Want to know what book to read next? There's an app for that (and it's free!)

Find the best books and media for teens! The Teen Book Finder, generously funded by a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, is available as a free download here for your iPod touch, iPad or iPhone. Search for books by title, author, genre, award, or list; create a reading list with the favorites button; share what you’re reading on Facebook and Twitter; and find a copy of the book in your local library, all from one screen!

Teen Book Review: The Empire Strikes Back

Title: Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Author: Archie Goodwin

Rate It: 5 stars

Review It: I really feel that this book deserves 5 out of 5 stars because it is in my opinion the greatest work of science fiction fantasy out there. What makes this book really great is that it tells the story of Star Wars episode 5 completely in comic book form. Everything from the dialog to the action sequences is spot on to the movie, with slight variations in between. Even if you have seen the film this is still a great graphic novel to be enjoyed by anyone who likes reading comic books. I also enjoyed the fact that Marvel comics took on the task of putting together such a project along with seeing “Stan Lee presents” printed on the book. This particular comic is also a great collection piece to own not because it is worth a lot but because it was printed in 1980. George Lucas’s engaging storyline with action packed adventure along with the vintage aspect make this a great comic to read or to own.

Reviewed By: Jacob, age 19

Teen Book Review: To Kill A Mockingbird

Title: To Kill A Mockingbird

Author: Harper Lee

Rate It: 5 stars

Review It: This book was written with such a powerful, moving voice, even though the narrator, Jean Louise Finch(Scout), is a young girl about eight years old by the story's end. She describes these seemingly small and unimportant events that go on during her life in Maycomb County. Then, in Part Two, the stroy suddenly erupts into a suspenseful climax when the trial of Tom Robinson, an African American, takes place for rape against a white girl. The evidence is substantial against the girl, Mayella, but she still wins the case because she's white...Like I said, I won't ruin anything else for you, but it's just a really gripping must-read-before-you-die classic.

Reviewed By: Monica, age 14

Teen Book Review: Saving Maddie

Title: Saving Maddie
Author: Varian Johnson

Rate It: 2 stars

Review It: This book is about Joshua Wynn, a pastors son. He is a real model, he visits the elderly and he dosen't even kiss in public because  hes afraid of giving his father a bad rep. But that all changes when an old friend Maddie moves back. She is anything but the prodigal child of her also pastor father. This book is about Joshua growing and finding true love and Maddie finding a kindred heart.

Reviewed By: Nicolette, age 13

Teen Book Review: Life of Pi

Title: Life of Pi

Author: Yann Martel

Rate It: 5 stars

Review It: Being as an assigned book from my English teacher, I wasn't really excited about reading it. The beginning of the book was making my eyes droopy until the end of the book where it make me question why such things had happened, and opened up new perspectives.

Reviewed By: Tracey, age 16

Teen Book Review: Dragon Champion

Title: Dragon Champion (Age of Fire, Book #1)

Author: E.E. Knight

Rate It: 5 stars

Review It: It was very detailed and presented dragons in a very positive way as opposed to most books that make dragons seem more negative.

Reviewed By: William, age 15

Teen Book Review: Into the Wild

Title: Into the Wild (Warriors series, #1)

Author: Erin Hunter

Rate It: 5 stars

Review It: This book, the beginning of the 24+ book saga,kept me in suspense the whole time and is one of the best books I ever read!

Reviewed By: Sydni

Teen Book Review: Warriors: Into the Wild

Title: Into the Wild (Warriors: Book 1)

Author: Erin Hunter

Rate It: 5

Review It: This book, the beginning of the 24+ book saga, kept me in suspense the whole time and is one of the best books I ever read!

Reviewed By: Sydni

Teen Book Review: Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 1

Title: Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 1

Author: Hiromu Arakawa

Rate It: 5

Review It: So I just decided to reread FMA, and this is what became of it... Well then, this is one of my favorite volumes, and I have to say that it's a great model of a perfect first volume. It's got great jokes, nice art, and, really, I just love this series. The art itself is very interesting in the way that the eyes were drawn, and the character's personalities were unique at best, and only slightly tiresome at worse. The jokes are original, and the art helps to pull even some of the older ones off. Although the manga was originally published in Japan, the humor still makes sense, and the translation itself is practically flawless. I give this volume a 5 out of 5. There's nothing else to say!

Reviewed By: Savannah

Teen Book Review: En Passant

Title: En Passant (available online)

Author: Yuzunoki Taro

Rate It: 4

Review It: I found this manga really funny. It was pretty well-written and had a good idea that carried well with the art and writing style. The characters weren't amazingly original, and the "battle/contest for ____" theme wasn't particularly new. Although it only had 20 chapters, I feel that En Passant could have gone on a bit longer than it did. The last few chapters felt rushed, and the ending was a little pshed, too, although it seemed a bit more relaxed than the previous chapters. I, personally, liked the beginning best. It had a very easy-to-grasp concept and was fun to read. I was reading Witch Hunter while I read this series, and I have to say that it was En Passant that I enjoyed more, although I prefer Witch Hunter in the long term. Although the chess theme of this manga was a little overused, I rank En Passant a four out of five.

