Teen and Pre-Teens

10 Short Story Collections to Show Your Pride

Love, loss, friendship, allyship, monsters both real and fantastical, and a whole bunch of LGBTQIA+ teens.

30 Teen Titles About Young Love

Love (might be) in the air! Check out these teen romantic reads.

10 Summer Camps That Are Not Up to Code

If it's not placed on land with a tragic past, it's counselors that are weirdos who need better background checks.

20 Great Audiobooks for Summer, Teen Edition!

Pop in those earbuds and listen to one of these great reads!

15 Stories About Teens Putting in the Work

If you're lucky, maybe your first job will be wild enough to write a book about.

10 Books for Reading the Stars

Yes. This is, in fact, a sign to check out some of these books about astrology.

D-Day for Young Readers

The 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings is June 6th. Here are 10 books for curious minds to learn more about it and the war in general.

100 Years of Summer Read: 2005-2024

It's the 100th year of Summer Read! Here are books popular from 2005-2024. You're sure to recognize some of these newer classics!

100 Years of Summer Read: 1985-2004

It's the 100th year of Summer Read! Here are books popular from 1984-2004. You're sure to recognize some of these classics!

100 Years of Summer Read: 1965-1984

It's the 100th year of Summer Read! Here are books popular from 1965-1984. You're sure to recognize some of these classics!

100 Years of Summer: 1945-1964

It's the 100th year of Summer Read! Here are books popular from 1945-1964. You're sure to recognize some of these classics!

100 Years of Summer Read: 1924-1944

It's the 100th year of Summer Read! Here are books popular from 1924-1944. You're sure to recognize some of these classics!

10 Incredible Real Life Mysteries

May is National Mystery Month! Learn about incredible heists, mysterious places, disappearances, and unexpected discoveries with these books.

10 Cozy Books for Stardew Valley Fans

Have you considered naming your farm after your local library branch?

If You Like Mean Girls, You’ll Like These

Check out these plots with catty competition--no need to wait for Mean Girls Day. (October 3rd, by the way!)

15 Teen Books for Siblings Day

April 10th is Siblings Day, so check out these Teen reads to celebrate. Hug your siblings while you're at it.

8 Comic Characters You Need to Know for Arab American Heritage Month

Need some comic picks for Arab American Heritage Month? We’ve got you covered.

10 Youth Novels Written in Verse

Celebrating National Poetry Month by reading poetry? Out. Celebrating National Poetry Month by reading entire novels told via poetry? In. (Actually, reading poetry is still in, but you know what I mean).

Spring Break Reads for Teens

Spring into a book with these recommendations for teens.

Who Ya Gonna Call? TLCPL!

In case you're in for spooks, specters, or ghosts-- TLCPL has you covered! Check out our inventory of all things Ghostbusters!

For Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender

Celebrate the release of the live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender by diving into these stories set across the Four Nations!

Celebrate Women’s History

Read about accomplishments of women and girls from around the world in these literary works.

Fairy Tales Are For Everyone!

Readers of all ages are welcome to celebrate Tell a Fairy Tale Day.

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Explore these children's and teen titles that confront body shaming, embrace body positivity, and delve into the complexities of eating disorders.

Let There Be Dragons!

It's the Year of the Dragon! Check out these books about dragons in Chinese mythology.

10 Books for Young Journalists

You're never too young to take an interest in current events or to speak up for what you believe in.

Celebrating 10 Years of Ms. Marvel with These 10 Great Comics

Kamala Khan, the star of Ms. Marvel and The Marvels, is celebrating 10 years of bringing fun, relatability, and diversity to Marvel Comics. Check out these 10 books, showing plenty of room for more amazing superheroines!

11 Best Aquaman Comics to Read After Watching Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

Excited for the upcoming Aquaman movie? Check out these great comics featuring everyone’s favorite DC Atlantean.

Game Books to Play Indoors All Winter

Winter is coming! In the deep, dark, cold months, stave off winter boredom with these titles that get you playing all kinds of tabletop games.

Five Nights Before Freddy’s

A list of 10 titles to prepare you for the release of Five Nights at Freddy’s.

Top 10 Terrifying Horror Manga to Go with Your Spooky Season Vibe

Get ready for Halloween with these eerie manga.

Youth Literature for World Mental Health Day

Help raise awareness about mental health issues and erase the stigma with these compelling children’s and young adult reads.

Explore the Galaxy with Star Wars Reads

You thought May the Fourth was the only Star Wars holiday worth celebrating? Think again.

Banned Books Week: Challenges That May Surprise You

If a book is being challenged, the author probably did something right. Write? Right.

Top Secret! Five Incredible Books About Spies

Five middle-grade spy reads that are incredible and intriguing.

Celebrating Deaf Awareness With Children’s and YA Literature

Celebrate Deaf Awareness Month with these memorable titles for kids and teens.

