|
by Becca, Main Library  If you've been following our posts this summer, you're probably starting to wonder "Gosh, just how many volunteers does The City Library have?" That's a good question. This year we have just over 80 incredible teen volunteers, and that's not counting the adult volunteers that help out from time to time at our branches. Neat right? Read on to meet the Teen Squad volunteers working at the Main Library this summer. 
Many thanks to the rest of our Main Library Teen Squad crew! 
0 Comments
by Stephanie C., Main Library  Every summer we ask our Teen Squad volunteers what their favorite books are and what books they would recommend to other teens. That list goes up on our website August 1st and you can click directly on a title to reserve a copy for yourself. While you wait, here's a sneak peek and some quotes from our volunteers about why these books are their favorites. Middle Grade Fiction |
 | Hatchet by Gary Paulsen "Hatchet is a book where a boy named Brian has to figure out how to survive in the wilderness. Brian got in a plane crash and landed in a river and he's hoping someone will save him." - Mafazah |
 | Liberty by Kirby Larson "For my recommendation I would definitely choose Liberty by Kirby Larson. It's a book about a kid with Polio during the WWII era. I've seen very little books that happen during the WWII timeline without the main character being directly involved in the war. It will leave you thinking and is a great read" - Jasmine |
Teen Fiction
 | Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson "A cute, epistolary novel told entierly in text messages. A quick read, and always makes my little heart so happy everytime I read it. A tropey but adorable case of mistaken identity." - Amelie |
 | I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter "I really enjoy this book because the story is unpredictable and you never know what's gonna happen next. I also like this book because of the amazing detail it has. This story has great romance, action, and drama that keeps the story flowing and exciting." - Mads |
 | They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera "They Both Die at the End is a sad book about two teenage boys who get a call that they are going to die, and they don't know how or when they will die, so they have to live the day to the fullest. So, they go on an adventure and find themselves and the ending will break your heart." - Kaylee |
Adult Fiction
 | The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow "This was a really great book. I would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy. It had a combination of important themes, modern day issues, and magic. It was a beautifully written book with an interesting language style. The characters were very well developed and had realistic personalities, but it also had a lot of action. It was an exciting, fast-paced book that also developed themes and characters very well. The main basis of the story was magic and witches, but it also focused on themes like forgiveness, determination, perseverance, and love. Even though it is set in the 1800s, it talked about important topics such as racism, LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, and worker's rights. I really enjoyed this book, and it had a good combination of deep, serious topics, as well as fun fantasy and magic." - Ria |
 | On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong "This is my favorite book because it is soft, bitter and tender, and more intimate than most novels can imagine to be. Written as a letter to an illiterate mother from her son, it follows the story of a Vietnamese immigrant family, and of which is fresh, vulnerable and ceaseless, defiant of form as it blends poetry and fiction - to call it only a book feels like an understatement when it feels so alive." - McKinley |
by Christine, Chapman Branch
Christine
Christine is the Teen Librarian at the Chapman Branch. She loves working for The City Library and has worked at several branches. As a fan of the TV show Supernatural, she especially likes working at Chapman because it has been here for over 100 years and is home to at least three ghosts!
And introducing Chapman’s 2022 Summer Teen Squad!
Beatrice has been an amazing member of Teen Squad at the Chapman Branch for 5 years! She is excited to return to the branch this summer and work with the staff to serve our diverse community. This year Beatrice is planning on helping with Super Summer Challenge, changing up and maintaining some of the displays and helping with planning fall programming at the branch. She loves the TV shows Parks and Recreation and The Office and reading! (Of course!)
Hello! My name is Izobel and my passion is art and storytelling. I’m hoping to write a comic to help other people struggling with anxiety, and I’m excited to continue helping out the library!
by Claire, Anderson-Foothill
by Yoli, Marmalade Branch
 | Hello there, my name is Aarmila, I'm 14 years old. I can often be spotted holding a ukulele or near a piano. I can play the themes to just about every video game and TV show in existence and I love taking requests for songs to play and learn. I enjoy reading sci-fi and dystopian novels, I'm always down to discuss the themes and social commentary found within them with anyone willing to listen. I'm a big advocate for mental health and I would like to spend my time as a part of the Teen Squad raising awareness for it, as well as hopefully bettering my own mental health and regaining motivation through giving back to the community. Using various art forms such as writing, music, and painting to express my emotions or just as an escape from the pressures of everyday existence have made a huge difference in my life, but I still have a long way to go. |
I’m 16 and will be a junior at West High. My hometown is Logan, I train in aikido, and I have an Australian shepherd named Rio who’s working on being a therapy dog.
