Here at Wauconda Area Library we value our teen patrons, and are eager to offer resources and services that are fun, informative, and relevant to their lives. Here you can find reading recommendations, see our ongoing programming, find volunteer opportunities and activities to get you involved with the library community, and more!
Teen Programs
We are currently offering a mix of virtual and Take and Make style programs for our teens. See the book clubs and playlists below for our Virtual Teen Art and Teen Take and Make craft video series, and check out the calendar links to the right to register for programs and get more info.
Upcoming Events
Are you an artist or an author? Submit your original artwork, poetry, short stories, or personal essays for a chance to be published in our first ever edition of the Blue & Berry Bulletin, WAPL's Art and Literary Magazine.
Take your own mystery home this spooky season with a Mystery Box! Sink your teeth into an engaging story, hunt for clues, and uncover the secrets lurking inside. 1 box per family.
Join the Lake County Astronomical Society in the library’s parking lot to view the moon and other objects in the night sky. This is a drop-in program, no registration is required.
KIDS-
Readers looking for a new way to gain confidence and practice reading skills? Kids will enjoy being partnered with a young volunteer buddy. Enjoy great books, a relaxed reading time and making a new friend.
TEENS-
Looking for Your Next Read?
Here at Wauconda Area Library we love to help you find great books that will suit your interests. Whether you already love to read and have some favorite genres, books, or authors; or are having some trouble finding what gets you excited to dive into a new book, we are here to point you in the right direction.
On our Recommendations for Teens page you will find curated lists of books by collection and theme. Click on a book cover to see an item in our catalog, or select "view more" to see all of our recommendations, and mix and match our Audience, Category, and Tag filters to create your own custom reading list.
Fill out our "Book Picks" form for Teens to provide personalized reading recommendations from our library staff. To craft our list of suggested titles, we will ask you about some of your interests, preferred reading formats, books you've enjoyed in the past, books you haven't enjoyed, and more!
Staff Picks for YA & Teens
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Catching Fire
By winning the annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark have secured a life of safety and plenty for themselves and their families, but because they won by defying the rules, they unwittingly become the faces of an impending rebellion.
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All the Bright Places
NOW A NETFLIX FILM, STARRING ELLE FANNING AND JUSTICE SMITH!
The New York Times bestselling love story about two teens who find each other while standing on the edge. And don’t miss Take Me with You When You Go, Jennifer Niven’s highly anticipated new book with bestselling author David Levithan!
Theodore Finch is fascinated by death. Every day he thinks of ways he might kill himself, but every day he also searches for—and manages to find—something to keep him here, and alive, and awake.
Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her small Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school—six stories above the ground— it’s unclear who saves whom. Soon it’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. . . .
“A do-not-miss for fans of Eleanor & Park and The Fault in Our Stars, and basically anyone who can breathe.” —Justine Magazine
“At the heart—a big one—of All the Bright Places lies a charming love story about this unlikely and endearing pair of broken teenagers.” —The New York Times Book Review
“A heart-rending, stylish love story.” —The Wall Street Journal
“A complex love story that will bring all the feels.” —Seventeen Magazine
“Impressively layered, lived-in, and real.” —Buzzfeed -
Crumbs
An IndieBound Bestseller
Falling in love just got sweeter in this charming, romantic YA graphic novel from WEBTOON, the #1 digital comic platform. Ray, a young seer struggling with her powers, discovers first love and friendship in her town's magic bakery.
In a very special town, there's an even more unusual bakery with a selection of baked treats hand-crafted to help your dreams come true. For Ray, a quiet young woman with special powers of her own, the order is always the same: a hot tea with a delicious side of romance.
When Ray meets Laurie, the kind barista who aspires to be a professional musician, she gets a real taste of love for the first time. But even with a spark of magic, romance isn't so simple. Both Ray and Laurie are chasing their own dreams and even when Ray starts to see the future, she can't predict her fate with Laurie.