Reviewed By: Savannah

Teen Book Review: The Catcher in the Rye

Title: The Catcher in the Rye

Author: J.D. Salinger

Rate It: 2 stars

Review It: All the book is about is some guy complaining about absolutely everything. He also acts like he isn't all there because he is very socially awkward.

Reviewed By: William

Teen Book Review: Marked

Title: Marked

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Rate It: 4

Review It: This book is very intriguing and if one is interested in vampires, then it is definitely a book worth reading. This book contains romance, adventure, and twists that captivates you.

Reviewed By: Nina

Teen Book Reviews: The Unwanteds

Title: The Unwanteds

Author: Lisa McMann

Rate It: 5

Review It: Lisa McMann successfully depicted an entire world within the 390 pages in this book. It's hard to put down once you start reading it and once you finish it leaves you with a yearning for more.
 
Reviewed By: James

Teen Book Review: Kekkaishi

Title: Kekkaishi Volume 32

Author: Yellow Tanabe

Rate It: 4

Review It: First of all, I would like to say that I loved this cover. It was amazing! I also found this volume better than 31. It started to talk about some of the more interesting parts of the story, and since I'm so near the end, this was a very climatic volume. After not reading Kekkaishi for 2 months, I was (once again) amazed by the art. I was also intrigued by Tokine's role in all of this, which has yet to be learned, and was amazed by the ""flashback"" in which Yoshimori is told about Chushinmaru. I hope to read the next volume soon!


Reviewed By: Savannah

Teen Book Review: Suzanne's Dairy For Nicholas

Title: Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas

Author: James Patterson

Rate It: 5 stars

Review It: I thought the book was really good because it kept me guessing and on my toes and I never wanted to put the book down

Reviewed By: Katelyn

What's your status?

Now that school is almost over, we've seen a lot of you here in the library checking out books for fun (instead of for book reports!) and hanging out on Facebook online (instead of creating PowerPoint presentations!) Inspired by our friends at the Arlington Public Library in Virginia, I'd like to know:


What would your favorite character in the book you're reading now post as their Facebook status?

Coming June 26th: Own the Night Summer Reading Program

We are super busy right now gearing up for our annual summer reading program, which begins on June 26th. This year, you'll be able to sign up either online or in-person at any HBPL branch! You can win cool raffle prizes, including an iPod nano, just for reading! Stay tuned to the teen blog for more information!

Coming May 1st: Summer Volunteer Applications

Beginning May 1st, applications will be available online for teens who would like to volunteer at HBPL this summer. Volunteer oppportunities will include helping the librarians with the annual Summer Reading Program, reading aloud to children, and shelving library books. The application is an online form and will be available here on the Teen Space blog, as well as on the library's website and Facebook pages. We welcome teen volunteers 12 - 18 years of age.

Get Connected @ Your Library: Tune In!

There are so many great music resources on the internet;

these are a few of our favorites!

8tracks.com - Create your own radio station or playlist, or listen to streaming stations from users around the world.

last.fm - Free streaming radio where you can personalize your stations and receive suggestions for new musicians and songs to listen to.

Pandora - Online streaming radio based on a song, genre, artist, etc. Also available in mobile apps for teens who use their smartphones more than a computer.

Playlist.com - Listen to songs, build a playlist, share your music with friends or the whole world.

Google Music - Still in beta, but a fantastic resource where you can upload copies of all your music to the cloud and play them from anywhere. Forgot your iPod for your hangout night? No problem if you're on Google Music!

Spotify - Users can search Spotify's library and stream songs on demand.

Grooveshark - Provides free music streaming, online radio stations, and lets you connect with artists and friends.

Turntable.fm - Connects you and your friends in a real time music listening experience. Play music together for free on the internet or your iPhone.

Soundcloud - Create, record and share the sounds you create anywhere to friends, family and the world with SoundCloud, the world's largest community of sound creators.

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Did you know that in addition to an impressive CD collection in the Media Center, HBPL also has a blog where our music librarian shares some background about some of the newest additions to our collection?

You can search our Media titles here. If there's something we don't have but you'd like us to add, you can fill out a suggestion form here.

The Media Center is open Monday 1 - 7pm, Tuesday-Thursday 11am - 7pm, and Friday & Saturday 11am - 5pm.

Cardholders must be aged 18 or older to check out Media items, so be sure to bring your parents by and check our our always-growing music selection!

Teen Tech Week 2012: Geek Out @ Your Library

March 4-10, 2012 is Teen Tech Week!

Stay tuned to the blog all week to find out how you can Get Connected @ Your Library!

What do you think of the Hunger Games trailer?

Is it what you pictured? Do you think the movie will live up to the book?

Book Trailer: Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel (Book 1 of The Infernal Devices series)

by Cassandra Clare

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.


The year is 1878. Sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the secretive demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork demons, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them.…

Book Trailer: Dark Inside

Coming soon to HBPL!

Dark Inside by Jeyn Roberts

After tremendous earthquakes destroy the Earth's major cities, an ancient evil emerges, turning ordinary people into hunters, killers, and insane monsters, but a small group of teens comes together in a fight for survival and safety.