
McHenry Public Library making the most of the library's services for teens and young adults. + - WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK! \| Make the McHenry Public Library YOUR library! (READ MORE!) Click to collapse Fill out this online survey to let us know your thoughts and feedback on our tween and teen materials, programs, and services. The information you share during this quick survey will help library staff members provide the best services and programs possible. + - YOUTH SERVICES NEEDS YOU! \| Volunteer at the Library! (READ MORE!) Click to collapse Teens (Ages 13-18) - Come volunteer for the library! Earn Community Service hours for school while helping Youth Services with various tasks around the library! Pick up an application at the Questions Desk. + - LOOKING FOR THAT NEXT GREAT READ? \| Get a Personalized Reading List Just for You! (READ MORE!) Click to collapse Fill out this online form and we will create a list of 5-10 books just for you! Fill out as much (or as little) of this form as you wish. The more information you provide, the more likely it is that we can suggest books you will like. + - LIKE DUNGEONS & DRAGONS? \| Check out our Dungeons and Dragons Sessions...(READ MORE!) Click to collapse We love fantasy, do you? Check out our Dungeons and Dragons sessions for ages 10-20. We play dungeons and dragons, share our cosplays, and joyously geek out together. For more information about these events checkout our Events Calendar or contact Ashlyn at the Questions Desk.

Need some help in crafting your Anime Review?

Here are some helpful topics you might want to include.

Story | Visuals | Audio | Characters | Overall

STORY

The Story section should contain any comments you have about the plot. This includes ideas about the plot itself (was it boring? Unique? Generic?), and the overall flow of the story (plodding? Put together well?). Any background information you have about the plot, such as references to other cultures and ideas, should be listed here as well. Keep in mind, though, no spoilers are allowed (with the exception of the first few episodes, within reason)

List of suggested topics:
-How original was the plot?

-Did the plot draw itself from other cultures, legends, or folklore?

-Are there any series that are similar as far as the plot goes?

-What would you consider to be the few applicable genres for the anime? If it is an anime that combines several genres, did it work well? (for example, sometimes blending shoujo and tragedy doesn’t work so well)

-How was the flow of the series? Were there long boring parts in the episodes? How about flashbacks, or excessive filler episodes?

-Was the anime heavily plot based, or more focused on character development?

-Did any aspects of the plot borrow elements of other series you’ve seen? Or real life movies?

-Was the story confusing, or were things explained well? (perhaps you could add something about the subtitles not corresponding with what was actually said…)

-Did the ending fit the tone of the series, and did it work well? (VERY IMPORTANT NOT to spoil, but I think it’s always good to say if you thought the ending was fitting, regardless of how it ended)

- Any major plot holes?

-In general, did you feel the story was presented well? Sometimes series have a great way of tying episodes together…whether it is because they are slowly revealing pieces of the puzzle, or are entertaining in some other way. How did you feel when finishing this series?

-Although there is a separate character section, did you feel the characters played a part in the plot? Or was it more like an action heavy brainless viewing?

VISUALS

The visuals section should encapsulate * shocking * anything related to…VISUALS! This includes the animation and any special effects, as well as character designs. (Visual designs, NOT character types or roles, which should be discussed in the characters section)

List of suggested topics:
-Discuss the colors used in the series. What was the overall palette? Dark tones due to the anime being based mostly at night/cyberpunk? Pastels from a dating-sim series?

-In addition to the colors, discuss the brightness or other qualities of the colors. Were the colors very vivid and bright? Or fuzzy and watercolor looking? Or, for example, I’ve seen some series which have fuzzy edges around everything.

-How were the backgrounds? Sunsets, buildings, any backgrounds are fair game.

-How was the level or detail for basically everything?

-Explain the character designs. There is quite a bit to describe here. Simply saying “the designs look like cyberpunk” is inadequate and frankly- LAME. EXPLAIN in more DETAIL. Faces, for example. Do they have large eyes, non existent noses, or perhaps a more realistic look? How about the hair?

-Thickness of lines is always a good thing to point out, both for character designs (thick chunky lines on the face? Lots of little lines to show facial detail?), and background items.

-How was the shading? For character designs this could be related to if there are many layers of shading on the face/clothing, or very simple blocky shading. Shading for other things besides characters should be similar to describe.

