| Young Adult Department |
| Links & Resources |
Books
- 2006 Challenged YA Books - A top ten list of the most contested books of 2006. What might they be?
- Accelerated Reader (AR) Titles - If the title you are looking for is displayed on this website, it is an AR test in the USD 489 database.
- Books for the College Bound - If you’re headed to college this site offers
suggestions to help stay afloat that first year.
P.S. They’re also great books for anyone who just wants to keep learning! - Good Reads for Teens - Maybe you’re a teenager looking for a good book to read. Look no further, this link can probably help you out.
- Michael L. Prinz Award for Young Adult Literature - Michael L. Printz was a Topeka librarian. Now he has an award for YA Lit. named after him. We’re proud of him.
- Teen Reads - From cool new books to author talks, Teen Reads hits the mark.
- Teen Literature - Teen book reviews and even original work from teen writers. That is neat.
- Teens Talk About Books - A great place to find out what teens think about teen books. And they’re honest.
- Teen Themes - Find books you’re interested in by searching for what you like. It’s that easy.
Homework Help
- Homework Kansas - Live homework help every day. If you need help, they’ll be there.
- High School Ace - High school is tough, but High School Ace can help with the school part.
- Dictionary - Helps with all your word needs, from audio pronunciations to definitions.
- Know Play? - Need a definition, a synonym, a quotation, information on a country? Well, Know Play? has just what you need.
- Measure 4 Measure - A site of links to help with conversions, translations, calculations, etc. It’ll help make all those things a little easier.
- Vandergrift's Young Adult Literature Page - Helps make sense of the books that may be giving you trouble.
- Soople - An easy way to get the answers to the toughest homework questions.
College Preparation
- ACT, the Test - All about the ACT test - If you’re in high school, taking the ACT is a good thing; a scary thing, but still a good one. Get help here.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics Career Guide - Find a good career for yourself based on what you like.
- Kansas Board of Regents - Learn what's happening at colleges around the state.
- Learning Express Library - Super-helpful site to help prepare for tests of all kinds.
- SAT, the Test - Free test prep, no registration required - Get help with your SATs for free.
Sports
- ESPN - Home to all things sports. Easy to navigate and find just what you’re looking for.
- Fox Sports - News, scores and game trackers.
- Skateboard.com - “Click, Ride, Destroy.”
- Skateboard Directory - Any information you could/should ever need about skateboarding.
Games, Fun, and Trivia
- Teen Ink - The homepage of Teen Ink Magazine. Cool features.
- Teen Voices - Extra online features and more to supplement the magazine.
- Addicting Games - Addicting online games. Seriously addicting.
- Bored.com - Fun ways to kill time when you are totally bored (as long as your homework is done.)
- Mental Floss - Daily quizzes, facts, and cool information.
- Gaia Online - Check out this cool, interactive online world and game.
- Game FAQs - Questions and Answers for all your favorite videogames. Plus, information and cheat codes.
- Miniclip - Tons of online games. Try Hangaroo and Sling.
- Pogo - A fun place to find different kinds of online games, including card and arcade style games.
- Neopets - Get your own online pet, because they’re easy to feed and care for. But don’t forget about them either.
- Runescape - The home of the online sensation, Runescape. What? You haven’t heard about Runescape? Well, now you have. Check it out.
- Snopes - Get the facts on any and every urban legend. Find out where they came from and if they have any truth to them.
- Serendipitous Sites - A list of sites found while on the lookout for other sites. Really interesting sites.
- Ultimate Arcade - It better be pretty awesome to call itself ultimate. Well, it lives up to that.
- Movie Reviews - Find out what critics are saying about upcoming movies. Or search to find out what they said about your favorite movies. Also includes videogame reviews.
Helpful Info Just For Teens
- Teen Consumer Scrapbook - Great articles and information about the who, what, when, where, how and why of buying and consuming products
- Health - Great information for keeping yourself healthy, all sorts of healthy.
- Teens Health - Very specific information on primary teen health issues.
- Vegetarian Teen - There are plenty of teenage vegetarians out there. This site offers recipes, poetry, book reviews, etc. It’s like a whole online vegetarian community.
- Alateen - Gives tips about dealing with drinking problems, in your own life or in a family member’s life.
- The National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - More information on how to deal with alcohol and drugs.
- SADD - A cool site about Students Against Destructive Decisions. Learn more about the choices you make.
- Safe Teen Page - A handy guide for parents and students to have an active conversation about the importance of online safety.
- Not Me Not Now - Check out research and chat with peer mentors to help you make smart decisions about sex.
- The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network - Information on RAINN, named one of America’s Top 100 charities.
Search Engines
Hays Schools
- Felten Falcons - Everything any Falcon needs to know about their school.
- Kennedy Irish - The online “Home of the Irish.”
- Hays High Indians - Need to know if it’s a Gold or Maroon day? Find that and more at the HHS homepage.
- TMP - The Thomas More Prep-Marian homepage offers a diverse array of information about school and faith.
Please note : This list is designed for students grade six and up. Since teens develop and mature at different levels, the library does not necessarily recommend that all teens visit all sites. We urge parents to visit these pages and discuss these sites with their teens.