Welcome to What’s Up in the Loft, a newsletter for middle & high school students. Each month, we’ll highlight various library resources, new book recommendations, and upcoming events. In future issues, we’ll feature content from our T[w]een Advisory Board members as well!
Study Resources 
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With the SAT and ACT moving entirely digital, the Library is unable to host practice tests as in years past – but your Park Ridge Library card provides access to practice tests via Learning Express Library. To study even further, you can visit the CollegeBoard site, which also provides free practice resources, study tips, and tests. We have physical test prep materials in our collection, covering the SAT, SSAT/ISEE, PARCC, AP, GRE, or the driving test. Find a list of prep books on our study resources page.
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Recent New Book Highlights
Recent New Book Highlights- A winter small-town neurodivergent romcom set during the holidays – Some Like It Cold by Elle McNicoll (high school fiction)
- A chilling series of murders begins after a group of teens is stranded in a remote ski cabin during a blizzard – The Bitter End by Alexa Donne (middle school fiction)
- When a Martian boy discovers an ancient, buried dragon on a dying planet, he’s thrust into a high-stakes space adventure – The Last Dragon on Mars by Scott Reintgen (middle school fiction)
- A graphic novel set during one of the most awkward moments of middle school: the dance unit in gym class – Swing by Audrey Meeker (middle school graphic novel)
- A soothsayer predicts her soulmate to be the dying king in what is sure to be a #BookTok favorite – Divine Mortals by Amanda M. Helander (high school fiction)
- Recently read & loved by Maddie: a tell-all book about poisonous plants for all your alchemical needs – A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants: Wicked Weeds and Sinister Seeds by Rebecca E. Hirsch (middle school nonfiction)
Upcoming Events
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- 5th-9th graders, don’t miss our Weird & Wacky Soda Taste Test on Friday, December 27, 2024 – you’ll get to sample such delicious flavors as mustard, birthday cake, bacon, pickle, and more! This year, we’re dying all the sodas the same color so you can’t guess ahead of time – are you brave enough to sip off smell alone?
- Our ever-popular 6th-12th grade Murder Mystery Parties return with a medieval twist on January 3, 2025!
- High school students with learning or physical differences and their caregivers will learn about the college process in Empower and Excel on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.
- By popular request, 6th-12th grade Percy Jackson fans can put their fandom knowledge to the test in Percy Jackson Trivia on Friday, January 10, 2025.
- Fans of Pesto the giant penguin rejoice, our first Teen Take & Create of 2025 is none other than a penguin craft, available while supplies last starting Monday, January 13, 2025!
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Maddie’s School Visit Wrap-Up
Maddie’s School Visit Wrap-UpMiddle & High School Coordinator Maddie has been out on tour of Park Ridge schools to share program information and recommended reads with students and their teachers. You can find her presentation and a list of the books she shared here.
Our Winter Reading program begins Friday, December 20. (Pre-registration is open now!)
As always, you can share your feedback with us here – we’d love to hear from you!
We also invite you to recommend materials for us to include in next month’s newsletter!
