Teen Program Idea: Zombie Fiction Book Club

A lot of teen book clubs at libraries fade after two or three meetings, some book clubs get no attendance at all. There is no concrete answer for this but I think it partly has to do with the book choices we make.
For example, when we're picking a book for a book club, we'll pick something popular and something that's been critically acclaimed like The Hunger Games or The Book Thief, right? And while these books are great, I think most teens will squirm at the thought of reading something that is popular and that everyone raves about. If teens ever read a book like that, they'll have to do it on their own and the popularity of these books have proven that teens WILL do that if they're interested. Now, I'm not saying this about ALL teens because there are some that will come to a book club that is reading The Hunger Games. I'm just saying this could be a problem for some teens.
If you remember a little about being a teenager like I do, you'll know they want to question everything. "NY Times says The Book Thief is genius?! Lame!" So you want to pick something that's interesting to them but also unconventional. There are other options that I will discuss later (horror, fantasy and sci-fi,) but the first thing I think of? Zombies!
Yes, for some reason lately, teens have it bad for Zombies. I honestly don't know why, I mean, zombies are okay, I'll watch zombie movies and enjoy them but I can't understand why people are obsessed with them!
With The Walking Dead tv show coming out last Winter, various video games and movies, it's clear that zombies are rising up everywhere in popular culture. Just don't tell the teens who come to your library that!

Here are some book suggestions to start your zombie fiction book club:

-World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks (although I personally wouldn't start with these...they're the most popular zombie books out there and if teens are into zombies, they probably have read it already.)
-Brains: A Zombie Memoir by Robin Becker
-Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S.G. Browne
-Feed and Deadline by Mira Grant
-The Walking Dead series by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard and Tony Moore (Like Max Brooks, I wouldn't start with this either. These are very popular among zombie fans.)
-The Affinity Bridge by George Mann
-The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
-Zombies: Encounters with the Hungry Dead, Book of the Dead and Book of the Dead 2: Still Dead by John Skipp

Teen Program Idea: Mix CD Exchange

This could be a program that only meets once or one that meets monthly, every six months, etc.
IF you are planning to only meet once (or just a couple of times,) I would say it could be fun to plan on reading any of these:
Love is a Mixtape or Talking to girls about Duran Duran : one young man's quest for true love and a cooler haircut by Rob Sheffield
Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture by Thurston Moore
Cassette From My Ex: Stories and Soundtracks of Lost Loves by Jason Bitner
before and be ready to discuss the book during the meeting along with exchanging music.

-To prepare, make a sign up sheet and have people fill out their name and three of their favorite musicians. Give a certain period for people to sign up. (But obviously if you can swing this without a cut-off date, feel free.) The three musicians listed is a way for the librarian to choose partners based on relative music taste and for the person who is making the mix tape.
-After sign up is finished, give everyone a partner. The name and three favorite musicians that's given to them will be the person they're supposed to make the mix CD for.
-Meet at a certain time, provide drinks and snacks and exchange CD's. If you do decide to read a book too, you'll have time to discuss the book.

Teen Program Idea: Graphic Novel Book Club

GRAPHIC NOVEL BOOK CLUB!
-Meet once a month.
-Pick a graphic novel to read and discuss (examples: The Walking Dead, Castle Waiting, Watchmen, Scott Pilgrim, Kill Shakespeare, Transmetropolitan)
-Watch a movie/anime/tv show adaptation of the graphic novel or something that relates to the graphic novel you've just read.
-If the club gets a good following, have one member each month pick the book they're going to read.

Octopus Storytime!

Books Used:
I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Tickly Octopus by Ruth Galloway
An Octopus Followed Me Home by Dan Yaccarino
Herman The Helper by Robert Kraus

Craft: Octo-plate!
Materials needed:
-Paper plates (any size)
-Party Streamers cut 2 inches short (at least a variety of two colors)
-Googly eyes!
-Crayons
-Glue

Rhyme:
Arm #1 goes swish, swish, swish (swing arms back and forth)
Arm #2 helps me catch fish (wiggle hand back and forth)
Arm #3 pats my head (pat hand on head)
Arm #4 makes sure I’m fed (put hand to mouth)
Arm #5 swims me to shore (move arms in swimming motion)
Arm #6 touches the ocean floor (touch hand to floor)
Arm #7 can grab and tug (open and close hands)
But all eight arms give me a hug! (cross arms and hug yourself)

Cat Storytime!

Books Used:
Mr. Pusskins: A Love Story by Sam Lloyd
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by James Dean and Eric Litwin
Cat Secrets by Jef Czekaj

Craft: Cat Face!
Materials needed:
-Paper plates (any size)
-Paper craft template from DLTK (omit the round head/whiskers)
-Glue
-Black Pipe Cleaners (For Whiskers!)
-Crayons

Rhyme: Kitty Cat, Kitty Cat
Kitty cat, kitty cat
Where have you been?
I've been to London
to look at the Queen.

Kitty cat, kitty cat
What did ya do there?
I frightened a mouse
Under her chair.

Game: Pete the Cat Memory Game from Harper Collins Website: http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/feature/petethecat/pdfs/PeteCat_Matching_DA.pdf

Songs: Pete the Cat Songs from Harper Collins Website: "Rocking in my School Shoes" and "I Love my White Shoes"