The Children’s Department offers opportunities for Community Service hours for students in grades six through eight in the form of special events, book reviews, room maintenance, and volunteering at our Free Children’s Fair in August. Special events range from room decorating to crafting projects to assisting librarians during events. Sign up to be included on our Community Service email list to be notified about opportunities as they become available and view our list of calendar events for scheduled opportunities open to the public through registration.

Sign up to receive our Young Teen Community Service Newsletter here.

Book Reviews (2 Community Service Hours)

The Young Teen Room at the East Hampton Library houses a collection of books targeted toward the interests of our community of local students in grades six through eight. We encourage all students to read as often as they can to broaden their worldview and grow as people. One of the very best ways to select a book is through reviews by their peers.

Criteria:

• Read all rules and conditions here.
• Select a book from the Young Teen collection.
• Write or film a book review of 150-200 words or 30 seconds (no longer than 90 seconds). Guidelines for reviews can be found here. Filmed book reviews require a signed consent form by yourself and your parent or guardian.
• Submit your book review here.
• A certificate acknowledging your Community Service hours earned will be e-mailed to you as a pdf document. Please allow one week for processing of a community service certificate. Please retain this certificate for your records if you need to show proof of participation in the future.

Note: Participants are limited to one book review per month.

Children’s Room Maintenance (by Appointment)

The Children’s Room and Young Teen Room at the East Hampton Library require a lot of regular maintenance to keep up with the tens of thousands of guests that use our space every year. Volunteer to help keep our public spaces in tip-top shape all year round!

Projects include:

• Dusting shelves and books
• Cleaning toys
• Shelf reading (reorganizing books to ensure their proper order defined by library standards)

All Children’s Room Maintenance must be approved and scheduled by a Children’s Librarian before beginning any maintenance work. Please email joe@easthamptonlibrary.org to schedule your appointment at least twenty-four hours in advance and be advised that we are unable to accommodate walk-ins. You will receive a certificate acknowledging your Community Service hours earned immediately after completing your agreed upon tasks. Please retain this certificate for your records if you need to show proof of participation in the future.

The Ghostkeeper by Johanna Taylor

Perfect for fans of everything from Lockwood & Co. to The Haunting of Hill House, this gothic graphic novel follows a young medium with the gift—or curse, as some might say—to communicate with the dead. This ghost story “powerfully, tenderly, and empathetically examines death, grief, and the afterlife” raved Kirkus in a starred review!

Dorian Leith can see ghosts. Not only that, he listens to their problems and tries to help them move on to the afterlife. It’s a gift that’s made him an outcast to everyone in town. That is except for his dearly departed grandmother, who he’s partnered with to turn this paranormal ability into an honest living, and the local bookshop owner, who seems to be the only non-deceased person willing to give him a chance. But it’s all worth it to Dorian, who feels like he’s been given a bigger purpose. A chance to save those who cannot save themselves.

Then one day, the key to Death’s Door is stolen, trapping all the ghosts in the land of the living. Since he’s only one who can see them, the spirits rely on Dorian to retrieve the key before it is too late. If they can’t move on, they’ll soon be consumed by a ghostly rot that has begun to plague them.

As it continues to fester and spread, and the ghosts become desperate for relief, Dorian must do whatever it takes to find a way to bring peace to the restless dead—even if that peace comes at the cost of his own….

Taylor Swift: The Whole Story by Chas Newkey-Burden

The #1 New York Times Bestseller
As Taylor releases her 11th album, THE TORTURED POET’S DEPARTMENT, catch up on the full story of Taylor Swift’s stratospheric rise to fame; all any dedicated Swifty needs to know about the pop superstar who’s taking over the world

A small-town girl with incredible talent – and the strength and determination to realise her dream – Taylor Swift has gone from America’s sweetheart to global megastar. But how did she get there? And how has she coped with the realities of fame?

Fully updated in fascinating detail, Taylor Swift: The Whole Story explores Taylor’s musical evolution and her status as a fearless businesswoman operating on her own terms. From her early beginnings in Pennsylvania to the challenges she faced on the road to success, and from her relationships with Harry Styles, Joe Alwyn and Travis Kelce to her record-breaking Eras tour, this is the unmissable account of Taylor’s journey to world domination.