Hello, my name is glen. I will be attending West in the fall as a freshman, and work at my neighborhood school. I enjoy playing video games, cubing, coding, running, and playing ultimate frisbee.
 | Hello, I am Jasmine. I am a volunteer at the Teen Squad program at the Marmalade Library branch. I am 12 as of right now and chose to be a Teen Squad member because I like books and helped out at my school library. I found it pretty enjoyable and wanted to help other libraries. To help the library community this summer, I will be, mostly as I don’t have a super clear plan on a project yet, helping with the Super Summer Challenge. I’m excited to see how this goes! |
 | Hello! My name is Laynee and I am going to be a junior at highland in the fall. I love playing soccer and reading, as well as being outdoors and hiking/biking. This is my third year being a part of the teen squad at marmalade and I absolutely love it! |
Meows aggressively, I’m emo rawrs. I'm 16 and I’m a homosexual. My pronouns are he/they/it.
 | My name is Mariam and I go to AMES High School. I like to draw and spend time with my family. I am 16 years old and going to be a junior next year. I have |
Marta is part of the Teen Squad team at the Marmalade Branch.
 | Hello! My name is Ori. I like to draw, write & listen to music. I also play piano. My current favorite artist is Will Wood & my pronouns are they/he. |
My name is Porter and I’m 17. I love music, D&D, and video games. If you see me please come say hi!
 | Hello! My name is Ria and next year I am going to be a sophomore at West High School. I am super excited to volunteer at the Marmalade branch library this summer because I love reading as well as helping people become more excited about reading. In addition to reading, my hobbies include hiking, rock climbing, and art. I am so excited to help with the Super Summer Reading Challenge and other library activities this summer! |
Hi! I am Steven, I sure do enjoy indulging in virtual reality gaming, as well as normal gaming. I also enjoy reading asian novels and comics. Also, I hate Meta (Facebook). II-L is the greatest musical artist out there. This year, I am helping out at the Marmalade library, which has very awesome staff.
My name is Stine (pronounced as Stee-nah) and I get how weird of a name that is. I like playing piano, reading and writing, and watching a wide variety of movies and TV shows, along with a bunch of other things that I just can’t remember right now! If you ever need any suggestions on what to read or watch, let me know!
 | My name is Yoli and I’m the teen librarian at Marmalade Branch. I love my job because I get to work with amazing teen volunteers who are bettering their communities and the library is like a conduit for their work and ideas to come to life. This summer we have 13 volunteers and they are giving me hope for the future. When my son is a teen in a few more years, I hope that he’ll volunteer at the library, too. :D I just finished watching Stranger Things season 4 (Part 1) and it was terrifying. Now watching the Umbrella Academy season 3, and I’m reading Across a Field of Starlight by Blue Delliquanti, an epic sci-fi graphic novel romance between two non-binary characters. It’s awesome! Come talk to me at the Marmalade Branch, and let me know your graphic novel, book, manga, and tv show recommendations! |
by Lexi, Day-Riverside Branch
My name is Jaziayah. I go to innovations high school. I love romance books and movies. I also love thrifting and hanging out with friends and family. I love working at the library because I get to be surrounded by new people everyday.
I’m Ember and I go to West High School. I love volleyball and vampires. I work at Lagoon. Working at the Library is cool, there are fun people.
My name is Emily. I go to West High School as a senior. This is my fourth time doing Teen Squad and I am so excited to be back. I love to read, ride my bike and do puzzles.
Hi, I’m Bella. I love books and art and making music. I go to Open Classroom. I like that the Library has a lot of books. I like Graphic Novels, too.
My name is Mafazah and I love watching Naruto. I like going to the library because there are a lot of choices in the DVD section. I also like going to the park with friends. And I love chips.
My name is Kaylee and I go to Innovations. I love anime and reading murder mysteries. I love working at the library because they have really good snacks and I get to meet new people.
I am Natalie! I’m going to Pacific Heritage Academy next year. I’m into collecting stickers and making my own boba. I like arts and crafts. I love the Library’s Comic Books - most of the libraries I’ve been to don’t have comic books.