Welcome to our newest issue of 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.
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![College prep resources.]()
reparing for College
reparing for CollegeThinking about college? We’ve got your back! The library hosts college prep programs throughout the year to help you get ready. Earlier this month, we had a super popular session on financial aid – lots of students & their caregivers attended, and we’re still getting questions about it in the Loft.
If you missed it, don’t worry – the presenters, My College Planning Team, have helpful on-demand resources as well as several upcoming free virtual seminars on financial aid and other pieces of the process. We’ve also pulled together some awesome books and materials to guide you through the process – just click this link to see our top picks.
Need help with SATs or ACTs? Hit up the LearningExpress database for free test prep tools.
Whether you’re just starting to think about college or deep in the application grind, the library’s here to help you crush it.
![illustrations of canvases featuring paintings of various foods with the text "teen tiny tastes art show"]()
Teen Tiny Tastes Art Show
The Tiny Tastes show is our third Teen Tiny Art Show and the talent in our community just keeps getting more and more impressive!
The theme for this tiny art show was food – and we received submissions from all across the food pyramid – celebrating hats, fruit, diner meals, breakfast, dessert, dad jokes, and more! You can view the canvases outside the Teen Loft through Monday, May 5 or online.
![Cover for the book Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.]()
Hunger Games Hype
The newest novel in the Hunger Games series, a prequel called Sunrise on the Reaping, was published a few weeks ago and the excitement is real! Some fans are rereading the series, starting with the original trilogy and moving into The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, the first prequel published.
In other Hunger Games news, a new, illustrated edition of the first novel also came out recently (we were a little underwhelmed) and we’ll see Sunrise on the Reaping in theaters in November of 2026.
Maddie and Emily were discussing the hype today & would like to see a prequel focusing on Cinna. What other characters would you want to see focused on in additional novels? Are you surprised there isn’t a graphic novel version? If you’ve read the newest book, what did you think? How does it compare to the rest of the series? Tell us your thoughts next time you’re in the Loft!
If you haven’t yet, place your hold for Sunrise on the Reaping today – we have multiple copies of the physical and digital editions, so even though the holds line looks long, it’s moving quickly. May the odds be ever in your favor you get a copy soon!
![upcoming events]()
Can’t Miss Events
- Note: the Library will be closed on Sunday, April 20.
- T[w]eens in the Studio: Earth Day Craft
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 – 4:30-5:15 pm
Join us in the Library’s makerspace! This month we’ll be decorating pots and selecting seeds to plant from the Seed Library. All supplies provided. Registration opens one week before each event, and space is limited. Events are limited to Park Ridge Library cardholders, grades 6-12. - T[w]een Book Buddies
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 – 6:15-7:30 pm
Sign up to be a reading buddy to 1st and 2nd graders! You’ll be paired with your buddy for a brief session – your buddy will decide if you’ll read together, or if they’ll read to you! Community service credit is available for this event. Grades 6-12. - Food Trivia
Friday, May 9, 2025 – 4-5 pm
Are you a food expert? Put your food knowledge to the test and go wild answering a range of trivia questions about breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks! Grades 6-12.
As always, you can share your feedback with us here – we’d love to hear your Lofty thoughts!
Our Strategic Planning process ends on Friday, April 18 – please share your feedback with us as we look to the library’s future!
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