Who is Selena Gomez? Who or what is ICarly? If you are a teens/tweens librarian, you should know the answers to these questions. If your library is looking for ways to bring teens and tweens into your library Create, Relate, and Pop @ the Library by Helmrich and Schneider is the resource you need. It challenges teens/tweens librarians to invigorate services for teens and tweens by creating programs that harness the power of pop culture. With its practical tips and suggestions, this book will move your teens and tweens services into the twenty-first century.

The first chapters of the book delve into some history, development, and philosophy regarding the use of pop culture. The following chapters discuss how the librarian can use pop culture to target specific populations through promotion and branding. The book also emphasizes the importance of up-to-date collections and spaces. These chapters are filled with practical tips and suggestions for why and how to keep up with youth culture. Few other resources are currently available that address tween services, and even fewer cover the pop culture perspective on library services. For these reasons alone, the book is well worth the purchase price.

The book features blueprints for programs covering broad topics such as art, fantasy, and music that can be easily adapted for either teens or tweens. These easy program ideas include directions for the program and emphasize the “create and relate” philosophy of pop culture. Lists of resources, a comprehensive table of contents, and an index make this book very accessible.

Whether your public or school library needs to rethink its services to teens and tweens, develop new services and programs to this population, or simply ratchet up its current services, this book is a necessary purchase. Pairing it with Linda Alexander and Nahyun Kwon's Multicultural Programs for Tweens and Teens (ALA, 2010) will provide a wealth of ideas for well-rounded services and programming.