has given me is a sense of community and chances to meet people that I can relate to, so with the objective of doing the same for others, I planned my project to do just that. My Teen Squad project is a zine that is based off of interviews that I have been conducting in regards to people’s self-appreciation/self-love and their mental health, in an attempt to show people that they aren’t alone. This zine is made for tweens, teens, and adults, so 10+.    Hi! I’m Avi, I’m sixteen, go by they/them pronouns, and work for the Main Library branch! I decided to volunteer for Teen Squad because for the past two summers, the program has been my highlight from my time off school, and I wanted to continue the trend, even during this unusual summer. For my project, I decided to create a presentation focusing on the positive aspects of the world, and how to improve your mental health during these trying times. Every month, I will share 5 positive news stories that relate to current world events or stories that are local. I will also share 5 mental health tips including, but not limited to, self expression. I will be presenting these tips and stories once a month during Alphabet Soup, the Main Library’s LGBTQ+ Club for teens. I hope my project can improve the lives of those who listen.  Thank you for reading! By the end of the summer you will be able to find these incredible projects on our City Library Teens Blog, Biblioboard, and at your local library!
Stay tuned for new posts each week about more of our Teen Squad teens. Next week: Anderson-Foothill Branch Teen Squad! by Maddie  BREATHEInhale for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, exhale for 4 counts. Repeat until your breathing feels steady and slow. SCANClose your eyes and focus on the top of your head. Spend 30 seconds slowly scanning down your entire body until you reach your toes. Notice how your body feels. REFLECTThink of three things you are grateful for in this moment. They can be people, places, feelings, objects, or anything else that you appreciate. Check Out These Books for More Mindfulness Tips & Resources |
 Emmett in front of the garden beds along 400 South |  Rikki (Left) and Emmett showing off some new growth |
Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum, I hear the crunch of some beans, yum!
What kind of beans are we talking about here? Coffee beans? Vanilla beans? We’re talking about green beans, lima beans, Purple Queen beans, and more! These are members of the Fabaceae or Leguminosea family, otherwise known as legumes, and commonly known as the Pea and Bean family. They fix nitrogen in the soil by developing rhizomes or ‘nitrogenous nodes’ on their roots that attract nitrogen from the soil (see photo). Above the ground, these plants grow pods containing the beans we know and love. Their nitrogen-fixing abilities make them great plants to grow in soil that might be depleted of this vital element from growing plants like tomatoes or cucumbers, both ‘heavy feeders’. Legumes like beans are the ‘universal donors’ of the plant community.
A node of nitrogen from the roots of an Austrian Field Pea that was planted as a winter cover crop at The Plot.
There are two main categories of beans in the legume family: bush and pole, and many varieties within those categories. The categories describe themselves pretty well. Bush bean plants grow in a stout way, like a bush, and pole beans grow very tall, requiring a pole or some sort of trellising to support their growth. We planted both categories of beans at The Plot community garden!
One of the Three Sisters
Who are the other two sisters besides pole beans? Corn and squash! This brilliant trio of plant sisters has been at the center of Native American agriculture and cuisine for centuries.
How they collaborate:
‘Corn provides tall stalks for the beans to climb so that they are not out-competed by sprawling squash vines. Beans provide nitrogen to fertilize the soil while also stabilizing the tall corn during heavy winds. Beans are nitrogen-fixers meaning they host rhizobia on their roots that can take nitrogen, a much needed plant nutrient, from the air and convert it into forms that can be absorbed by plant roots. The large leaves of squash plants shade the ground which helps retain soil moisture and prevent weeds.
These three crops are also at the center of culinary traditions and complement one another as well. A diet of corn, beans, and squash is complete and balanced. Corn provides carbohydrates and the dried beans are rich in protein and have amino acids absent from corn. Squash provides different vitamins and minerals than corn and beans. These three crops are also important because they can all be dried and used for food year round. These traits are less important today, but were important in the past which lead to their significance as the major cultivated foods.
The tradition of calling these crops the "Three Sisters" originated with the Haudenosaunee, pronounced Ho-deh-no-shaw-nee. Also known as the Iroquois, Haudenosaunee occupy the regions around the Great Lake in the Northeastern United States and Canada. All three types of seeds are planted together in the same mound in the Haudenasaunee planting method. The elevated mound assists with drainage and avoids water logging of the plant roots which is important in this region that receives abundant rainfall in the summer.’
