Teens & Tweens

Photo of seating, tables, shelves, colorful decorations, and white board in the library teen and tween area

Teen & Tween Events

This event is in the "Teen & Tween" group.

Teen Board

7:00pm - 8:00pm
Teen & Tween
Library Branch: Thomas Ford Memorial Library
Room: Teen/Tween Room
Age Group: Teen & Tween
Program Type: Arts & Crafts, Clubs & Groups, Hands On, Library Boards
Event Details:

Teen Board can be a great way to earn volunteer hours! If you have ideas for how the library can better serve teens and tweens, come join us!

This event is in the "Teen & Tween" group.

Hand Sewn Handwarmers Kit

All Day
Teen & Tween
Library Branch: Thomas Ford Memorial Library
Room: Teen/Tween Room
Age Group: Teen & Tween
Program Type: Arts & Crafts, Hands On, STEAM
Event Details:

Prepare for the colder weather by sewing some reusable leaf shaped hand warmers! No sewing experience necessary. Available in the Teen Room while supplies last.

This event is in the "Teen & Tween" group.

Teen/Tween Book Box Sign-up

All Day 12/1 - 12/31
Teen & Tween
Library Branch: Thomas Ford Memorial Library
Room: Virtual Programming #2
Age Group: Teen & Tween
Program Type: Clubs & Groups
Event Details:

Avid reader? Looking for some good, personalized recommendations? Join our Teen and Tween Book Box service. Fill out the form on the website to tell us a little bit about what you like to read.

This event is in the "Teen & Tween" group.

Hot Ice Cream Kit

All Day
Teen & Tween
Library Branch: Thomas Ford Memorial Library
Room: Teen/Tween Room
Age Group: Teen & Tween
Program Type: Hands On, STEAM
Event Details:

Warm up with a nice hot bowl of ice cream! Use methylcellulose to make some delicious ice cream that solidifies at higher temperatures. Refrigerated ingredients not included. Available in the Teen/Tween Room. While supplies last.

This event is in the "Teen & Tween" group.
This event is in the "Adult" group.

Western Springs Writers' Society

7:00pm - 8:30pm
Teen & Tween, Adult
Library Branch: Thomas Ford Memorial Library
Room: Board Room
Age Group: Teen & Tween, Adult
Program Type: Clubs & Groups
Event Details:

Have a writing itch? The Western Springs Writers' Society welcomes all writers from the community to discuss and hone their craft with other local writers. Whether this is your career or hobby, writers of all levels and genres are invited.

This event is in the "Teen & Tween" group.

Teen/Tween Holiday Party

3:30pm - 5:00pm
Teen & Tween
Registration
Library Branch: Thomas Ford Memorial Library
Room: Program Room
Age Group: Teen & Tween
Program Type: Arts & Crafts, Hands On
Registration Required
Seats Remaining: 15
Event Details:

Come celebrate the holiday season at the library! Decorate a gingerbread house, participate in a gift wrapping competition, and make a gift to take home. Snacks will be provided.

The Teen Space

Welcome to the Teen Room, a space specifically for teens and tweens in grades 5 through 12. The teen room has study space with built in charging stations, as well as comfy chairs for reading and gathering with friends. The teen room houses our Young Adult and Tween books, as well as Graphic Novels for teens and tweens. We have gaming laptops, ipads, maker kits, board games, and much more for you to explore!  

Study table in teen area

Study Areas

The teen room has study space specifically for teens and tweens.  All tables have built-in charging stations.

Laptops set up in the teen area

Gaming Laptops and iPads

Gamers unite in the teen room!  With five gaming laptops loaded with Epic Games, Fortnite, and Roblox, as well as three iPads preloaded with games from Apple Arcade, we have plenty to keep you entertained!

Maker Kits

Maker Kits

Looking for something to do? Our maker kits are always available for fun, screen-free entertainment. Make your own pinback buttons, greeting cards, and much more!