Based on the beloved webcomic from WEBTOON, this sweet coming-of-age story of friendship and first love comes to life in graphic novel format with gorgeous illustrations and exclusive content.
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Almost American Girl
Harvey Award Nominee, Best Children or Young Adult Book
A powerful and moving teen graphic novel memoir about immigration, belonging, and how arts can save a life--perfect for fans of American Born Chinese and Hey, Kiddo.
For as long as she can remember, it's been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn't always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together.
So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation--following her mother's announcement that she's getting married--Robin is devastated.
Overnight, her life changes. She is dropped into a new school where she doesn't understand the language and struggles to keep up. She is completely cut off from her friends in Seoul and has no access to her beloved comics. At home, she doesn't fit in with her new stepfamily, and worst of all, she is furious with the one person she is closest to--her mother.
Then one day Robin's mother enrolls her in a local comic drawing class, which opens the window to a future Robin could never have imagined.
This nonfiction graphic novel with four starred reviews is an excellent choice for teens and also accelerated tween readers, both for independent reading and units on immigration, memoirs, and the search for identity.
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A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES * Everyone is talking about this addictive must-read mystery with shades of Serial and Making a Murderer about an investigation turned obsession, full of twists and turns and with an ending you'll never expect.
Everyone in Fairview knows the story.
Pretty and popular high school senior Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend, Sal Singh, who then killed himself. It was all anyone could talk about. And five years later, Pip sees how the tragedy still haunts her town.
But she can't shake the feeling that there was more to what happened that day. She knew Sal when she was a child, and he was always so kind to her. How could he possibly have been a killer?
Now a senior herself, Pip decides to reexamine the closed case for her final project, at first just to cast doubt on the original investigation. But soon she discovers a trail of dark secrets that might actually prove Sal innocent . . . and the line between past and present begins to blur. Someone in Fairview doesn't want Pip digging around for answers, and now her own life might be in danger.
And don't miss the sequel, Good Girl, Bad Blood!
"The perfect nail-biting mystery." --Natasha Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling author -
All Boys Aren't Blue
This powerful YA memoir-manifesto follows journalist and LGBTQ+ activist George M. Johnson as they explore their childhood, adolescence, and college years, growing up under the duality of being black and queer. From memories of getting their teeth kicked out by bullies at age five to their loving relationship with their grandmother, to their first sexual experience, the stories wrestle with triumph and tragedy and cover topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, inequality, consent, and Black joy.
PRAISE FOR ALL BOYS AREN'T BLUE
An exuberant, unapologetic memoir infused with a deep but cleareyed love for its subjects. The New York Times
An empowering read . . . All Boys Aren't Blue is an unflinching testimony that carves out space for Black queer kids to be seen. Huffington Post
Powerful . . . All Boys Aren't Blue is a game changer. Bitch Magazine
All Boys Aren't Blue is a balm and testimony to young readers as allies in the fight for equality. Publishers Weekly -
Ready Player One
At once wildly original and stuffed with irresistible nostalgia, READY PLAYER ONE is a spectacularly genre-busting, ambitious, and charming debut—part quest novel, part love story, and part virtual space opera set in a universe where spell-slinging mages battle giant Japanese robots, entire planets are inspired by Blade Runner, and flying DeLoreans achieve light speed.
It’s the year 2044, and the real world is an ugly place.
Like most of humanity, Wade Watts escapes his grim surroundings by spending his waking hours jacked into the OASIS, a sprawling virtual utopia that lets you be anything you want to be, a place where you can live and play and fall in love on any of ten thousand planets.
And like most of humanity, Wade dreams of being the one to discover the ultimate lottery ticket that lies concealed within this virtual world. For somewhere inside this giant networked playground, OASIS creator James Halliday has hidden a series of fiendish puzzles that will yield massive fortune—and remarkable power—to whoever can unlock them.
