Category: Teens

Are you looking for reading recommendations for teens? We can help! Visit us in person or online to get great ideas for your next great read. For one-on-one help call or ask a Library staff member at any of our locations. You can also call, text, or email ask-a- librarian! Here are some more ideas to help you find what to read next.

Follow our staff’s most recently published book lists on the library catalog home page.
Don’t miss our If You Like… suggestions that cover all the favorite genres like science fiction, graphic novels, romance, and more.
Join us Sunday nights at 8:30 p.m. on Facebook for Currently Reading where book enthusiasts offer their suggestions.
Tune in every other Wednesday at 10 a.m. to the Indy Now Book Club with Ryan and Jillian on Fox59 for reading recommendations and IndyPL program highlights from your own local librarians.
You can also get reading recommendations online from NovelList or Book Connections. Read book reviews, see “read alike” lists, browse starred reviews, and more.

Make a selection from one of the book lists below created by our staff of avid readers whose reading experiences and tastes cover about any interest you can think of!

Staff Picks 2024- Best of Teen

A Bit of Funny With Your Fantasy – Youg Adult Picks

Whether it’s dark humor, whimsy, sarcasm, or banter, these young adult fantasy picks have a sense of humor.

More Cat Manga!

Peanut butter and jelly, burgers and fries, Batman and Robin, etc., etc. Like these other pairs, cats and manga have a history worthy of recognition and should be counted among these famous duos. Check out this assortment of manga featuring cats who have main character energy and cats who play important supporting roles. If you haven’t had your fill of cat manga and are looking for more – peek at the previous Cat Manga list.

Title - Falling in Love With A Traveling Cat

What to Read Next Based on Your Favorite Taylor Swift Song

Don’t see your favorite song? Head over to your local branch and ask which librarian is a Swifty and they’ll help you figure it out!

Teen Books Featuring Podcasts

Podcasts keep getting more popular! According to statistics by Infinite Dial, almost half of Americans 12 and older have listened to a podcast in the last month. From True Crime to Politics to Entertainment to History, almost any topic is fair game for podcasting. It’s only natural that this popularity would affect the world of books too! These teen books feature podcasts. The main character is the podcaster or a podcast is produced by someone else and affects the main character in some crucial way.

Teen Fiction without Romance

Sometimes I find myself just wanting to read some dramatic, adventurous teen fiction… without the characters trying to get all in each other’s business all the time. Here are some titles for if you can relate to that sentiment.

100 Books Before Graduation

Read 100 books before graduating from high school and receive prizes as you work toward your goal. Prizes will be awarded after reading 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 books! Most importantly, students will expand their mind, vocabulary, critical thinking, and test scores! This program is for students in grades 7-12. Learn more about 100 Books Before Graduation and register.

Dungeon and Dragons Stories

This list is a look at some stories of dungeon divers, dungeon clubs, dungeon trainers and dungeons in general. Enjoy! See our full listing of Dugneon and Dragon upcoming programs.

Tags What We're Reading

Looking for your next good book, something new to try, or homework and research resources? We can help! From books to movies to magazines and music, learn more about all the library has to offer teens!

Programs

Event: Winter Open Activities
Date & Time: Thursday, January 02, 1:00pm
Location: Central Library
Description: Looking for a fun way to keep warm while on break? Come join the Learning Specialists this week for winter-time fun! Children, families, and groups are welcome to check out some of our technology, games, and activities or do a cool winter craft!
No Registration Required.

Event: Explore STEM + More
Date & Time: Saturday, January 04, 1:00pm
Location: Central Library
Description: Kids and families, drop by the Arena on the 2nd floor to immerse yourself in the world of science and tech exploration. Discover something new by exploring robots, LEGOs, STEM apps, crafts, games and more at your own pace.
No Registration Required.