10 Titles for Navigating Young Grief

These 10 titles are for recognition of National Grief Awareness Day on August 30th.

Totally Tubular Skateboarding Books

Whether you live to shred or like to cruise, check out these 15 titles about skateboarding.

12 Exciting Manga Series that Pack a Punch

Here are manga series sink your teeth into.

LGBTQIA+ Nonfiction for Beginners

Talking about feelings is hard. Talking about feelings when you don't have the right vocabulary to describe them is even harder. And it's hardest when you don't know if those feelings are okay to have. (Hint: They are).

10 Super Summer Graphic Novels

Breeze through some of these graphic novels before the inevitable return to school.

5 Books About People With Facial Differences

Take a look at these five titles aimed at young readers to learn about people with facial differences for National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness Month.

Meet Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur!

One of Marvel's newer comics, it's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur! Being a girl superhero is already hard enough: fight the bad guys, save the city, basic stuff, right? Well, add in a T-Rex companion and face off a gang of space villains, all before class starts!

Haunted Houses, Schools, and Mansions. Oh My!

What better time to celebrate haunted dwellings (for youth audiences) than the upcoming release of The Haunted Mansion?

10 Titles for National Get Outdoors Day

June 10th is National Get Outdoors Day, and we've foraged for 10 titles with activities and adventures to get you across the threshold.

15 Youth Titles for Appreciating Audiobooks

I love physical books as much as the next person, but audiobooks are preferable while driving. Check out these titles and get lost in some new soundscapes.

10 Fractured Fairy Tales for Big Stinking Ogres

Okay, not all of these have ogres, but Shrek is a type of fractured fairy tale, and while the next installment doesn't have a release date, we can still get excited. Read these if you want to get in the spirit.

The Legend of the Legend of Zelda

Get hyped for the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom with these 10 titles.

The Final Snappy Answer of Cartoonist Al Jaffee (1921-2023)

For decades, cartoonist Al Jaffee was one of the most consistent fixtures among Mad Magazine's "Usual Gang of Idiots" with his sardonic and cutting observations about modern life. But he's inked his last fold-in.

Super Mario Time!

Whether you want to learn about the origins of the intrepid plumber or want to read stories featuring him, here are 5 super books to prepare you for the Super Mario Bros. Movie.

10 Books To Prepare You For Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

If you want to get into the Dungeons and Dragons mindset, these titles will prime your mind for the epic high fantasy, magic, and of course, dragons!

Check Out The 2023 Winners Of The Pura Belpré Awards

The award honors Latinx writers and illustrators whose work portrays and celebrates Latinx culture and experiences through exceptional youth literature.

Around the World in 80 Days

Around the World in 80 Days, a novel by Jules Verne, turns 150 years old this month.

15 Spookiest, Must Read Horror Comics to Read This Halloween

Why should movies be the only reason you sleep with the lights on this Halloween? Check out these eerie comics and graphic novels.

10 Best Black Adam and Shazam Comics

Excited for the upcoming Black Adam movie? Check out these great comics featuring him and his arch-nemesis, Shazam!

10 Vampire Titles for People Who Still Have Blood

It's spooky season, so read and watch these vampire titles.

Spotlight on Elizabeth Acevedo: Celebration of Latinx Cultural Heritage Month

Latinx Cultural Heritage Month Author Spotlight: Elizabeth Acevedo

15 Graphic Novels to Help Understand Immigrant Stories

Check out this list of graphic novels featuring immigrant and refugee stories!

Rick and Morty Returns, These 10 Books Might Just Turn You Into Pickle Rick

It's time to break out the szechuan sauce, Rick and Morty is back!

10 Fun and Quirky Comics for D&D Nerds

Whether you're a TTRPG veteran, looking forward to your first campaign, or Stranger Things just has you curious, these comic and manga series are sure to get you ready for adventure.

Stefani’s Top 15 Books for Toledo Pride

Interested in LGBTQIA+ literature? Whether you are looking for your next great read or information, this list is for you!

10 Best Thor Comics to Read After Watching Thor: Love and Thunder

Celebrate Thor: Love and Thunder by checking out our favorite comics featuring the God of Thunder.

5 Titles to Get Hyped for the Return of The Boys

The Boys is an irreverent, hyper-violent comic book series and TV series that sends up the superhero genre. Here are some comics and movies you should read and see to get hyped.

6 Must-Read Ms. Marvel Comics

Ms. Marvel debuts on Disney+ and these are the comics you need to read to get caught up on the adventures of Kamala Khan.

15 Films from the 1980s to Watch if You Love Stranger Things

Celebrate the return of Stranger Things with 15 classics from the ‘80s.

Banned Books Week 2021: Comics & Graphic Novel Edition

Comics and graphic novels have a special place in the Banned Books pantheon as it tends to be easier to point to images as being “inappropriate” than taking the time to read a full text.