Source: Melissa Kruse-Peeples, Education Coordinator of Native Seeds SEARCH.
How they collaborate:
‘Corn provides tall stalks for the beans to climb so that they are not out-competed by sprawling squash vines. Beans provide nitrogen to fertilize the soil while also stabilizing the tall corn during heavy winds. Beans are nitrogen-fixers meaning they host rhizobia on their roots that can take nitrogen, a much needed plant nutrient, from the air and convert it into forms that can be absorbed by plant roots. The large leaves of squash plants shade the ground which helps retain soil moisture and prevent weeds.
These three crops are also at the center of culinary traditions and complement one another as well. A diet of corn, beans, and squash is complete and balanced. Corn provides carbohydrates and the dried beans are rich in protein and have amino acids absent from corn. Squash provides different vitamins and minerals than corn and beans. These three crops are also important because they can all be dried and used for food year round. These traits are less important today, but were important in the past which lead to their significance as the major cultivated foods.
The tradition of calling these crops the "Three Sisters" originated with the Haudenosaunee, pronounced Ho-deh-no-shaw-nee. Also known as the Iroquois, Haudenosaunee occupy the regions around the Great Lake in the Northeastern United States and Canada. All three types of seeds are planted together in the same mound in the Haudenasaunee planting method. The elevated mound assists with drainage and avoids water logging of the plant roots which is important in this region that receives abundant rainfall in the summer.’
Source: Melissa Kruse-Peeples, Education Coordinator of Native Seeds SEARCH.
We have planted three types of beans:
1.Scarlet Runner Beans are very similar to pole beans in the heart shape of their leaves and the fact that they grow tall enough to require a pole or some sort of trellising to support their growth. They are usually grown for their pretty red flowers, but their pods contain beans that can be eaten fresh or dried and boiled later.
1.Scarlet Runner Beans are very similar to pole beans in the heart shape of their leaves and the fact that they grow tall enough to require a pole or some sort of trellising to support their growth. They are usually grown for their pretty red flowers, but their pods contain beans that can be eaten fresh or dried and boiled later.
Dried Scarlet Runner beans that could be cooked or planted.
2. Red Noodle Beans were planted as a part of the three sisters demonstration around the corn sprouts. It is best to plant the corn first, then the beans and squash, allowing the corn a week or two to get established before physically supporting the beans that will grow faster than the corn.
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Emmett made 2-3 inch deep holes to plant 2-3 beans around each corn sprout.
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Rikki covered each hole with a little soil. The beans were planted about 4 inches away from the corn sprout to give all the roots room to grow.
3. Trio Bush Beans were soaked overnight before planting. This is not a necessary step for growing beans, but will speed up the process of imbibition: the uptake of water by seeds. This trio includes Blue Lake 274, Cherokee Wax, and Purple Queen Bean varieties.
Soaking beans is easy. This is also a great thing to do if you are wanting to cook them. The water helps soften the beans and hydrates them for growth, or prepares them for being cooked!
A recent photo of the bean plant growing strong.
Do you need some free seeds to start your garden? We can mail some to you! Check out our seed catalog today on The Plot webpage.
Happy planting!
by Yoli
Even though it may be challenging to find them, there are opportunities for youth to make a difference! Here are some highlighted volunteer opportunities for teens. For more options, check out this complete list made by our librarians here.
Photo from Bags to Beds Facebook page
Make Plarn Mats for Bags to Beds
Bags to Beds is a nonprofit organization that aims to reduce plastic waste while creating sleeping mats woven from plastic bags for individuals experiencing homelessness.
“We have instructions on our website on how to make plastic bags into plarn that we use for the mats-- it is really simple and all you need are scissors. Also if anyone is up for it we need help with people crocheting the mats. We can supply them with hooks, I can teach them over Zoom, and we can give them plastic yarn (plarn).”
-Emily Voll, Bags to Beds.