Shelves filled with board games

Game Collection

Gather some friends and get together in the teen room for a game of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Jenga, Clue, or many other card games and board games!  Located under the bench seat by the south window.

White board with "what's your favorite book you've read this summer" and hand written responses in different color markers

Community Art Boards

Two whiteboards in the teen room provide fun prompts, magnetic scrabble tiles, and dry erase markers for our creative teens and tweens.

Graphic novels label on book shelf

YA Graphic Novels

Manga, graphic nonfiction and much more are all available in the teen room on the graphic novel shelf.  Teal dots on the spine highlight graphic novels that are great for tweens.

Tween Fiction section in the library

Tween Section

Look for our YA TW section to find books that are recommended for our younger teens, grades 5-7.  

Teen & Tween Services

Homework Help

Biography in Context

Biography in Context logo

Biography in Context includes nearly a million biographical entries spanning history and geography. Great for biography reports.

View Resource

Britannica Library (Away from Library)

Britannica Library logo

Britannica Library is a respected general purpose encyclopedia. Adult, teen, and children’s versions of the encyclopedia are available on this site.

View Resource

Literary Reference Center Plus

Literary Reference Center logo

Novels, short stories, poems, plot summaries and synopses, and literary criticism. Research guides, lesson plans, and citation tools support student learning.

View Resource

Popular New Releases for Teens

Image for "Heir"

Heir

**A Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick**

"Heir is a tour de force of fantasy that will leave readers breathless and boneless and aching for more." – Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon A Broken Heart

Prepare for a ruthless and romantic new fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Award winning author Sabaa Tahir that introduces a new generation of characters set in the same world as the unforgettable An Ember in the Ashes series.

An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.
And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she’s willing to give up.  

QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives—and their hearts. Literally.

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Twenty-Four Seconds From Now

“Jason Reynolds has done it again!...Fresh from start to finish…This is what it could be, should be, if only we were all as lucky as Aria. Girls (and everyone) wait for your Neon!” —Judy Blume, New York Times bestselling author of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. and Forever...

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds tackles it—you know…it—from the guy’s perspective in this unfiltered and undeniably sweet stream of consciousness story of a teen boy about to experience a huge first.

Twenty-four months ago: Neon gets chased by a dog all around the parking lot of a church. Not his finest moment. And definitely one he would have loved to forget if it weren’t for the dog’s owner: Aria. Dressed in sweats, a t-shirt, hair in a ponytail. Aria. Way more than fine.

Twenty-four weeks ago: Neon’s dad insists on talking to him about tenderness and intimacy. Neon and Aria are definitely in love, and while they haven’t taken that next big step…yet, they’ve starting talking about…that.

Twenty-four days ago: Neon’s mom finds her—gulp—bra in his room. Hey! No judging! Those hook thingies are complicated! So he’d figured he’d better practice, what with the big day only a month away.

Twenty-four minutes ago: Neon leaves his shift at work at his dad’s bingo hall, making sure to bring some chicken tenders for Aria. They’re not candlelight and they definitely aren’t caviar, but they are her favorite.

And right this second? Neon is locked in Aria’s bathroom, completely freaking out because twenty-four seconds from now he and Aria are about to…about to… Well, they won’t do anything if he can’t get out of his own head (all the advice, insecurities, and what ifs) and out of this bathroom!

Image for "Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry"

Sunderworld, Vol. I: The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry

The instant New York Times bestseller from visionary storyteller Ransom Riggs!
 
Weaving the familiar with the peculiar, this stunning tale of loss, triumph, friendship and magic, will remind readers everywhere that true heroes are made, not born—and when you’re never the chosen one, sometimes you have to choose yourself.

Seventeen-year-old Leopold Berry is seeing weird things around Los Angeles. A man who pops a tooth into a parking meter. A glowing trapdoor in a parking lot. A half-mechanical raccoon with its tail on fire that just won’t leave him alone. Every hallucinatory moment seems plucked from a cheesy 1990s fantasy TV show called Max's Adventures in Sunderworld—and that’s because they are. 

Not a good sign.

