Teen Library Council
Teen Library Council (TLC) meets to discuss teen books, movies, music, and programs that you would like to see in the Library. Teens in grades 7 – 12 who are interested in joining, or who need volunteer hours, are always welcome. Help make the Teen Department what you want it to be! TLC applications are available here: TLC Volunteer Application (PDF). The next TLC meetings are Monday, March 25 and Monday, April 22 at 6:30 p.m.
Books & Bites
Books & Bites is a book club just for teens in grades 7-12. Join us for a lively discussion and pizza. Upcoming book club dates are below.
The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell | Monday, January 21 at 6 p.m.
In modern-day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.
Stop the Magician. Steal the book. Save the future.
Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor | Monday, February 25 at 6 p.m.
Born in New York, but living in Aba, Nigeria, twelve-year old Sunny is understandably a little lost. She is albino and thus, incredibly sensitive to the sun. All Sunny wants to do is be able to play football and get through another day of school without being bullied. But once she befriends Orlu and Chichi, Sunny is plunged in to the world of the Leopard People, where your worst defect becomes your greatest asset. Together, Sunny, Orlu, Chichi and Sasha form the youngest ever Oha Coven. Their mission is to track down Black Hat Otokoto, the man responsible for kidnapping and maiming children. Will Sunny be able to overcome the killer with powers stronger than her own, or will the future she saw in the flames become reality?
The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe | Monday, March 18 at 6 p.m.
Based on the experience of real-life Auschwitz prisoner Dita Kraus, this is the incredible story of a girl who risked her life to keep the magic of books alive during the Holocaust.
Fourteen-year-old Dita is one of the many imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken, along with her mother and father, from the Terezín ghetto in Prague, Dita is adjusting to the constant terror that is life in the camp. When Jewish leader Freddy Hirsch asks Dita to take charge of the eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak past the guards, she agrees. And so Dita becomes the librarian of Auschwitz.
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson | Monday, April 15 at 6 p.m.
Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.
Teen Research Sources
General
Britannica School High – Multimedia, reading-level appropriate nonfiction content for 9-12 grade students and educators.
How to Study – Learn tips for better notes, test-taking and more.
MAS Complete – Offers coverage of popular high school magazines and reference books and covers a wide range of subjects including art, history, sports, and music.
Opposing Viewpoints in Context – Features contextual information and opinions on hundreds of today’s hottest social issues.
Citation Machine – Learn how to format your citations and create bibliographies.
Teens Health Test Anxiety – Do you struggle with maintaining your nerves before that big exam? Learn tips and tricks for managing these stressful times.
Teens Health – Information about health, growth, and emotions.
The Mint – Tips and tools for managing money.
Time Zone Converter – Find out what time it is anywhere in the world.
Unit Converter – Convert a variety of mathematical and scientific data.
College and Beyond
These websites are suggested to help you think about that next step in life…where you want to go and what you want to do after high school.
College Board – Tips on preparing for college, registering to take the SAT and more.
FinAid – Find scholarships, military aid, calculators and more.
FAFSA – Anyone attempting to get college loans, scholarships and more need to fill this out after income tax forms are completed.
Kaplan Test Centers – Get help on the ACT, SAT and AP Exams.
LearningExpress Library – Interactive learning centers with test and job preparation.
Mapping Your Future – One stop shopping for exploring colleges, majors and financial aid options.
Occupational Health Handbook – Information about various careers.
Princeton Review College Majors – Browse lists of college majors and which schools offer them. Take quizzes, get test help and explore colleges.
Vocational Studies Premier – Designed specifically for the research needs of two-year colleges, relevant to vocational programs. Subjects covered include counseling, biotechnology, cosmetology, fashion design, forensics, graphic arts, health information technology, law enforcement, and veterinary assistant.
Math
Ask Dr. Math (High School Archives) – A great website for help with algebra, pre-calculus and other math homework.
IXL Math – Practice problems for fractions, geometry and more.
Math2.org – Get help with mathematics equations.
English
Absolute Shakespeare – Have a Shakespeare assignment? Just interested in learning more? This website has you covered.
Dictionary.com – Daily words, crosswords or look up the meaning of troublesome words.
eBook High School Collection – Specifically for high school students and educators, this collection offers full-text eBook coverage that aligns with school’s curriculum. There is a selection of teacher resources and titles align with Common Core Curriculum Standards.
Grammarbook.com – Helpful rules, real-world examples, and fun quizzes.
Project Gutenberg – More than 50,000 free eBooks.
Purdue Online Writing Lab – An all-encompassing website to help you throughout the writing process from research and writing tips to citation help.
Rhymer.com – Find rhymes.
Symbols.com – Western symbols and ideogram explanations.
University of Michigan’s Dictionary of Symbolism: Symbolic meanings of words are discussed here in a convenient alphabetical listing.
History
Ben’s Guide to US Government – Get help with a government project.
CIA World Factbook – Site for information on country’s, including its people, history, commerce and more.
History Reference Center – Covers U.S. and world history topics and features historical reference books, magazines, and thousands of primary source documents.
National Geographic Maps – One stop website to find maps of all kinds.
StateMaster – Great resource for reports on US states and for comparing states.
University of Texas’ Historical Maps Collection – This site is the place to go when you need a map to help with a US history project or are curious what the United States looked like throughout history.
Foreign Languages
Pronunciator – Free with your library card to learn any of 80 provided languages.
BBC Languages: Spanish – Free podcast for beginner Spanish learners.
French Tutorial – Free resource for learning French.
Google Translate – Translate passages and text.
Notes in Spanish – Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced Spanish student, this website is invaluable.