For years, millions have struggled fruitlessly to attain this prize, knowing only that Halliday’s riddles are based in the pop culture he loved—that of the late twentieth century. And for years, millions have found in this quest another means of escape, retreating into happy, obsessive study of Halliday’s icons. Like many of his contemporaries, Wade is as comfortable debating the finer points of John Hughes’s oeuvre, playing Pac-Man, or reciting Devo lyrics as he is scrounging power to run his OASIS rig.
And then Wade stumbles upon the first puzzle.
Suddenly the whole world is watching, and thousands of competitors join the hunt—among them certain powerful players who are willing to commit very real murder to beat Wade to this prize. Now the only way for Wade to survive and preserve everything he knows is to win. But to do so, he may have to leave behind his oh-so-perfect virtual existence and face up to life—and love—in the real world he’s always been so desperate to escape.
A world at stake.
A quest for the ultimate prize.
Are you ready? -
Legend
"Marie Lu's dystopian novel is a Legend in the making."--USA Today
"Taut and exciting."--The Los Angeles TImes
"Legend doesn't merely survive the hype, it deserves it."
A New York Times bestseller!
5 Starred Reviews!
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills. -
Shadow and Bone
See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with Shadow and Bone, now a Netflix original series.
Enter the Grishaverse with Book One of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.
Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite—and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.
As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.
Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.
A New York Times Bestseller
A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
An Indie Next List Book -
The Lunar Chronicles: Cinder
A forbidden romance. A deadly plague. Earth's fate hinges on one girl . . . CINDER, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the centre of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation. Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future. This is not the fairytale you remember. But it's one you won't forget.
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Alex, Approximately
Seventeen-year-old Bailey moves to California to live with her father and, perhaps, finally meet an online friend and fellow film buff, but soon finds herself attracted to an annoying co-worker.
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Bull
Much like Lin-Manuel Miranda did in Hamilton, the New York Times best-selling author David Elliott turns a classic on its head in form and approach, updating the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur. A rough, rowdy, and darkly comedic young adult retelling in verse, which NPR called "beautifully clever," Bull will have readers reevaluating one of mythology's most infamous monsters.
SEE THE STORY OF THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR
IN A WHOLE NEW LIGHTMinos thought he could
Pull a fast one
On me,
Poseidon!
God of the Sea!
But I'm the last one
On whom you
Should try such a thing.
The nerve of that guy.
The balls. The audacity.
I AM THE OCEAN!
I got capacity!
Depths! Darkness! Delphic power!
So his sweet little plan
Went big-time sour
And his wife had a son
Born with horns and a muzzle
Who ended up
In an underground puzzle.
What is it with you mortals?
You just can't seem to learn:
If you play with fire, babies,
You're gonna get burned. -
The Upside of Unrequited
From the award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda comes a funny, authentic novel about sisterhood, love, and identity.
“Heart-fluttering, honest, and hilarious. I can’t stop hugging this book.” —Stephanie Perkins, New York Times bestselling author of Anna and the French Kiss
"I have such a crush on this book! Not only is this one a must read, but it's a must re-read." —Julie Murphy, New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’
Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.
Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.
There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him.
Right?And don't miss Becky Albertalli's Leah on the Offbeat!
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I Believe in a Thing Called Love
A funny young adult novel about a Korean-American girl who uses K-Drama techniques to snag the boyfriend of her dreams.
One of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2017
One of Seventeen.com's Best YA Books of 2017
"Hilarious." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Powerful messages of inclusion and acceptance." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Desi Lee knows how carburetors work. She learned CPR at the age of five. As a high school senior, she has never missed a day of school and never had a B. But in her charmed school life, there's one thing missing—she’s never had a boyfriend. In fact, she’s a known disaster in romance, a clumsy, stammering humiliation magnet.