A screenshot from Indianlaw.utahbar.org
Gather Donations for Utah Tribal COVID-19 Relief
"Indian Country has been hit hard by COVID-19. You can help Tribal Communities within Utah. We are directing people who are still interested in donating supplies but missed previous pickup deadlines to ship the supplies directly to the Utah Navajo Health System Office, which is partnering with us to distribute supplies. We realize shipping can be costly, so perhaps teens could raise money and then purchase items on Amazon or another retailer and have them shipped down. If they’d like to pursue that option, the address is:
Utah Navajo Health Systems
1478 East Highway 162
Montezuma Creek, Utah 84534
Many children on the Navajo Reservation are currently in need of educational materials, supplies and books. Teens could do a drive to gather those, and I could check and see where they could send those materials for distribution. My daughter helped coordinate educational materials for our group, and she would be happy to be a point of contact to guide other teens (ie. helping them determine what kind of materials to gather, where to ship supplies, etc.). It is an option that would involve the teens shipping items directly to the Reservation, however, educational materials tend to be less bulky and heavy than other supplies, so might be easier/cheaper to put in a box and ship down there." -- Beth Parker at tribalcovid@learlaw.com. For more information please visit: http://indianlaw.utahbar.org/covid-19-tribal-relief-fund.html or contact Heather Tanana at tananah@law.utah.edu.
A screenshot from the website: slccgardens.com
Volunteer at SLCC Gardens
Volunteer outdoors with activities such as planting, weeding and harvesting as well as indoor activities such as graphic design and writing. Have fun outdoors while helping the community. The food grown in SLCC’s garden beds is donated to the SLCC pantry. Volunteers helping in the garden are encouraged to bring their own gloves, and wear masks, but masks and gardening tools can be provided. Fill out a volunteer interest form here. You can email questions to Christina at slccgardens@gmail.com
Photo from https://www.voaut.org/volunteer-opportunities/provide-a-meal
Volunteer with VOA (Volunteers of America)
Purchase, cook, and serve a meal at the Youth Resource Center. Group sizes of 10 or less are the best, or else it gets very cramped in our kitchen. Volunteers must be ages 16+. 16 and 17 year olds will need to be accompanied by an adult. Sign up here. Please read this document regarding volunteer information. If you are unable to make your scheduled volunteer shift but would still like to provide your meal, you can drop it off at the center. Contact Alexis Brown-Brotherton (alexis.brotherton@voaut.org) for more information.
We hope you're able to find ways to help out this summer. If you discover any other great opportunities for youth, please comment here with the details.
by Meagan
A lot has been happening over the last few weeks as citizens participate in Black Lives Matter protests locally and across the world. Click here to read an official statement from our Library Director, Peter Bromberg. In light of these events, we wanted to lift up black voices with this list of great books that you can use to educate and inspire yourself. This is by no means a comprehensive list, and The City Library has many more titles to help you research and understand the history that has brought us to this moment.
Reading literature has been proven to make people more empathetic, so we hope by reading about people who might look differently than you or have a different life experience you can then empathize with what others are going through right now. These books are all own-voices. For those unfamiliar with the term, own-voices means that every one of these authors writing about Black characters is also Black. Some authors are Afro-Latino, some are Nigerian, some are Queer, but all authors listed below are Black.
We hope you are taking care of yourselves and finding the resources you need to cope right now. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
Reading literature has been proven to make people more empathetic, so we hope by reading about people who might look differently than you or have a different life experience you can then empathize with what others are going through right now. These books are all own-voices. For those unfamiliar with the term, own-voices means that every one of these authors writing about Black characters is also Black. Some authors are Afro-Latino, some are Nigerian, some are Queer, but all authors listed below are Black.
We hope you are taking care of yourselves and finding the resources you need to cope right now. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.
SPOTLIGHT
Dread Nation (and its recently-published sequel The Deathless Divide) by Justina Ireland
Imagine if the Civil War ended not because of the Emancipation Proclamation and the South surrendering, but because the dead of Gettysburg came back as “shamblers” (zombies) and began infesting the world. Instead of being granted their freedom, Black people are being forced to fight the shamblers, and the South has devolved into separate militarized city-state fortresses free to rule however they want. There’s talk of freedom in the West, but the Native populations of the west have been decimated after also being forced to fight the shamblers, so all anyone hears are rumors. It might be an alternate history, but the ramifications are shockingly realistic and events are eerily similar to our own. I highly, highly recommend this book to everyone, and pay attention to Ireland’s Author’s Notes. The book might not be realistic fiction, but many, many events Ireland discussed are based in reality.
