What a fun and memorable day in the library! We began our Friday morning with “Unplugged” and featured the very talented vocals of Elijah Fleming. Crowds gathered and we began seeing flashes of silver walk by the circulation desk followed by a distinctive clanging of bells. With further investigation, we discovered hundreds of homecoming revelers! Boys wore arms full of sparkly ribbons and notions and girls had 5 times the goodies, pulling on their necks and dragging under their feet! Some have teddy bears, some light up and all are a celebration of the McKinney Boyd Homecoming 2012.

Elijah Flemming performs for Friday Morning Unplugged as crowds gather to enjoy his amazing vocals.

Brandy Smith, Whitney Kornely, Mackenzie Wells and Lindsay Caudill show off their mums.

Dalton Ortiz, Luke Janc, Luke Penny and Jake Blackwood show arms adorned with ribbons and trinkets!

Author Ellen Hopkins Visits Boyd!

We had an exciting afternoon the other day with a visit from popular author, Ellen Hopkins. To the teens who have read her work, she is a rock star. We gave away tickets on a first come, first serve basis for students interested in attending and ended up with close to 100 students packed into the library for the presentation.  Hopkins has a real connection with teens and writes with an honesty and frankness that resonates with readers. Her subject matter is difficult but as she puts it, “Someone had to write about these subjects”. Hopkins drew from personal experiences with a drug addicted family member when she decided to write “Crank”. This wildly popular novel shows the unfortunate consequences as the main character battles the demons of drug abuse. Crank led to a follow up book and eventually a calling for Hopkins as she began writing about difficult subjects such as teen pregnancy, abuse, adoption, homelessness and suicide. The stories are told in poetry with the detail extending even to the shape of the paragraphs reflecting the action being described. When asked what message she could leave for our students, Hopkins replied, “Consider the consequences of your decisions as they could affect you for the rest of your lives. Things you do now will have an effect on you at 33 and even 43.” The presentation concluded with book signings and an autograph meet and greet.