Welcome to the Tween Scene @ West Milford Township Library!

WMTL’s Tween Scene

What is Tween Scene?  It is a blog that we have created here at WMTL that is dedicated to a specific age group that is usually referred to as "tween." We feel that this age group includes kids between the ages of 9 and 14.  Are you a tween?  If the answer is yes, then this is the spot for you! Your next question might be, What is a blog?  Well, it's a place where you can find out about materials that we have here at West Milford Township Library that are just for you. Books are only one of the options since our blog includes movies, magazines, as well as popular websites for tweens.  We will also let you know about any tween programs that we will be hosting here at West Milford Township Library as they are scheduled.

A blog is also a place for you to be able to comment on or suggest books that you have really enjoyed.  We are open to hearing your suggestions and recommendations and welcome them! This is a place where your voice can be heard. 


In order for you to comment, you will need to set up a blogger account.  Please check with a parent before doing this to make sure that it's ok with them.  If you aren't able to set up an account, don't worry, you can still use the blog to find reading ideas!


The format of our blog from this date forward has changed.  Instead of including just summaries & reviews of our materials, it will have so much more.  The blog will keep you updated on what's new here at the library, including important new book releases.    Please feel free to browse through our archives (listed in a menu on the right hand side of the blog)  to see reviews on 70+ library items.  There are quite a few cool book trailers as well~check them out!

Once again, welcome to our blog.  We look forwarding to hearing from you! :)

Julie Bramley
Library Associate
West Milford Township Library

Closed for the Season (2009) by Mary Downing Hahn

Plot Summary:  Moving into a creepy old house in Virginia that is falling down is not Logan’s idea of a summer vacation.  To top that, the kid next door, Arthur, is kind of weird and won’t leave Logan alone.  Arthur tells Logan that he is happy that he has moved in since the house has been sitting empty since “poor old Mrs. Donaldson” was murdered.  Logan can’t believe that his parents have him living in a house that was once a crime scene!  Wanting more information, Logan and Arthur go to the local library in order to read the articles about the murder.  The boys find out that Mrs. Donaldson worked at the Magic Forest, an amusement park that has been closed for years.  They also discover that Mrs. Donaldson had been suspected of embezzling money, and whoever killed her must have been looking for the cash.  Intrigued, the boys decide to investigate further and at Arthur’s urging, they ride their bikes out to the run down amusement park that is scheduled for demolition.  What they find is a place that is overgrown with kudzu vines and extremely creepy.  It seems that there are a lot of other people in town who are urgently trying to discover the missing money, especially since the park will be bulldozed.

Together,  Arthur and Logan must put together clues to figure out where the money is hidden and who killed Mrs. Donaldson.  This investigation puts their lives at risk because out there somewhere lurks the killer.

Genre:  Mystery

Subjects/Themes: Friendship

Awards: Edgar Awards (Edgar Allen Poe Awards) Won award 2010

Reviews:  Positive reviews from Voice of Youth Advocates and School Library Journal

Age Group:  Grades 5-8

Other Mary Downing Hahn titles available at West Milford Township Library:

All the Lovely Bad Ones
Deep and Dark and Dangerous
The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall
The Old Willis Place
Stepping on the Cracks
A Time for Andrew:
Wait till Helen Comes:

Hooper Finds a Family: A Hurricane Katrina Dog's Survival Tale (2011) by Jane Paley

Plot Summary: Jimmy is a happy one year old yellow labrador living with his owners Mama and George until Hurricane Katrina forces his owners to leave their home.  George is planning on coming back for Jimmy, but when Jimmy wakes up from his nap and the storm is wreaking havoc all around him, he realizes that he is on his own and must fight to stay alive.  This story, told from Jimmy's point of view and based on a true story, follows this puppy through trauma and survival. 

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Reviews:  Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, & Booklist

Age Level:  Grades 4-6

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (2010) by Tom Angleberger

*Please note that WMTL also has Tom Angleberger's recent release in the Origami Yoda series, Darth Paper Strikes Back. Please call or come in if you are interested in checking it out!

Plot Summary:  According to Origami Yoda, “Rush in fools do.”  Sixth grade isn’t easy.  Just ask Tommy and his friends Dwight, Harvey, and Kellen.  These middle school kids are just trying to fit in, find their way, and figure out how to talk to girls.  Enter Dwight and his finger puppet, Origami Yoda.  It sounds bizarre, right?  Well, Dwight is a dweeb as it is, always doing something stupid like picking his nose or wearing the same clothes day after day, but it gets even worse when he shows up to school one day with an Origami Yoda finger puppet that he made himself.  When Dwight starts telling people to ask Yoda for advice and then he answers in that weird not even Yoda sounding voice, Tommy can’t believe it.  And to make matters worse, it seems like Origami Yoda really does know what he is talking about.