Imagine if the Civil War ended not because of the Emancipation Proclamation and the South surrendering, but because the dead of Gettysburg came back as “shamblers” (zombies) and began infesting the world. Instead of being granted their freedom, Black people are being forced to fight the shamblers, and the South has devolved into separate militarized city-state fortresses free to rule however they want. There’s talk of freedom in the West, but the Native populations of the west have been decimated after also being forced to fight the shamblers, so all anyone hears are rumors. It might be an alternate history, but the ramifications are shockingly realistic and events are eerily similar to our own. I highly, highly recommend this book to everyone, and pay attention to Ireland’s Author’s Notes. The book might not be realistic fiction, but many, many events Ireland discussed are based in reality.
Realistic Fiction
The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
All American Boys - Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely
Dear Martin - Nic Stone
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America
Tyler Johnson Was Here - Jay Coles
I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This - Jacqueline Woodson
Field Guide to the North American Teenager - Ben Philippe
America Street - Ibi Zoboi
Hurricane Child - Kacen Callender
The Poet X - Elizabeth Acevedo
Let Me Hear a Rhyme - Tiffany D Jackson
Odd One Out - Nic Stone
The Crossover - Kwame Alexander
Watch Us Rise - Ellen Hagan, Renee Watson
Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender
A Good Kind of Trouble - Lisa Moore Ramée
The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
All American Boys - Jason Reynolds, Brendan Kiely
Dear Martin - Nic Stone
Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America
Tyler Johnson Was Here - Jay Coles
I Hadn’t Meant to Tell You This - Jacqueline Woodson
Field Guide to the North American Teenager - Ben Philippe
America Street - Ibi Zoboi
Hurricane Child - Kacen Callender
The Poet X - Elizabeth Acevedo
Let Me Hear a Rhyme - Tiffany D Jackson
Odd One Out - Nic Stone
The Crossover - Kwame Alexander
Watch Us Rise - Ellen Hagan, Renee Watson
Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender
A Good Kind of Trouble - Lisa Moore Ramée
Graphic Novels
March - John Lewis
Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet - Ta-Nehisi Coates
New Kid - Jerry Craft
Bingo Love - Tee Franklin
March - John Lewis
Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet - Ta-Nehisi Coates
New Kid - Jerry Craft
Bingo Love - Tee Franklin
Fantasy / Sci Fi
The Belles - Dhonielle Clayton
Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adiyemi
Dread Nation - Justina Ireland
Miles Morales - Jason Reynolds
Pet - Akwaeke Emezi
Adult for Teens
The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison
How Long ‘til Black Future Month - NK Jemison
Kindred - Octavia Butler
Queen of the Conquered - Kacen Callender
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
The Water Dancer - Ta-Nehisi Coates
Mama Day - Gloria Naylor
Historical Fiction
Crossing Ebenezer Creek - Tonya Bolden
Inventing Victoria - Tonya Bolden
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Mildred D Taylor
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 - Christopher Paul Curtis
Passing - Nella Larsen
Flygirl - Sherri L Smith
Riot - Walter Dean Myers
NonFiction
Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates
I know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
All Boys Aren’t Blue - George M Johnson
Pathfinders: The Journeys of 16 Extraordinary Black Souls - Tonya Bolden
Brown Girl Dreaming - Jacqueline Woodson
Dark Sky Rising: Reconstruction and the Dawn of Jim Crow - Henry Louis Gates Jr
*Find these and more titles in our City Library catalog.
The Belles - Dhonielle Clayton
Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adiyemi
Dread Nation - Justina Ireland
Miles Morales - Jason Reynolds
Pet - Akwaeke Emezi
Adult for Teens
The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison
How Long ‘til Black Future Month - NK Jemison
Kindred - Octavia Butler
Queen of the Conquered - Kacen Callender
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Their Eyes Were Watching God - Zora Neale Hurston
The Water Dancer - Ta-Nehisi Coates
Mama Day - Gloria Naylor
Historical Fiction
Crossing Ebenezer Creek - Tonya Bolden
Inventing Victoria - Tonya Bolden
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Mildred D Taylor
The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963 - Christopher Paul Curtis
Passing - Nella Larsen
Flygirl - Sherri L Smith
Riot - Walter Dean Myers
NonFiction
Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates
I know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
All Boys Aren’t Blue - George M Johnson
Pathfinders: The Journeys of 16 Extraordinary Black Souls - Tonya Bolden
Brown Girl Dreaming - Jacqueline Woodson
Dark Sky Rising: Reconstruction and the Dawn of Jim Crow - Henry Louis Gates Jr
*Find these and more titles in our City Library catalog.