In the blurry weeks after his mother’s death, a young Leopold discovered VHS tapes of its one and only season in a box headed for the trash—and soon became obsessed. Losing himself in Sunder was the best way to avoid two things: grieving his mother and being a chronic disappointment to his overbearing father. But when the strange visions return—at the worst possible time on the worst possible day—Leopold turns to his best friend Emmet for help. Together they discover that Sunder is much more than just an old TV show, and that Los Angeles is far stranger than they ever imagined. And soon, he’ll realize that not only is Sunderworld real, but it’s in grave danger.

Certain he’s finally been chosen for greatness, Leopold risks everything to claim his destiny, save the world of his childhood dreams, and prove once and for all that he’s not the disappointment his father believes him to be. But when everything goes terribly, horribly, excruciatingly wrong, Leopold’s disappointments prove to be more extraordinary than he ever could have imagined.

How do you battle darkness when no one believes in you—not even yourself?

Welcome to Sunderworld.

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Everything We Never Had

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD!

From the author of the National Book Award finalist Patron Saints of Nothing comes an emotionally charged, moving novel about four generations of Filipino American boys grappling with identity, masculinity, and their fraught father-son relationships.

Watsonville, 1930. Francisco Maghabol barely ekes out a living in the fields of California. As he spends what little money he earns at dance halls and faces increasing violence from white men in town, Francisco wonders if he should’ve never left the Philippines.

Stockton, 1965. Between school days full of prejudice from white students and teachers and night shifts working at his aunt’s restaurant, Emil refuses to follow in the footsteps of his labor organizer father, Francisco. He’s going to make it in this country no matter what or who he has to leave behind.

Denver, 1983. Chris is determined to prove that his overbearing father, Emil, can’t control him. However, when a missed assignment on “ancestral history” sends Chris off the football team and into the library, he discovers a desire to know more about Filipino history―even if his father dismisses his interest as unamerican and unimportant.

Philadelphia, 2020. Enzo struggles to keep his anxiety in check as a global pandemic breaks out and his abrasive grandfather moves in. While tensions are high between his dad and his lolo, Enzo’s daily walks with Lolo Emil have him wondering if maybe he can help bridge their decades-long rift.

Told in multiple perspectives, Everything We Never Had unfolds like a beautifully crafted nesting doll, where each Maghabol boy forges his own path amid heavy family and societal expectations, passing down his flaws, values, and virtues to the next generation, until it’s up to Enzo to see how he can braid all these strands and men together.

Image for "My Salty Mary"

My Salty Mary

My Lady Jane fixed Jane Grey's tragic past--and now My Salty Mary will do the same for the infamous pirate Mary Read!

Perfect for fans of The Princess Bride and A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, New York Times bestselling authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows are back with a fantastical, romantical, and piratical historical fantasy remix that marries the story of The Little Mermaid with the life and times of infamous lady pirate Mary Read.

Don't call this mermaid "little"--call her "captain," unless you want to walk the plank.

Mary is in love with the so-called prince of Charles Town, except he doesn't love her back. Which is inconvenient. Since she's a mermaid, being brokenhearted means she'll--poof!--turn into sea-foam.

But instead, Mary finds herself pulled out of the sea and up onto a pirate ship. To survive, she joins them. But Mary isn't willing to just sing the yo-ho-hos. She wants the pirate life, all of it, and she's ready to make a splash . . . by becoming captain. But when Blackbeard dies suddenly, Mary has a chance to become so much more: Pirate King . . . or Queen. She won't let anyone stop her--not Blackbeard's cute son, not her best friend from back under the sea who's having a bit too much fun with his new legs, and certainly not everyone who says she can't be a pirate just because she's a girl.

She may not be the best man for the job, but she'll definitely prove that she's worth her salt.

And don't miss the Prime Video streaming hit My Lady Jane!

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Sync

From #1 NYT bestselling author Ellen Hopkins comes a new heartbreaking young adult novel in verse about twins separated in the foster care system and the different paths their lives take.

