Well of course you are. You wouldn’t want to be left in the dust!  Searching on Amazon under “teen” can give you their bestsellers, but some other sites are YALSA and assorted blogs, like teenreads and teen book review. So don’t just wait until a pile of books to fall on you, go out and find one!

And no library has that elusive copy of Moby Dick? Well there are many resources where you can get your book, for free!  With some you have to read the book from your computer screen but that is a small price to pay. Readprint has many titles including: The Age of Innocence, Julius Caesar, and Animal Farm on their website.  Project Gutenberg has free copies of books who’s copyright has expired, so mostly the classics are posted.  The University of Pennsylvania has amassed a list of over 1 million free books, the search for Charles Dickens (on the summer reading list, hint hint) resulted in 74 titles! And planet e book has downloadable classics so you don’t have to read from the screen.  Now there is no excuse for being up to date on your reading. Unless you lose your laptop…then we can’t help you.

Then you need a AAA membership.  And the nice people at triple A are offering new drivers a FREE membership!  Their AAA INsider program is just for new drivers, offering teens 13 to 15 an associates membership when they turn 15 and 9 months.  Nothing like being ready early.  But as long as there is an adult with a AAA membership in your household (and who doesn’t have one of those?) you can get a free membership of your own.  The INsider program offers the same benefits as a traditional membership, roadside assistance, free maps and travel guides, and lots of discounts to almost everything.  So hit their website to find out more, and don’t forget to get a few maps for your glove compartment!

Of course you don’t, no one likes spiders. But you may just fall in love with this virtual spider developed by Tomas Erickson, which is safely kept behind a computer screen. You choose his (or hers?) color, leg span, and even how fast he crawls – then you let your spider loose on the computer screen. There is even an option to add bugs so the spider has a snack. On this site are also hilarious you tube links to cats trying to catch the spider…who knew spiders could be fun???

Well there are others like you out there. Besides reading some of the new titles in teens, you can join CoCoRaHS.  CoCoRaHS is an acronym for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network.  CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based network of volunteers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail, and snow).  All you have to do is get a nifty rain gague to measure the precipitation in your area.  Then  email the results to be tabulated with other members.  The results are used to predict and track weather, and are even reported to NOAA.  So join the other weather lovers like you to make a difference in tracking the weather!

Like you need more diversions on the net, but taking quizzes and playing little games might sometimes help you concentrate!  Well, at least that is what you can tell your teachers in the computer lab.  But sites like Sporcle have all kinds of quizzes on things like TV, geography, and how to recognize TV shows and websites by font.  Or just matching up random keys on a keyboard. Warning, you could get lost in there.  And sites like the BBC have fun human senses challenges to challenge what you think you know about the human body.  Do not blame us if you get carpal tunnel.

Who hasn’t wondered if all of that cool stuff that you can only buy from a TV commercial actually works? The staff at Popular Mechanics must have been wondering too, because they have devoted part of their webpage to evaluating the claims of “As Seen on TV” products. Been tempted to get an Aqua Globe to water your plants? How about Liquid Diamond car polish? Read these reviews, and check back for weekly reviews on more products you never thought you would need…but maybe you do?

Even for a summer job you still need to know how to interview.  Don’t panic! There are websites that can help, like Worktree who has a list of tips for interviewing. Even CNN has their “top 10 interview mistakes”. More amusing however is their “eight weirdest interview mistakes” article. So read up to avoid those blunders that may cost you the job you deserve!

You have friends messaging you through Yahoo, Google, AOL, and ICQ… and when they are on Facebook they message you too! How can you keep all of those windows straight? Well you don’t have to, Digsby can do it for you. Digsby is an online manager of all of your IM, social networking updates, and email – consolidating the updates into one place. For example IMs are managed through one window, so more clicking all over your screen! So no more excuses to people who IM you, like “I didn’t see your window, it was buried under all of the others”. Hmm, maybe you should keep Digbsy a secret.

With bitstrips, a website that allows you to author your own comic strip. Go on and create your own cartoon world that you can share with friends, family, or publish for the public. Check out the site not only to create your own, but to see the hilarious strips created by others. Wired magazine calls it “Awesome!”. So visit bitstrips…your strip could be the next Calvin and Hobbes!