-How were the special effects? Not just different types of animation, but were explosions and such animated well, or super cheesy?

-Were any other kinds of graphics used except regular animation? For example, was real video mixed with the animation, was CG used (was it seamlessly mixed or really cheesy?), were there lots of still scenes, or scenes that looked like they were from a manga/hand drawn?

-Were there any unusual scene changes or transitions? This might not be applicable for many series, but some series I’ve seen have very unique transitions.

AUDIO

Audio should include the music (DUH!), as well as voice acting.

List of suggested topics:
-What was the mood of the music? Light hearted? Depressing? Did this mood fit the tone of the actual series, or sound ridiculously matched?

-What was the music made up of? Orchestral instruments, singing, cheesy tracks, etc.

-How many songs were used? Did the anime play the same few songs over and over, or have a variety of songs to choose from?

-Did you feel the music was effective in making the anime an enjoyable experience, or did it detract from it?

-Did all the voice actors fit the parts well? Please specify in your review if you watched the dubbed or subbed/raw version.

CHARACTERS

There are a lot of things that can be discussed here about the characters, so just check the list below

List of suggested topics:
-Was there a lot of character development?

-Were the characters developed well? This might sound like the previous question, but it’s not. Sometimes an anime will have a great deal of character development, but it doesn’t actually work well and the characters don’t actually seem developed.

-Were the characters’ roles stereotypical, or unique?

-Did the characters fit their roles well?

-Did you become empathetic towards the character, or not care if they bit the big one?

-Explain if the character interaction was effective or not…or meaningful.

OVERALL

The overall section is usually a summary of how you thought the anime was. You might find it easy to summarize the basic points of each of the above sections, and how that fits in with your final score. Also, put information about rewatchability in this section. In general did you enjoy the series, think it’s an interesting watch, and recommend others to see it? Or not?

ACT AND SAT PREP

ACT, Inc. | Educational/Career Planning and Workforce Development | Register and prepare for the ACT here. Includes many "Practice Tests". Be sure to download the 79-page booklet "Preparing for the ACT" for valuable info, complete practice tests, and scoring keys.

College Board- SAT Registration | Information and Registration for the PSAT, SAT and AP exams.

Khan Academy SAT Prep | A full length course that gives you general information about the Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and Essay portion of the SAT, tips and strategies, example essays, and official practice exams from the College Board.

Sparknotes | SparkNotes study guides are the perfect aid for studying and writing papers. Each guide contains thorough summaries and insightful critical analysis of a nearly endless range of subjects including English Literature, Shakespeare, History, Science, and Math. SparkNotes also includes a Test Prep section featuring SAT, ACT, and AP exam help.

GED

McHenry County Regional Office of Education | GED Information for those in the McHenry County area.

GED Information | A FAQ about GED in Illinois, list of GED prep classes in Illinois, Illinois GED Testing Centers, and more!

Illinois Community College Board | Information regarding Illinois GED Testing Eligibiliy and Requirements.

GED Testing Service | Earn your GED online! The official online resource to prepare for and earn your high school equivalency diploma.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLLEGE

Big Future | With ten comprehensive filters from test scores to diversity of student body, Big Future's college search is a great place to find a college that is right for you.

Campus Explorer | A great place to start looking for colleges. Search over 6, 000+ 2 and 4- year colleges, and online programs. Students can search by academic majors, location and size. Information about schools go beyond the basic information and include videos and photos.

Online Colleges, Scholarships, and Degree Programs | An online directory of college and university admissions office email addresses and telephone numbers, college scholarship and financial aid office email addresses, and links to the home pages and online applications of more than a thousand colleges and universities.

Peterson's College Quest | It's not about the best college; it's about the best college for YOU! With Peterson's College Search, you can find your perfect fit.

The Princeton Review | The Princeton Review helps students, parents, and educators achieve the best outcomes at all stages of their educational careers. It all starts with a single premise: Everyone is entitled to the best education.

FINANCIAL AID

FAFSA on the Web - U.S. Department of Education | Free Application for Federal Student Aid

College Zone from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission | Whether you’re planning to go to college, are attending now, or have recently graduated, College Zone can help you take all the right steps to make your experiences and transitions go smoothly.

The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid | The first stop on the web for students looking for finance their college education.

