Teen Things

Teen•Things

(Updated on 18 Jun 2021)

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K-Drama Book Recommendations

Annyeong! We’ve all ridden the crest of the K-drama wave late into the night and spent the next day discussing all the details with our friends in fervour. It’s just that exciting. We understand.

As you wait for the next episode to be released, why not dive into some reading?

Pick your favourite K-drama tropes and get matched with books containing the same heart-pounding thrills and swoons of your OTPs (that’s One True Pairing and not One-Time Password)!

^{Click on the image to access the K-Drama Book Recommendations Quiz!}

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D.I.Y. Blackout Poetry

Blackout poetry is a form of poetry where an author picks an existing piece of written text to repurpose into a new poem.

This is done by keeping a selection of words, and blacking out the remaining words you do not want. The result gives the written text a different meaning than it had before.

There are various ways you can craft a blackout poem, from simply using a single black marker to creating a vibrant and colourful work of art using paint.

Check these videos out to get started!

^{Source: How To Make A Newspaper Blackout Poem, Austin Kleon.}

^{Source: Blackout Poetry, Art with Armstrong.}

You can make blackout poems online too! Click on the image below to test out this interactive blackout poetry module on Blackout Poetry Maker.

^{Image source: Blackout Poetry Maker.}

Can’t get enough of poems? Check out these related reads for more!

Cast Away
Author: Naomi Shihab Nye
Call No.: J 811 NYE
Publisher: Harper Collins, 2020
Also available as an eBook on NLB OverDrive.

With poems about food wrappers, lost mittens, plastic straws, refugee children, trashy talk, the environment, connection, community, responsibility to the planet, politics, immigration, time, junk mail, trash collectors, garbage trucks, all that we carry and all that we discard, this is a rich, engaging, moving, and sometimes humorous collection for readers ages twelve to adult.

Synopsis from Harper Collins.

Turtle Under Ice
Author: Juleah del Rosario
Call No.: Y DEL
Publisher: Simon Pulse, 2020
Also available as an eBook on NLB OverDrive.

Rowena feels like her family is a frayed string of lights that someone needs to fix with electrical tape. After her mother died a few years ago, she and her sister, Ariana, drifted into their own corners of the world, each figuring out in their own separate ways how to exist in a world in which their mother is no longer alive.

But then Ariana disappears under the cover of night in the middle of a snowstorm, leaving no trace or tracks. When Row wakes up to a world of snow and her sister’s empty bedroom, she is left to piece together the mystery behind where Ariana went and why, realizing along the way that she might be part of the reason Ariana is gone.

Synopsis from Simon Pulse.

The book covers and synopses are the copyright of the respective publishing companies.

(All websites were last accessed on 11 Jun 2021.)

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Print-and-Play Boardgames

“Boardgaming” has become an increasingly popular hobby in recent years, often seen as a throwback to the days before online gaming.

While they may not be as fast-paced as videogames, boardgames can provide a more rounded social experience, as friends, and even family members, can meet up to play a game together.

Through boardgames, we can also expand our worldview and learn about different cultures and customs.

One such example is the popular game “Settlers of Catan”, which was inspired by the history of Icelandic Vikings. Learn more about the history of “Settlers of Catan” in this video:

^{Source: The Man Who Created Settlers of Catan, A Great Big Story.}

However, the hobby can be expensive – a single boardgame in Singapore often costs more than $20 per game.

One great alternative is Print-and-Play boardgames. As its name suggests, Print-and-Play boardgames are games that can be printed and assembled at home.

Many boardgame companies put up Print-and-Play versions of their boardgames online for public use, and the best part is that it is completely free!

Once you have the materials above, all you need to do then is pick a game, print it out, and follow the instructions to assemble the boardgame.

The assembling process can make for a fun time of social bonding if you ask your friends or family to help as well. Before long, you will have a completely assembled boardgame that’s ready to play!

Here are 3 websites that provide great Print-and-Play boardgames:

1) Asmodee Print & Play
Asmodee is a renowned French boardgames company that has made and owns many award winning boardgames such as Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan and Dixit! Try out a whole roster of free games here!

^{Source: Asmodee.}

2) PNP Arcade
PNP Arcade is a website where small and independent boardgame developers can submit and sell their boardgames to be printed and played. There is a free games section that you can check out.

^{Source: PNP Arcade.}

3) goodlittlegames
Similar to PNP Arcade, goodlittlegames is a website that features boardgames created by independent developers. So far they have a small collection of 16 games, but all are free to print and play!

^{Source: goodlittlegames.}

Game on! Take it to the next level with these books!

The Everything Tabletop Games Book
Author: Bebo
Publisher: Adams Media
Available only as an eBook on NLB OverDrive.

