Teen Reviews: Brightly Burning

  This book was absolutely brilliant – it was a mix of so many things; sci-fi, mystery, romance. It was a beautiful blend and had just the right amount of each element. Being set in a future of governmental evils and love interests who just can’t stay still, it reminded me much of Defy the Stars […]

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It’s Award Season for Books

Music has the Grammys, TV has the Golden Globes, and movies have the Oscars. There is no single award for books. Books, specifically books for Children and Young Adults (YA), are a little different. On February 12, the American Library Association (ALA) will host the Youth Media Awards Ceremony in Denver, and the entire ceremony […]

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Best New YA Authors

Every year the American Library Association (ALA) presents the Morris Award to an outstanding Young Adult book written by a first-time writer. Because of its defining criterion, I like to think of the Morris Award as the ALA’s version of a Rookie of the Year Award. Don’t, however, let these authors’ newness to the scene […]

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Video producer Nicholas Moore is new 970West Studio Artist in Residence

Nicholas Moore, a producer, filmmaker, and digital marketing consultant, is the new Mesa County Libraries 970West Studio Artist in Residence for the first four months of 2018. Moore, who holds an English degree from Colorado Mesa University, is a collaboration artist and digital videographer. For years after graduating from CMU, Moore traveled to multiple countries […]

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Bibliotherapy: Finding Comfort Through Reading in Times of Grief

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?” –Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll   Reading has the power to provide us with comfort and insight during difficult times. Re-reading beloved stories can conjure nostalgic feelings of contentment and happiness, providing emotional comfort and physical relief from stress. Immersing the […]

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Paleontological illustrator Melody Brooke Safken is 970West Studio Artist in Residence through early December  

  Melody Brooke Safken, an award-winning illustrator and instructor at Colorado Mesa University, is the new Mesa County Libraries 970West Studio Artist in Residence. Specializing in paleontological illustration, Safken plans to host open studio hours and a variety of workshops during her residency, which lasts through Dec. 4, 2017. Born and raised in Grand Junction, […]

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