When the hottest human specimen to have ever lived walks into her life one day, Desi decides it's time to tackle her flirting failures. She finds her answer in the Korean dramas her father has watched obsessively for years—in which the hapless heroine always seems to end up in the arms of her true love by episode ten. Armed with her “K Drama Rules for True Love,” Desi goes after the moody, elusive artist Luca Drakos. All's fair in love and Korean dramas, right? But when the fun and games turn to feelings, Desi finds out that real-life love is about way more than just drama.
Maurene Goo's I Believe in a Thing Called Love is a fun, heartwarming story of falling in love—for real.
A Margaret Ferguson Book
Praise for I Believe in a Thing Called Love:
“Desi's implementation of measures such as ‘Be Caught in an Obviously Lopsided Love Triangle’ yields hilarious, at times unintended results, lending this teen rom-com a surprisingly thoughtful conclusion . . . [Goo's] funny, engaging narrative also delivers powerful messages of inclusion and acceptance.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“The art-centric romance that develops between Desi and Luca is rewarding to follow, as are their parental relationships, particularly that between Desi and her widowed Appa. Goo simultaneously honors and deconstructs romantic tropes, both in general and specific to K dramas, and does so using a wonderfully diverse cast.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“In the tradition of best-laid plans, Desi’s goes painfully awry in ways that elevate the story above the level of fluffy, cross-cultural rom-com. Friends and family are well crafted to inspire discussions about the comfort and complications they afford . . . Readers who crave believability with their fun and wit will be satisfied with the way the plan works out.” —VOYA
"This is the book I desperately wish I could have read when I was in high school. I love this book so much, and I can't wait to give it to my kids and every teen I know. Fun, snarky, flawed-but-great characters come alive on the pages and make you wish you could hang out with them every day. And a romance so sweet you find yourself rooting desperately for it all to work out. But possibly my absolute favorite part is that it has one of the best father/daughter relationship dynamics I've ever read in a YA novel. I fell in love with the relationships as well as the characters. Charming and awkward and hysterically funny, this is simply awesome!" —Ellen Oh, author of the Prophecy series and founder of We Need Diverse Books
"I Believe in a Thing Called Love is the perfect summer read—really, the perfect anytime read. I laughed and I swooned and I streamed way too many K dramas. Maurene Goo's fresh, funny writing had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved it!" —Morgan Matson, New York Times–bestselling author of The Unexpected Everything
"This is a hilarious and endearing romance full of zany Korean-drama fun. You'll fall in love even as you're falling into a pool!" —Melissa de la Cruz, #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Isle of the Lost: A Descendants Novel and Something In Between -
The Selection
For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.
Homework Help
Explora
Start your research project here. Explora delivers results from multiple sources including articles, ebooks, essays, and primary source documents.”
Middle Search Plus
Middle Search Plus is a full-text database providing popular middle school magazines, reference e-books, and thousands of primary source documents and videos. Subjects include history, current events, science and sports.
Primary Search
Primary Search is a full-text database of carefully curated content for elementary school aged children. It includes full text for the most popular children's magazines, e-books, and easy-to-read encyclopedic entries written specifically for kids.
Resources for Parents and Teachers
This page consolidates several digital and print resources in one easy to find location aimed at parents, teachers, and homeschooling.
Tumblebooks
For Grades Pre-K - 6. Watch, listen and read your favorite picture books as they come to life with animation.
Download & Stream
Digital Library of Illinois (Libby)
Powered by Libby (formerly known as Overdrive), we have combined our exclusive e-content titles with other libraries to provide a much larger selection of materials to choose from, while still maintaining first dibs on titles we will continue to add regularly.
Freegal Music
The Freegal® Music service allows patrons to access a collection spanning over 15 million songs, music videos and audiobooks from more than 40,000 music labels worldwide including Sony Music, Epic, RCA, and Columbia. Freegal® Music also offers a completely rebuilt mobile app and website which utilizes modern application practices to ensure an easy-to-use and enjoyable experience.
Hoopla
Stream & download movies, music, audiobooks, ebooks, comics and TV shows to enjoy on most any device.