a book club just for teens.

Between the Lines has moved to the Oil City High School!

If you like reading and wish you had someone to discuss your current books with, this is the group for you! Join us every other Thursday during the activity period (2:07-2:37 PM) in the OCHS library.

The actual reading will take place on your own time and at your own pace. Each week we’ll share our thoughts on what we’ve currently read (with no spoilers of course for those that aren’t caught up with us!) and our predictions/expectations for the rest of the story.

All selections are chosen by teens! You’ll also receive your very own copy of each book that we read to KEEP! 🙂

Hope to see you there! Email oclteen@oilregionlibraries.org with any further questions or speak to Mr. Sheatz.

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CURRENT BOOK PICKS

Various ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Adaptations

The current members of BTL have decided to mix things up. This cycle, we will NOT all be reading the same book. Instead everyone will read a variant of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. A picture of the available options are above.

This will provide an interesting discussion of the lasting effects a classic title can make on the literature world. Not only will we see how these variants resemble the original, but we also get to explore just how far each additional author decided to wander in the world Lewis Carroll has created.

Teen Reading Lounge

What is TRL?

Built on the belief that encouraging youth to choose creative programs based on their own interests is crucial to adolescent development, PA Humanities created an award-winning, unconventional approach to book clubs that offers a safe space for ages 12 to 18. The humanities naturally push young people to ask questions and share ideas, which are vital activities to discovering who they are, who they want to be, and their role in their community. Participants work together to co-create the reading list and design projects that connect themes in their selections to tangible action in their communities. With support from trained facilitators, they learn to hear from different perspectives and apply the questions from the readings to the world around them. Teens are proud to report on stronger interpersonal, communication, literacy, and critical-thinking skills and increased confidence thanks to Teen Reading Lounge. Learn more at https://pahumanities.org/initiative/teen-reading-lounge/.

TRL 2023 CYCLE

Our teens from last year decided on our focus: art & mental health! We not only talked about different mental health issues affecting our teens, but also tried our hand at different art forms each week. We ended the cycle by selling the artistic creations at Applefest. All proceeds from the sale were donated to a mental health organization of the teens' choosing. The Applefest booth not only provided a way for teens to show up for their community, but also increased awareness for an important mental health organization & their services.

TRL teens set up during Applefest to raise money for a mental health organization of their choosing as part of their community engagement project for the 2023 TRL cycle at the Franklin Public Library.

More Programs

* LOFT is currently taking a break. Watch this page for updates about its status! *

A Reading Challenge for grades 7-12

Diversity Before University presents 7th - 12th grade students with an opportunity to read books written by authors representing a wide range of diverse and important topics. This challenge was designed to help students gain a wider perspective about individuals that may differ from themselves before finding their place in society as an adult. 

The reading list of eligible books can be found below.

Once you have completed 5 books and filled out our form with their summaries, an entry with your name and contact information will be added to our raffle for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card.

You may participate in this challenge each school year until the reading list is complete. You do not have to finish the entire reading list to participate. The more you read from the list, the more entries you will gain for our Amazon gift card. A winner will be selected at the end of every school year. 
Submit Your Entries Online

reading list

  • The Wild Ones - Nafiza Azad
  • The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas
  • Puddin' - Julie Murphy
  • Survive the Dome - Kosoko Jackson
  • Children of Blood and Bone - Tomi Adeyemi
  • Like Other Girls - Britta Lundin
  • No Way They Were Gay - Lee Wind
  • Surrender Your Sons - Adam Sass
  • Apple : Skin to the Core - Eric Gansworth
  • Long Way Down - Jason Reynolds
  • Six Crimson Cranes - Elizabeth Lim
  • Darius the Great is Not Okay - Adib Khorram
  • Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask - Anton Treuer
  • From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry - Paula Yoo
  • We Are Not Free - Traci Chee
  • The Kindred - Alechia Dow
  • Burn Down Rise Up - Vincent Tirado
  • The Keeper of Night - Kylie Lee Baker
  • Kings Queens and In-Betweens - Tanya Boteju
  • Firekeeper's Daughter - Angeline Boulley
  • You Should See Me in a Crown - Leah Johnson
  • Cemetery Boys - Aiden Thomas
  • Wings of Ebony - J. Elle
  • Hollow Fires - Samira Ahmed
  • Ordinary Hazards - Nikki Grimes
  • The Poet X - Elizabeth Acevedo
  • Grown - Tiffany Jackson
  • How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love With the Universe - Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
  • American Sign Language For Beginners - Rochelle Barlow
  • Fish in a Tree - Lynda Mullaly Hunt
  • Iranian Love Stories - Jane Deuxard

  • How to They/Them - Stuart Getty
  • The Asperkid's Secret Book of Social Rules - Jennifer O'Toole
  • Anything But Typical - Nora Baskin
  • How We Roll - Natasha Friend
  • Rosie Loves Jack - Mel Darbon
  • Demystifying Disability - Emily Ladau
  • The 57 Bus - Dashka Slater
  • Dear Justyce - Nic Stone
  • I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter - Erika Sanchez
  • Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Saenz
  • Brown Boy Nowhere - S. Briones Lim
  • Between Bitter and Sweet - Laeken Kemp
  • The Girl Beneath the Fire - Axie Oh
  • Blood Scion - Deborah Falaye
  • A Snake Falls to Earth - Darcie Little Badger
  • The Witch King - H.E. Edgmon
  • Once Upon a K-Prom - Kat Cho
  • Skin of the Sea - Natasha Bowen
  • Rise: A Pop History of Asian America From the 90's to Now - Jeff Yang
  • Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malindo Lo
  • I Wish You All the Best - Mason Deaver
  • The Meaning of Birds - Jaye Robin Brown
  • Juliet Takes a Breath - Gabby Rivera
  • Punching the Air - Ibi Anu Zoboi
  • Hell Followed With Us - Andrew Joseph White
  • Run - John Lewis
  • Stamped : Racism, Antiracism, and You - Jason Reynolds
  • Asking For It - Louise O'Neill
  • The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
  • My Name is Jason. Mine Too - Jason Reynolds
  • Dancing at the Pity Party - Tyler Feder

All books listed are available through your library. We fit as many books on this list as possible, but of course there are more! If you feel a book should be added, make your case, and we will consider adding it!

WHAT IS THE VENANGO SPEAKS PODCAST?

The Venango Speaks Podcast is a show about people, places & things in Venango County, Pennsylvania. Incorporating discussions about recreation, business, volunteerism, revitalization, & community on the local level, the podcast aims to provide the surrounding area with engaging conversations featuring local youth, leaders & professionals.

The Venango Speaks Podcast was created by participants of the Leadership Venango Class of 2022. The class participants recorded the first 2 episodes of the show, then taught local teens how to record, edit & come up with topics for the continuation of the project. The podcast is now primarily conducted by teens in the local area.

If you are between the ages of 12-18 and are interested in having your voice heard while making a difference in your community, please join our podcast! We release one new episode a month about topics chosen by you and your peers.

Join the Podcast
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