Virtual Teen Room

Books Lists Curated by Staff

Looking for your next read? Check out these recommendations from staff! If you see a book cover or sub-genre that looks compelling, click on it to explore in our online catalog. More lists can be found on our catalog’s browse page. Happy browsing!

Reading Resources

• More of our Themed Booklists for You!
• Teen Fiction: Comics & Graphic Novels
• Hoopla – books, audio, movies, TV, and more!
• LGBTQIA+ Non-Fiction Booklist
• Reading Rainbow Booklist on Overdrive – ebooks and digital audiobooks
• 2023 Teens’ Top Ten Nominees
• Teen Book Cloud 
• 4,000+ Free Movies Online
• Neurodiverse Books
• New York Times Mini Crossword
• National Emergency Library: No waitlist for 1.4 million scanned books
• Open Library: Lots of downloadable scans of books available for checkout
• Harry Potter: A History of Magic – Explore the wonders of the British Library exhibition
• Learn different card games!
• The Ten News podcast

Writing Stuff

• Keeping a Notebook by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater

Music & Theater Stuff

• Learn how to play ukelele, guitar, bass guitar, or piano!
• Nightly Opera Streams

Learn Stuff

• Library Databases: For anyone doing a research project for school from home
• Teen Nonfiction Books
• Hour of Code Activities

Self-Care Stuff

• Coloring Sheets from 113 Museums
• Meditations, Sleep Stories, Music, & More
• Other Live Nature Cams

Other Life Stuff

• FREE practice driving tests
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts Driver’s Manual
• Cool Recipes to Make at Home
• Teen Recipes
• OUT Metrowest – OUT MetroWest builds communities where LGBTQ+ youth thrive.
• OUT Metrowest Youth Programs – now virtual!
• Greater Boston PFLAG – Helps change attitudes and create an environment of understanding so that LGBTQ+ family members and friends can live in a world that is safe and inclusive
• Scarleteen – An independent, grassroots sexuality and relationships education and support organization and website
• GLAD – Works to end discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status, and gender identity and expression
• Trans Lifeline – A crisis hotline staffed by transgender people, for transgender people 1-877-565-8860 
• Trevor Project – The leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people ages 13-24.  1-866-488-7386 Online chat: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now
• Wayside Youth & Family Support Network – Empowers children, young adults, and families in Massachusetts to achieve greater independence and emotional well-being
• GLSEN – Strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline –  Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  1-800-273-8255  Online chat:  chat.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/lifelinechat.aspx
• Crisis Text Line – According to the website, you can text 741741 anywhere, anytime, and receive a confidential text from a live, trained crisis counselor from their secure platform within minutes.
• Online Suicide Help Wiki – Contains list of sites that offer discussion via instant messaging, chat rooms, email, text, and online support groups
• The National Domestic Violence Hotline – 1-800-799-7233 Online chat:  https://www.thehotline.org 
• National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline – 1-866-331-9474   Text:  “loveis” to 22522  Online chat:  http://www.loveisrespect.org/get-help/contact-us/chat-with-us
• National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) – 1-800-656-4673  Online chat:  https://hotline.rainn.org/online/
• Self-Injury Outreach and Support (SIOS)
• To Write Love on Her Arms – A nonprofit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.  Text  “TWLOHA” to 741741
• National Alliance on Mental Illness –  1-800-950-NAMI  Text  “NAMI” to 741741
• The Jed Foundation – A nonprofit that exists to protect the emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults.  Text  “START” to 741741 or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Shatterproof – A national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the devastation addiction causes families.
• Safe Horizon – The largest provider of comprehensive services for domestic violence survivors and victims of all crime and abuse including rape and sexual assault, human trafficking, stalking, youth homelessness, and violent crimes committed against a family member or within communities.  1-800-621-HOPE (4673)