Seventeen-year-old twins Storm and Lake have always been in perfect sync. They faced the worst a parent could do and survived it together. In the wake of their mother’s rejection, they’ve spent the last five years moving from foster home to foster home—sometimes placed together, sometimes apart.

After being separated from his sister once again, Storm is devastated. He’s the older brother and promised to always take care of Lake. But after a stint in juvie, his newest placement has him feeling almost hopeful. His foster dad is kind, and his girlfriend, Jaidyn, is the first person other than Lake he feels he can trust. But when Jaidyn is sexually assaulted by a violent ex, it pushes Storm over the edge. He retaliates and lands back in lockup—and he fears this time it will be for good. He wishes he could talk to Lake, but he doesn’t know where she is, and he' s now feeling more alone and out of sync than ever before.

Lake, like Storm, has found her own happiness in a relationship with someone new—her fellow foster, Parker. Life with Parker is never boring, but Parker has her own scars. She can be withdrawn and unpredictable, and that can be dangerous, especially after Parker convinces Lake to run away from their Bible-thumping fosters after they are caught in a compromising position. With no money, shelter, or ID, they’re living on the streets. Lake thinks of Storm and his promise to take care of her, and wonders where he could be now.

Told in dual perspectives through unsent letters, at turns heartbreaking and always honest, this latest novel in verse from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins is a searing and unforgettable account of two teens caught in the teeth of the foster care system, fighting their way out and back to each other.

Recommended by Thomas Ford Teens and Tweens

Image for "The Last Cuentista"

The Last Cuentista

Winner of the John Newbery Medal



Winner of the Pura Belpré Award



From Pura Belpré Award winner and Newbery Medalist, Donna Barba Higuera--a brilliant journey through the stars, to the very heart of what makes us human.



Había una vez . . .



There lived a girl named Petra Peña, who wanted nothing more than to be a storyteller, like her abuelita.



But Petra's world is ending. Earth has been destroyed by a comet, and only a few hundred scientists and their children - among them Petra and her family - have been chosen to journey to a new planet. They are the ones who must carry on the human race.



Hundreds of years later, Petra wakes to this new planet - and the discovery that she is the only person who remembers Earth. A sinister Collective has taken over the ship during its journey, bent on erasing the sins of humanity's past. They have systematically purged the memories of all aboard - or purged them altogether.



Petra alone now carries the stories of our past, and with them, any hope for our future. Can she make them live again?



TIME's Best Books of the Year

Wall Street Journal's Best of the Year

Minneapolis Star Tribune's Best of the Year

Boston Globe's Best of the Year

BookPage's Best of the Year

Publishers Weekly's Best of the Year

School Library Journal's Best of the Year

Kirkus Reviews' Best of the Year

Bank Street's Best of the Year

Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best

New York Public Library Best of the Year

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Cybils Award Finalist



"Gripping in its twists and turns, and moving in its themes - truly a beautiful cuento."--New York Times



"Clever and compelling ... wonderfully subversive."--The Wall Street Journal



★ "This tale packs a wallop. Exquisite."--Kirkus Reviews (starred)



★ "Gripping, euphonious, and full of storytelling magic."--Publishers Weekly (starred)



★ "A strong, heroic character, fighting incredible odds to survive and protect others."--School Library Journal (starred)

 

Image for "The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise"

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

"Sometimes a story comes along that just plain makes you want to hug the world. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is Dan Gemeinhart’s finest book yet — and that’s saying something. Your heart needs this joyful miracle of a book." —Katherine Applegate, acclaimed author of The One and Only Ivan and Wishtree

A 2020 ILA Teachers’ Choice 
A 2019 Parents' Choice Award Gold Medal Winner 
Winner of the 2019 CYBILS Award for Middle Grade Fiction
An Amazon Top 20 Children's Book of 2019 
A Junior Library Guild Selection

Five years.

That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation.

It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash.

Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished—the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box—she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it.

Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys...

Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all...but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after.”

This title has common core connections.