Homework Resources for Teens

The cool fall weather is finally here, but school is in session and your homework is piling up! Don’t worry, the library is here to help you out with resources that will help you get your homework and papers done, so that you can spend more time outside.

When you need trusted sources to use for research projects, check out some of our databases. They contain articles, books, images, and other information. Most include citations in the most common formats.

All of these databases and study resources are free with your library card. Find out how to get one here.

Biography in Context – Use this database when you need facts about someone for a school assignment, research paper, or just to find out more about your favorite celebrity. Each person’s biography page gives you biographies from books, news and magazine articles, video and audio, if available, for the person you are researching. Each article also includes the source citation!

Learning Express – If you need practice tests for SAT, ACT, or AP classes, then this is the database for you. You will be asked to create an account, and once you do, you have access to practice tests and tutorials as well as resources about career preparation and study skills .

Literature Criticism Online – This database is full of scholarly articles examining literature, from The Scarlet Letter to Their Eyes Were Watching God. Use these articles as evidence for the claims you make in your writing, or just to help you learn more about the novels you study in school.

Rosetta Stone – This is a great supplement to the language classes you may be taking in school or can help if you want to learn outside of school. Using images and repeated sounds, Rosetta Stone takes a slightly different approach to language learning that can boost your skills, and if you have a microphone, you can test your pronunciation. You can use it on a smartphone, tablet, or computer!

Universal Class – Use these video classes to learn just about anything! There are courses to help with test preparation, a homeschool section, and a craft/hobby section. A few of our favorite courses are cake decorating, dog training, writing basics 101, and American Government.

World Book – Start researching your assignment topics with this well-known encyclopedia. Find concise articles on hundreds of topics, dictionary definitions, as well as maps. At the bottom of each article you can click on “how to cite this article” for correct citations in multiple styles, such as MLA, APA and Harvard.

Here are some great books to help you navigate going back to school:

Make the Grade: Everything You Need to Study Better, Stress Less and Succeed in School by Lesley Schwartz Martin – This book tells it like it is. There are aspects of school that are kind of a bummer: homework, getting up early, and cafeteria lunches, to name a few. However, stress, anxiety, and poor grades are things you don’t have to live with. Use this book to get tools and tips on how to handle the behaviors and habits that could cause anxiety. Study better and stress less!

The High School Survival Guide: Your Roadmap to Studying, Socializing and Succeeding by Jessica Holsman – Author Jessica Holsman takes what she shared on her popular YouTube channel, Study with Jess, and wrote this survival guide. Her guide will tell help you with academic or social challenges. Armed with her top five tips you will be ready to have a well-rounded and enjoyable high school experience.

Surviving Middle School: Navigating the Halls, Riding the Social Roller Coaster and Unmasking the Real You by Luke Reynolds – This former middle school student and current middle school English teacher gives advice on how to get over the bumps you will encounter in middle school without losing who you are. Get advice on topics like fitting in, grades, dealing with parents and teachers, starting to date and so much more! Pick up this book to learn how to fight an army of space gnomes who just want some garlic bread! (It’ll make sense if you read the book, we promise.)

Teen’s Guide to Getting Stuff Done: Discover Your Procrastination Type, Stop Putting Things Off & Reach Your Goals by Jennifer Shannon – If you know that procrastination is a problem for you pick up this book to find the tools you need to get things done. Author Jennifer Shannon splits procrastination into four different types to help you discover the strengths, weaknesses and values you have that will help you get past the reasons you put things off.