How can it be possible that Dwight is so clueless, and yet Yoda is the voice of clarity?  How does Yoda know things that haven’t happened yet?  And if Yoda is so smart, why doesn’t Dwight himself take the advice so he doesn’t always look so ridiculous?  Why is the whole school listening to some stupid finger puppet when making decisions about their lives?  Is Origami Yoda real?  Read the case files of Yoda—all of his advice and how things turned out, according to Tommy and all of his friends.  Doodles by Kellen.

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Subjects/Themes:  Advice, friendship, middle school

Reviews:  Great reviews by Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal.

Age Group:  Grades 3-6

High Interest Annotation:  This laugh out loud story will grab all readers, especially Star Wars fans.  

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead (2009)

Plot Summary:  Miranda and Sal are best friends.  Growing up in 1970’s New York City together, these 6^th graders know which route to take home from school, when to cross the street to avoid groups, and know to walk around the block one more time instead of entering their apartment building if they see a stranger lurking  around out front. They even stick together to elude the crazy man that hangs around in front of their building since he sometimes shouts things out to them.  Until that day—the day that Sal is suddenly punched in the stomach by one of the boys in front of the garage for no apparent reason.  Sal stops talking to Miranda, starts avoiding her and quickly ducks away whenever he sees her.  What’s going on? For as long as she can remember, it has always been Miranda and Sal—for sleepovers, homework time, and back and forth to school.  Miranda is not sure what she has done wrong to make Sal not want to be her friend anymore. 

During the story, Miranda often refers to her favorite book that she is reading for perhaps the hundredth time, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle.  She often describes parts of the book as well as the characters.  Miranda admits that she identifies with Meg, the girl in the story, who is looking for her father probably because Miranda herself doesn’t know her father. 

One day, a mysterious slip of paper shows up in Miranda’s apartment—a letter that reads “I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. . . you must write me a letter.” Miranda receives several other letters and wonders who could be sending these messages?  And how does the letter writer know everything that goes on?  

Combine the mysterious letters, the crazy man on the corner, and Sal’s odd behavior, and there is quite a mystery to unravel.

Genre:              Mystery

Suggested age range:  10 through 14

Subjects/Themes:  Time Travel, Friendship, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle,

Awards:  Newbery Award 2009

Reviews: *Starred review* in Booklist, as well as a very positive review from School Library Journal.

Annotation:  Fans of A Wrinkle in Time and other books in The Time Quartet Series will really enjoy this story.  The stories have a connection that is intriguing.

Please watch this video of the author discussing her book!

Nancy Drew, Girl Detective #1, The Demon of River Heights (2005) by Stefan Petrucha

Plot Summary:  Nancy Drew, girl detective, knows that something is up when two boys filming in the woods suddenly disappear. Nancy, along with friends George and Bess, investigate and get stuck when Nancy's car runs out of gas.  Follow Nancy as she solves yet another mystery while being chased by a grizzly and seeing "monsters" in the woods.  Are the monsters real?  Read and find out.

Format:  Graphic Novel

Subject/Themes:  Ghosts, mines, iron

Genre:  Mystery

Age Group:  Grades 4 and up

Series:  So far, Papercutz has created 21 books in the series and recently started a new graphic novel series called the Nancy Drew New Case Files.  The first book is Nancy Drew Vampire Slayer.

High Interest Annotation:  This series by Papercutz has given Nancy Drew a makeover, bring her up to speed.  The pictures are nicely done and the storyline moves along quickly.  Great for reluctant readers.

The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton (2008) DVD

Plot Summary:

Jack the Pumpkin King is tired of doing the same thing year after year for Halloween.  He really wants to try something different.  Jack wanders off into the woods and comes upon trees with various doors.  One door in particular has a Christmas tree painted on it so Jack decides to go through it.  He finds himself in the magical town of Christmas.  Jack decides that he would like to take over Santa's duties this year, but can he pull it off?  Jack decides to kidnap Santa and take over Christmas.  A funny, yet dark representation of the story that will definitely appeal to tweens.  This movie is based on a poem also written Tim Burton.  The animation is fantastic, with a side storyline of an unhappy young woman named Sally.  Sally's creator wants to control her every move and Sally just wants to live her own life.  She also pines after Jack, although he is clueless about her feelings.  Watch this movie to enjoy two great holidays wrapped up in one-Halloween and Christmas!

Format:  DVD*

Subject/Themes: Halloween, Christmas, loneliness

Reviews:  The New Yorker

Age Group: older children/tweens

*The Nightmare before Christmas is the first full-length stop-motion animated film ever created. (*info. retrieved from Amazon.com)