Tweens & Teens – Vail Public Library

TEEN LITTLE FREE LIBRARY RE-PAINTING PROJECT

Vail Public Library is looking for five groups of teen volunteers interested in repainting and cleaning up our Little Free Libraries throughout Vail and the valley this summer as part of our Summer Reading programming.

The Little Free Libraries were first painted and put up by teen volunteers in 2017, and we feel they are ready for a makeover. Five groups will become a part of these library’s ongoing story as beloved community spaces in Vail.

Summer Reading 2021’s theme is Tails and Tales, and we are looking for groups to repaint the Little Free Libraries following this theme. Bonus points if you can make it fit with “Tales of Vail” or “Tails of Vail.”

Five groups will get to paint the libraries and unveil them over the summer.

How to get involved:
Proposals should include the names and contact information (both email and phone number are preferred) for each member of the group, why you want to take on this project, a brief description of the idea, and an accompanying sketch/mockup of the final design.

Please send proposals and questions to either Sabrina at SUnrein@vailgov.com or Cricket at CPylman@vailgov.com
The submission deadline is June 15th.

Your library is now on Discord!

On our Discord you can

Attend virtual programs
Play games such as Among Us
Chat about books, video games, music, and more
Provide program suggestions for activities you would like the library to do
Suggest books, movies, and other materials for the library to add to its collection
Build a community!

All you need to do is fill out this application form and we will send you a link to join.

Application form

More information about Discord:

What is Discord?

Helping your teen be safe on Discord

Discord FAQ for parents and educators

While you wait, you can download the Discord app to your computer or phone so you’ll be ready to start when we add you.

Winning Poems from our April Poetry Contest

Superhero or Villain

Jenna Kisker
8th Grader from Berry Creek Middle School

As kids we were obsessed with the superheroes
We wanted to be just like them
We wanted to save the world and be loved by all
Our parents would tell us their stories
All about how they flew over the world
Or had super vision
Maybe super speed
To be that great was such an inspiration
You would dress up as them for halloween
And tell all your friends that you had met them on your family trip to disneyland
Being in love with superheroes was a part of your childhood
You could say a right of passage
But as we grew up we understood the villains

UP NEXT TO TRY HIS HAND…

By Mia Penasa
homeschooled 11th grader

A faint stench arises from the damp dirt beneath sweat sodden feet
Tread lightly now, these chains will not bear themselves
With a heave stones are stacked upon crumbling spears
Once sharp-tonged children of the brave and naive
Put to the test before a cheering crowd
Disowned after emperor is crowned
What a solemn funeral indeed when stumbling to casket is witnessed
Spectators are in an uproar of hearty celebration
What a moment to witness the walk of a dearly beloved captive
Remnants of protective prisons
Are being awarded as trophies to the dominant alpha
Are tossed as bouquets of flowers to those attending feasts with fate
That same spear, right to stare in the eye
Grasped by long-fingered gloved hands the eye of a lion
Philosophers pose this query in hushed whispers
From behind fortress walls of leather-bound honest falsities
Serve as a shield as good as any to obscure ones view
To quickly avert eyes behind when silently pleaded with by a crawling fragment of history
His sandal has come untied they notice
Still restraints unseen bind his callused feet
He is horse before cart
A shove on the back may cause a stumble into gravity
As always looking up at cruel lord in purple announcing loudly the wish for his success
Goodbye false idol with a burial ground for a temple
Your holy water never reached the most parched lips
A light tap of tarnished steen shall never reach you
But the ink in the well is drying up
And with longer stride comes quicker pace
So under applause he signs off parchment regretfully
Your humble warrior
Unwritten
Slave

Is there a Reluctant Reader Out There?

Reading is a passion for some of us and a chore for others. But, it is really important for a student to be a fluent reader so here is a resource for Reluctant Readers. We’ll be sure to purchase some of the books for your enjoyment! Here’s an explanation of the why’s of reluctant readers.

Reluctant Reader YALSA suggestions

TEEN HEALTH

MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID

Tips to Help Teens Cope During COVID-19

When our world changes quickly and suddenly because of things like COVID-19, it is common to experience changes in our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Feelings of anxiety, fear or worry are typical in stressful situations.

The award-winning Teen Health & Wellness provides middle and high school students with up-to-date, nonjudgmental, straightforward curricular, and self-help support. Topics covered include diseases, drugs, alcohol, nutrition, mental health, suicide, bullying, LGBTQ+ issues and more.

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

FINANCIAL PATH TO GRADUATION

The tool helps students with financial aid offers decide whether to enroll in a specific school and how to pay for it, using data and guidelines. This page explains where and how we got those numbers and guidelines.

Learn more

COLLEGE ADMISSION HELP

Vail Public Library offers access to EBSCO Learning Express. Click on the images below for more information.

MOUNTAIN YOUTH

Looking for an opportunity for leadership?
Mountain Youth’s work ensures Eagle County youth remains a priority; striving to be a community where young people are equipped with skills that support healthy bodies, healthy minds and improved decision making and leadership skills to guide their lives. We are a nimble organization focused on creating a better Eagle County for all — giving youth a voice in our community.

TEEN BOOKS

YALSA’S TEENS’ TOP TEN

The Teens’ Top Ten is a “teen choice” list, where teens nominate and choose their favorite books of the previous year!

Learn more here

LITTLE FREE LIBRARY PROJECT

Over the summer, our Teen Reading Group built five little free libraries! Have a book? Leave a book! Want a book? Take a book! Always free, the little free libraries are the “town square” of a community and thanks to our amazing teens, Vail has five.