Banned Books Week 2021: Harry Potter: The Most Challenged Book of the 21st Century

How can a book series be the most challenged in the 21st century, yet the best-selling series of all time? Find out here!

Children’s Library & Teen Recommends – Summer 2021

Youth Services Librarians love to read, too! Check out what your favorite Children’s and Teen Librarians at Main Library are reading, whether it be a picture book about penguins, a middle grade adventure in a treehouse, vampires in Louisiana, or a time-traveling phone booth!

Classics Retold

Stories are constantly being retold with new and exciting twists. What's cool about book versions is that they usually don't feel like the subpar sequels or remakes Hollywood often subjects us to.

YA Books Featuring Characters with Mental Illnesses

Struggling with anxiety or any type of mental illness is usually up there with resounding themes of Young Adult Fiction, including first love. That is because our teenage years are often very complicated, especially when mental health issues start to first arise. There are so many other factors that young adults face (besides growing up) that can push anyone over the edge.

Calling All Bridgerton Fans

So you’ve finished binge watching Bridgerton? Now what? To satisfy your need for more romantic rom-com during Regency England, take a gander at these reads below. You may just find something to your satisfaction until the next season comes around.

Books and Other Strange(r) Things

Stranger Things finally released a new season four teaser after shooting delays due to COVID-19. Since the release date has yet to be announced, you've got some time to catch up on these stories about events before and during the show.

Recs for The Witcher Fans

If you are like us and patiently waiting for the next season of The Witcher on your favorite streaming channel, check out these reads. Here’s hoping that they will help tide you over before the highly anticipated release day!

YA Books for Seekers of the Immersive Gaming Experience

Hello there, Player One. Choose what type of adventure you’d like to go on below. All of these titles feature some sort of Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG) or similar environment. What are you waiting for? Pick one of these fabulous books to read today!

Teenage Witchy Reads

Whether you are a fan of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, or wishing that you are living it up at Hogwarts: here are some witchy-reads to satisfy your craving for long-lost magic. Sprinkle some lilac and gooseberries along the way as tribute to our current favorite witch, Yennefer of Vengerberg. Remember: not everything monstrous-looking is evil, and not everything fair is good...

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Books for Teens resources for High School: (9-12)

Young adult titles for Teens dealing with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

To All the Otaku, with Love – April 2021

Are you a manga or anime enthusiast? We are, too! We are constantly looking for new (and awesome) titles to add to our collection. We are happy to share some of our favorites with you, including some light novels! For more suggestions, please feel free to contact your teen librarian at the Library!

LGBTQIA+ Books for Teens

A list of just a few favorite LGBTQIA+ teen fiction books.

Mystery Resources for 4-8 Graders

Are you wishing your middle grade reader is into Nancy Drew or the Boxcar Children as much as you were (or are)?! Check out this list of middle grade novels with a tried and

Graphic Novels That Aren’t About Superheroes

No offense to our favorite caped crusaders, but comics and graphic novels can be about a lot more than the classic superhero tale.

YA Lit—Not Just for Teens

Highlighted titles for contemporary and realistic young adult literature, that is not just for teen readers. YA Lit is able to cross over to adult audiences and tackle diverse issues in an approachable way.

Happy Birthday Sarah J Maas!

In conjunction with Women’s History Month and her birthday, let us celebrate this author who is making women’s history as we speak… or read!

Children’s Library and Teen Recommends – Winter 2021

Check out what your Children's and Teen librarians have been reading lately!

Happy Birthday Philippa Gregory!

This is the author that got me hooked! As a high schooler, I read The Other Boleyn Girl and from then on, couldn’t get enough of British history. This book sparked my undergraduate degree

Who Wants to Play Video Games?

Most people love video games, and librarians are no exception! Let us lead you on a quest to learn more about the medium and direct you to where you can play some classics.

Online Learning for Adults & Teens

We are all officially tasked with social distancing in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. While our 20 locations might be temporarily closed, we’re still open in many ways to our customers –

10 Noteworthy Graphic Novels for Teens

A variety of graphic novels for young adults that are sure to entertain.

Teen Reads List Inspired by the Black Lives Matter Movement

Thought-provoking teen books that are sure to inspire discussions around race, justice and privilege.

Making a Difference with Service Projects

Librarians are working with area youth to create handmade, heartfelt gifts to show a little kindness to people in our community. It's part of a concerted programming effort to engage area youth in a meaningful way.

Best Comics and Graphic Novels of 2018

2018 is heading to a close! It's time to look back on the best comics and graphic novels of the year.

Best Young Adult Books of 2018

Before you close the book on 2018, be sure you have taken full advantage of the great YA titles released this year. Zombie fighters and modern day poets, from the court of Faerie, to death row, this year’s amazing cast of strong characters will keep you turning the pages.

Blog: Teen and Pre-Teens