Event: Tween Graphic Novel Book Club
Date & Time: Saturday, January 04, 2:00pm
Location: Lawrence Branch
Description: Join the Tween Graphic Novel Book Club as we share our thoughts on this month’s read, “Lo and Behold.” Children ages 9-12 are invited to attend and new members are always welcome!
Register Here

Staff Picks 2024- Best of Teen

Enjoy this list of our favorite YA reads of 2024, which spans genres. Enjoy dark academia, fake dating, poetry, comic adventures, subverted fantasy tropes, heists, D&D, and more!

Don’t forget that this year, we’ve included our favorite selections from the back catalog, in the hopes you can get your hands on a book you’ll love right now.

Are you looking for more reading recommendations? We can help! What We’re Reading for Teens shares our most current reading suggestions or browse through all of our booklists for teens.

e-Books & Streaming

Download and stream millions of e-books, movies, music, and more instantly for free with your IndyPL Library card. No late fees, no worries. See all of our e-books and streaming platforms or browse these collection specifically for teens:

OverDrive e-Books & Audiobooks for Teens
OverDrive Magazines for Kids & Teens
EBSCO e-Books for High School
Flipster Magazines for Teens

Books Unbanned e-Collection for Teens from the Brooklyn Public Library

“Brooklyn Public Library is adding our voice to those fighting for the rights of teens nationwide to read what they like, discover themselves, and form their own opinions. Inspired by the American Library Association’s Freedom to Read Statement, BPL’s Books Unbanned initiative is a response to an increasingly coordinated and effective effort to remove books tackling a wide range of topics from library shelves.”

For a limited time, individuals ages 13-21 from across the country can apply for a free electronic library card. This card allows access to BPL’s full e-book collection and learning databases. To apply, email Books Unbanned. The free library card is valid for one year. You can use it to check out from the Library’s archive of 350,000 e-books; 200,000 audiobooks and over 100 databases.

Teen Advisory Boards

At many of our locations, teen advisory groups get directly involved directly with the library by providing insight into teen interests. Through regular meetings, the groups also plan and executes programs for other teens, and assist with displays and books lists. The group setting allows teens to have responsibilities and work with teens outside their regular sphere. Call your local branch to find out more.

Hear from Avi Maun, a member of the Teen Advisory Group (TAG) at Michigan Road, about how he and others on this council are helping to create a welcoming space for teens at The Library. If you’d like to learn more about teen programs and ways to get involved, please contact your local branch or reach out to us online at indypl.org/contact.

Volunteering

Calling all teens (14-17)! Are you looking for a way to complete your service hours or boost your college applications? Or maybe you’d like to support literacy efforts in your community. Consider connecting with your local library for a few hours a week. Learn more about volunteering.

100 Books Before Graduation

Read 100 books before graduating from high school and receive prizes as you work toward the goal. Prizes will be awarded after reading 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100 books! Most importantly, students will expand their mind, vocabulary, critical thinking, and test scores! This program is for students in grades 7-12. Learn more about 100 Books Before Graduation and register.

Online Resources

You can use your library card to access several different databases and online learning modules for both homework or fun. Here are a couple popular choices. You can see our complete listing here divided into several helpful categories like Arts & Entertainment, Auto Repar, Homework Help Grades 6-12, and more.

Creativebug
Creativebug is a library of free video tutorials taught by designers and artists on sewing, knitting, quilting, painting, drawing, and much more. Apple and Android apps are available. learn more here.

DrivingTest.org
BMV practice exams, along with additional resources on everything from what to wear on testing day to common testing mistakes. With further practice tests for motorcycle driving or commercial driving licenses, this is your one-stop shop. You can also read or download the Indiana Driver’s Handbook.

Need help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. Additionally, the Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

If you enjoy board, card, and dice games, you are in luck! The Library has books, programs, and gaming recommendations for tabletop gamers of all ages – explore them all!

1. New York Times Crossword & Games

Did you know that your library card gives you free 24-hour access to the New York Times crossword puzzle and other games? You must first create a New York Times account if you don’t already have one.