Tabletop and boardgames aren’t just for rainy days or awkward family events anymore. As the game industry grows, people of all ages are jumping to play “the original social network.”

In our ever-increasing technological world, playing old-school games is a welcome retreat from the overexposure to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and the rest of social media. Over the past few years, board games have become the hot new hobby. Instead of friends sitting around the same table and staring at their phones, they are now either working with or against each other.

The Everything Tabletop Games Book shows how to play some of the best tabletop games in the world, from classic strategy games like Settlers of Catan to great new games like Gloomhaven. Throughout the book, you’ll learn the different genres of tabletop and boardgames; how to play each game; rules and strategies to help you win; and even where to play online—including new expansions to keep your favorite games fresh and exciting.

So gather up some friends, pick a game from this book, and start playing! You’ll be having a blast in no time.

Synopsis from Simon and Schuster.

Otherworld
Authors: Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller
Call No: Y SEG
Publisher: Rock the Boat, 2017
Also available as an eBook on NLB OverDrive.

That’s how Otherworld traps you. It introduces you to sensations you’d never be able to feel in real life. You discover what’s been missing—because it’s taboo or illegal or because you lack the guts to do it for real. And when you find out what’s missing, it’s almost impossible to let it go again.

There are no screens. There are no controls. You don’t just see and hear it—you taste, smell, and touch it too. In this new reality, there are no laws to break or rules to obey. You can live your best life. Indulge every desire.

This is Otherworld—a virtual reality game so addictive you’ll never want it to end. And Simon has just discovered that for some, it might not.

Synopsis from Penguin Random House.

The book covers and synopses are the copyright of the respective publishing companies.

(All websites were last accessed on 4 Jun 2021.)

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Urban Farming: Back to Our Roots

Did you know that there are food farms in Singapore? They often grow leafy vegetables and rear fish, chickens, and goats. The farms are mostly located in Lim Chu Kang and Sungei Tengah, and occupy less than 1% of Singapore’s total land area (Source: Singapore Food Agency, 2019).

A small country like Singapore imports over 90% of its food from other countries (Source: Singapore Food Agency, 2019). Yet in recent years, Singapore has been inventive in urban agriculture so that we can produce more of our own food. Being able to sustainably grow food is also linked in many ways to the health of the planet.

Maybe you have always aspired to be a farmer, or at the least, have green fingers. If you want to grow your own food, you can always start at home with your own spice garden.

You can also go a step further to experiment with hydroponics, like this Singaporean teenager Hanna Joe did. Click on the image below to watch how she created her own mini urban farm at home! (Please note that the video is only available for viewing on YouTube.)

^{Image source: Teen grows sustainable hydroponic farm at home, The Straits Times.}

^{Adapted from: "The What and Why of Hydroponic Farming", Vertical Roots.}

If you’re hesitant to take care of real plants, why not try your hand at virtual farming first with this game by National Geographic:

^{Image source: Top Crop, an interactive game by National Geographic.}

Of course, the best place to go for advice on farming is to those with experience themselves. Why not stop by one of Singapore’s farms with your friends and have a chat with an urban farmer or even attend a masterclass on organic farming? Head down to one of Singapore’s best farms as listed in TimeOut’s article:

^{Image source: "9 Best Farms in Singapore to Visit", TimeOut Singapore.}

Finally, check out some of these great reads for more tips and inspiration on growing your own food or starting your own sustainable farming system!

The Comic Book Guide to Growing Food
Authors: Joseph Tychonievich and Liz Anna Kozik
Call No.: 635 TYC
Publisher: Ten Speed Press, 2021
Also available as an eBook on NLB OverDrive.

The first graphic novel guide to growing a successful vegetable garden, from planning, prepping, and planting, to troubleshooting, care, and harvesting. If you are a visual learner, beginning gardener, looking for something new, or have struggled to grow vegetables in the past, you’ll find this unique illustrated format ideal because many gardening concepts—from proper planting techniques to building raised beds—are easier to grasp when presented visually, step by step.

Synopsis from Penguin Random House.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
Authors: William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer
Call No.: Y 621.453096 KAM
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2019
Also available as an eBook on NLB OverDrive.

When a terrible drought struck William Kamkwamba’s tiny village in Malawi, his family lost all of the season’s crops, leaving them with nothing to eat and nothing to sell. William began to explore science books in his village library, looking for a solution. There, he came up with the idea that would change his family’s life forever: he could build a windmill. Made out of scrap metal and old bicycle parts, William’s windmill brought electricity to his home and helped his family pump the water they needed to farm the land.

Synopsis from: Penguin Random House.

The book covers and synopses are the copyright of the respective publishing companies.

(All websites were last accessed on 28 May 2021.)

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