Sometimes it’s difficult to sort through all the information that an internet search throws at you when you’re looking for that one certain answer, so we’ve done the dirty work and chosen some of our favorite places to start!
Additional Links for Teens
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Consumer Information and Life Skills
- CU Succeed: Teens Financial Network - A great resource that offers personal finance tools and information for teens. Includes budget spreadsheets, information on buying cars, online calculators for loans, savings, and credit card payoff. Also features articles on choosing a college, finding a job, tracking expenses and related topics. From a credit union league partnership that assists “credit unions in the United States and Canada in attracting teen members.”
- It All Adds Up – A site for teens who want to get ahead in their financial future. Online games and simulations to learn about topics like buying a car, saving and investing, and paying for college. Developed by the National Council on Economic Education.
- The Teenager’s Guide to the Real World - Selected chapters from the book The Teenagers Guide to the Real World, offering advice for teens on how to succeed in life.
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Education-College
- Collegeboard.com: SAT - A full-length SAT practice test and scoring guide.
- FAFSA on the Web – U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid online. Includes information on aid and online applications.
- FinAid! The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid - Planning to go to college? Most college students receive some form of financial aid. On this website, learn about student loans, scholarships, and tax benefits. The other sections of this site will help you make better decisions regarding the financing of your college career. The financial aid process can be intimidating, but knowledge is power!
- Princeton Review – Includes financial aid information, ACT and SAT practice tests, and a matchmaker search tool to help you find colleges that match your interests.
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Health
- The Cool Spot – Alcohol education for kids 11-13 years old. The Cool Spot includes discussions about the effects drinking can have on physical and intellectual development, how to resist peer pressure, the dangers of underage drinking, and the prevention and treatment of alcohol problems. By the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
- Girlshealth – A site created to help girls, ages 10-16, learn about health, growing up, and issues they may face.
- Help for Teens – Wondering if drugs are really that bad? Curious why some people can’t handle drinking and drugs? Concerned about a friend’s drug problem? This site from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America answers these and many other pressing questions. Recommended for grades 6 and up.
- My Pyramid - Explore the official new food pyramid from the United States Department of Agriculture to learn about the food groups and to see how much physical activity you should be getting. Take an animated tour of the new pyramid. Discover a wealth of ideas that can help you get started toward a healthy diet. There are tips for each food group, physical activity, eating out, a sample menu, and more.
- TeensHealth – Doctor-approved health information on topics such as depression, eating for sports, the effects of backpack weight, and more. A project of the Nemours Foundation.
- Teenhelp – A network of peer mentors who have a desire to reach out and help fellow teens resolve problems. Includes live chat, support rooms, articles, and a list of resources and agencies who can help with topics like suicide, depression, drugs and alcohol, family violence.
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Homework Help
- Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government for Kids/Teens – Includes historical documents, including the U.S. constitution, games and activities, links to government web sites.
- Picturing Modern America 1880-1920: Historical Thinking Exercises for Middle and High School Students – Sharpen your observation skills as you decipher clues in photographs that help you interpret history and learn more about the United States.
- Research Project Calculator - helps you plan for and navigate the research process, using reliable resources. This 5-step process includes deadlines and (optional) email reminders. It also offers hints, worksheets, and guides for various types of projects.
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Jobs and Careers
- The Fun Works: For Careers You Never Knew Existed – Find out about various careers in the arts, music, sports, science, technology, medicine, and engineering. This site includes quizzes to focus on aptitudes, games and puzzles to provide a glimpse of the jobs, and information about necessary education, typical salaries, and the nature of the work. From the Educational Development Center. For students ages 11-15.
- JobStar Central Guides for Specific Careers – Links to sites offering information on careers. Find out what kind of education or training is required, what it is like for people currently working in a specific field, what you can earn, and more.
- JobGenie – 12,000 job descriptions from the Dictionary of Occupational Titles.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook – This site includes descriptions of different occupations, educational requirements, salaries, working conditions, and more. The print version is also available at the Duluth Public Library.
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Reading and Recreation
- Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) – advocates extensive and developmentally appropriate library and information services for young adults, ages 12-18 while promoting reading and supporting the literacy movement.
- Favorite Teenage Angst Books – Book reviews, interviews with selected authors, and more.
- Poets.org -The Academy of American Poets was founded in 1934 to support American poets at all stages of their careers and to foster the appreciation of contemporary poetry.
- Readergirlz – is the cutting-edge literacy and social media project for teens, awarded the National Book Award for Innovations in Reading. It is a nonprofit volunteer organization. The readergirlz mission is to promote teen literacy and corresponding social service
- Reading Rants – Booklists for teens looking for a good read.
- Teenreads – A great place to find book reviews by other teens, author interviews, and information about new titles.
- ComicZone - more than 25 comic strips.
- All Music Guide – Look for information on your favorite artists, songs, and style of music.
PPL Databases for Teens
Academic Search Complete
Provides full text for scholarly publications covering academic areas of study including social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, and ethnic studies.
- EBSCO Student Research Center
Ebsco resources selected especially for youth in grades 6-12. - Learning Express
Test preparation materials and interactive practice exams in the areas of academic, civil service, military, and professional licensing and certification exams.
All users, including home access users, must choose either the New User or Returning User button. If you need assistance, please contact a reference librarian.
MAS Ultra: School Edition
Designed for high school libraries, the database contains full text for more than 700 popular, high school magazines and over 84,000 biographies and primary source documents. Includes more than 350 reference books (including the CIA World Fact Book, World Almanac and Our States reference book series.
Middle Search Plus
Contains full text for more than 140 popular, middle school magazines, includes an assigned reading level indicator (Lexiles). Full text is also available for thousands of biographies, historical essays and student pamphlets.