Visit The New York Times: Crossword & Games..
Enter your library card barcode number and click “Get Code.”
Click “Redeem” to submit your randomly generated access code.
Since you need to have a New York Times online account to use the code, the next step prompts you to create an account (which is free) or to log in to your existing account.
You now have access to The New York Times for 24 hours. After the 24 hours are up redeem another code for another 24-hours of access. Enjoy!

2. Gaming Programs

Event: Block Party
Date & Time: Saturday, January 04, 10:00am
Location: Central Library
Description: Kids are invited to flex their creative muscles and building skills at our Block Party! Stop by the 2nd floor to create with LEGOs, blocks, and other kid-friendly building materials.
No Registration Required.

Event: Chess Club at College Avenue
Date & Time: Saturday, January 04, 2:00pm
Location: College Avenue Branch
Description: Join us on Saturday afternoons and match wits and skill with this Chess Club, meeting for 43 years at College Avenue Branch Library! All ages and skill levels are welcome. This group meets in the Fish Room.
No Registration Required.

Event: Teen Dungeons and Dragons
Date & Time: Saturday, January 04, 2:00pm
Location: Wayne Branch
Description: Calling all ADVENTURERS! Teens who play Dungeons and Dragons or want to learn to play are invited for a short adventure! Dungeon Masters and pre-generated characters will be available.
Register Here

3. e-Books & Streaming

Browse a wide selection of e-books, downloadable audiobooks, and e-magazines about gaming from OverDrive. If you have never borrowed from OverDrive before both app directions and browser directions are available as well as a video tutorial and Overdrive Support.

Need more help? Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

4. Reading Recommendations from IndyPL Staff

Click on a featured booklist to get gaming recommendations or see all our staff gaming lists.

5. Six Game Night Favorites from IndyPL Staff

Hoot Owl Hoot!

Recommended ages: 4+
Do you love Candyland? Or…are you tired of playing Candyland?! While Candyland is a classic which is available to play, you may also enjoy this colorful game. All players on one team work together to help baby owls return to their nest before the sun comes up.

Dr. Eureka

Recommended ages: 6+
This fast-paced puzzle game has players racing to pour colorful balls back-and-forth between plastic test tubes to recreate specific patterns! If you can mix and match the contents of your test tubes the fastest, you can score points by winning cards!

Pentago

Recommended ages: 7+
Are you a master of tic-tac-toe? You are ready to level up to Pentago! In this two-player game, you compete to get five marbles in a row—with a twist! After placing a marble, you must rotate one quadrant of the game board ninety degrees. You can only win if you have five-in-a-row, after the twist!

Battle Sheep

Recommended ages: 7+
If you like a little strategy, a fun challenge can be had with Battle Sheep! In this game, you start with one stack of sheep in the pasture, and each turn you split a stack and slide some sheep to a new position. If you can spread your flock out across the pasture the most, you will be the winner!

Forbidden Island

Recommended ages: 8+
Work together to find clues, discover ancient treasures, and make it back to your team helicopter–all before the island sinks below the waves forever! With multiple ways to lose and only one way to win, it will take clever teamwork and a little luck to succeed at this mission!

Ascension

Recommended ages: 10+
In many card games, everyone shares the same deck of cards. In Ascension, each player has their own small deck. By playing your starting cards carefully, you can add powerful new cards to your deck that you shuffle in and play on later turns! This fun game has a light fantasy theme, but your real goal will quickly become to collect as many of the shiny red gems as possible!

These game recommendations were contributed by Christopher Brozo, a Youth Multimedia Learning Specialist in the Learning Curve at Central Library. He loves tabletop games of all kinds, especially strategy and cooperative games! He co-hosts Family Game Night at Central, a weekly program for kids, families, and friends. Do you have a favorite game? Be sure to tell the guy who is wearing a black Learning Curve lab coat and practicing yo-yo tricks.

Need help?

Ask a Library staff member at any of our locations or call, text or email Ask-a-Librarian. The Tinker Station helpline at (317) 275-4500 is also available. It is staffed by device experts who can answer questions about how to read, watch and listen on a PC, tablet or phone.

Tags Gaming