Illinois Scholarship Programs | Learn about the different scholarship programs offered in Illinois through the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

Illinois Scholarships | A list of the top ranking scholarships in Illinois.

MILITARY

US Department of Veteran Affairs | Learn about the GI Bill and how it can help you achieve your college and career goals.

USA.Gov Military Recruitment | Thinking about joining the military, but unsure of the branch? This site will give you information on all of them.

Already know what branch you're interested in? Check out these pages for more specific recruitement and elegibility requirements:

US Air Force | Learn all about the part time and full time careers at the air force.
US Army | Information on eligibility requirements for the US Army.
US Coast Guard | Information on the different careers you can have in the coast guard including enlisted, officer, and reserved.
US Marines | General Information about the US Marines as well as how to become a part of the Marine Corps.
US Navy | Explore all of the different Navy careers, from arts and communication to special operations.
US Space Force | Learn about the different civilian space force careers from aircraft maintenance to social services.

TRADE SCHOOLS

Vocational Trade Schools in Illinois | Search for the trade school program that is right for you!

Frequently Asked Questions About Trade School | This website answers frequently asked questions about Vocational Trade schools in the U.S.

Career Training and Professional Education | Explore Mchenry County College’s career training and continuing professional education programs. Prepare to earn industry-recognized certifications or licenses through short-term non-credit training programs. Begin your new career in as few as twelve weeks!

External links may be used as starting points in your research and are not intended to be exhaustive lists of all available external sites related to these topics. The library does not endorse or profit from these websites and external links are provided for use at your own discretion. For suggestions, comments, or to report broken links, you may contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

DATING & RELATIONSHIPS

CDC: Dating Matters | Dating Matters is a comprehensive teen dating violence prevention model developed by the CDC to stop teen dating violence before its starts.

Love is Respect | Is a website for teens and professionals working with teens that are facing date abuse. Get information on how define an abusive relationship, how to get out and how to cope. Also, helps friends and family help victims of dating abuse.

OASH | Resources on relationships and safety for women, from the Office of Women's Health.

Power to Decide | Unbiased information for teens on sex, love, and relationships so that they can make informed decisions and live their best life.

DRIVING

AAA’s Teen Driver Safety | Aaa’s website for teen drivers helps parents and teens learn about their state’s driving laws and help prepare teens for the open road. Includes sample tests for the written exam.

Illinois State’s Teen Driver Safety | The official site for the state of illinois for all laws and documents that relate to teen drivers.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Resources for parents to help lay the ground rules to help mold your teen into a safe and capable driver.

State Farm’s Better Teen Driving | From state farm insurance, this is a website that gives teens tips and tools to become better drivers.

Teens in the Driver Seat | A website written by other teens to raise teen drivers' awareness of car crashes and how to avoid them.

FINANCIAL LITERACY

Annual Credit Report | This is the only source to get free credit reports authorized by federal law. This law requires each of the three largest consumer credit reporting agencies to give you a free copy of your credit report every 12 months.

Ask CFPB | A website from The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that provides answers to common money questions.

Enrich | A free personal finance program provided by the Illinois State Treasurer.

SageVest Kids | Advice for teens who are just learning how to be financially literate.

Thinking Money | From the ALA and FINRA, this is an online, interactive exhibit with activities to teach children about earning, budgeting, and spending money.

HEALTH

Being Girl | Sponsered by Always, Being Girl offers advice on your period and also on general mind and body issues. For girls, by girls.

Center for Young Women's Health | A website created by Boston's Children's Hospital with information on all things young women's health.

Center for Young Men's Health | A website created by Boston's Children's Hospital with information on all things young men's health.

Go Ask Alice | Go Ask Alice! covers a wide range of health information for teens. Emotional health, nuturition and fitness, relationships and general health are all covered in a Q & A format asked by teens. Sponsered by Columbia University’s Health Service.

I Wanna Know | Answers to your questions about teen sexual health and sexually transmitted disease prevention

MedlinePlus: Teens' Page | Health information just for Teens by the National Institute of Health

Sex, Etc | Get honest and accurate sexual health information from Rutgers University. Teens can find answers to their questions about sex and relationships, pregnancy, STDs, birth control, sexual orientation and more!

TeenHealth | TeensHealth was created for teens looking for honest, accurate information and advice about health, relationships, and growing up.

Teen Health FX | The goal of TeenHealthFX is to provide teens with an online resource for any and all of their questions regarding health, relationships, their body and their sexuality. The information and advice comes from health professionals Goryeb Children's Hospital.

TeenWire | Sexuality and Relationship info you can trust from Planned Parenthood®

INTERNET SAFETY

Be Internet Awesome | Be Internet Awesome teaches kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety so they can explore the online world with confidence. Kids and teens can play their way through Interland, an online adventure that puts the key lessons of digital safety into hands-on practice with four challenging games.

ConnectSafely: Smart Socializing Starts Here | Major online communities like Facebook and MySpace support this site and it is a way for teens to learn about safety online. Tips for safety are included for social networking, video sharing sites and cell phone usage.

Common Sense Media | This site offers detailed advice for working with kids age 2 to 17 on cyberbullying, internet safety, and everything in between.

Internet Safety Tips for Kids | This video aimed at young children explains how to be safe while exploring the internet.

NetSmartz Workshop for Teens and Kids | These sites provide a more colorful and interactive approach for kids and teens to learn about Internet safety online. Animated games and stories teach the basics on Internet safety to kids. The teen site provides real life stories and comics to explain cyberbullying, social networking and knowing when too much online activity is too much.

Office of Justice: Internet Safety | This page contains topical federal and federally-supported materials and websites for online safety for youth.

Parent's Guide to Internet Safety | Valuable tips and resources to help parents keep online safety at the forefront of your child's experience.

Social Media Guidelines for Students over 13 | A guideline for posting on social media for teens in order to remain safe and maintain good digital citizenship.

LGBTQ+ TEENS

Advocates for Trans Equality | A4TE fights for the legal and political rights of transgender people in America. Their policy experts, litigators, and community organizers work at all levels of government to ensure trans voices are not only heard, but embraced. They help the community navigate the realities of law and policy through vital tools, knowledge, and services.

Gay-Straight Alliance Network | Youth network that helps develop Gay Straight Alliance Clubs in School

It Gets Better Project | This site was created in response to the suicide of teens who were bullied for being gay. It contains more than 22,000 vidioes, including many submitted by celebrities, with the mission to uplift, empower, and connect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth around the globe.

McHenry County PFLAG | Information about local support groups and resources for the LGBTQ+ community in McHenry County.

The Trevor Project | For LGBTQ+ teens; 24/7 suicide prevention

The Well Project | Resources for women and girls of trans experience.

Trans Lifeline | Trans Lifeline works to end transgender suicide and improve overall mental health of transgender people through education, advocacy, and direct service.

Trans Student Educational Resources | A youth-led organization dedicated to transforming th educational environment for trans and gender non-conforming students through advocacy and emmpowerment.

Trans Youth Equality | The Trans Youth Equality Foundation provides education, advocacy and support for transgender and gender non-conforming children and youth and their families.

SMOKING, DRUGS AND ALCOHOL

Rehab | Find alcohol and drug rehab centers near you. Filter by payment options, amenities, specialty programs, and more to find the best treatment for your unique situation.

Next Legends | Native Strong. Vape Free. A resources for American Indian and Alaska Native teens that explores the harms of vaping.

NIDA for Teens | The Science Behind Drug Abuse

Smokefree.gov | Resources to help you quit smoking

The Truth About Inhalants | This website provides important facts and information about inhalants from the United States Department of Health and Human Services and the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information.

This Is Quitting | A supportive interactive media platform to connect with others who are quitting and get virtual support.

SUICIDE PREVENTION

CDC: Suicide Prevention | Quick facts and resources for suicide prevention in order to reduce factors that increase risk and increase factors that promote resilience.

College Students and Suicide: Prevention and Awareness | A guide to suicide awareness and prevention including risk factors, warning signs, how to help, misconceptions, and other awareness and prevention resources for college students.

Crisis Text Line | Crisis Text Line serves anyone, in any type of crisis, providing access to free, 24/7 support and information via text.

National Suicide Prevention Hotline | The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources

SAMHSA | Find organizations, articles, and other resources that American Indians and Alaska Native Communities can use to strengthen suicide prevention efforts.

Suicide Prevention Resource Center for Illinois | Contacts for the Illinois Department of Public Health, as well as links to organizations and prevention plans.

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