Have you ever felt like the world might be a better place if teenagers were allowed to make their own rules--and enforce those rules themselves?  The students at Themis Academy have learned that their teachers expect them to be so perfect, those same teachers never seem to notice when someone does something terrible.  But the students notice--and, don't worry, they've found a good way to take care of offenders.  A jury of their peers tries every case, and when someone is found guilty, they must give up the thing they love the most.  The punishment is voluntary, of course, but the Mockingbirds promise you won't want to live with the consequences of not following through.

Author Whitney tells a compelling story of a society of smart, successful teenagers forced to police their own community when the adults aren't quite up to the task.  At the same time, she brings up questions of the nature of justice and explores how law and fairness require the participation of everyone in the community.  What rules are the right rules?  How do you keep everyone safe and happy without infringing on the rights of others?  It's a fundamental question of democracy on a small scale . . . because even boarding school is a little like real life.

It can be awfully hard to tell what's happening in Justine Larbalestier's riveting mystery, Liar.  Micah, the tough, talented narrator, is a liar to the core.  She lies about her whereabouts, her boyfriend, her family members, even her own body.  When the boyfriend, Zach, ends up dead, Micah's lies threaten to get her into serious trouble.  Even worse, for once, they can't help her ease the pain of her life as it really is--no lies.

No one trusts Micah anymore, not even the reader, so no one can help her with the grief she feels. This book portrays a haunting story of the troubled Micah, the girl who cried wolf (in more ways than you can even imagine).

Warning: The books on this list are so bad...they're good!

Below is a list of books that will make you love to hate the mean girls, bad boys, and juvenile delinquents. 

Will Halpin has switched schools and now he has a few new problems.  The students at the school for the deaf he just left are mad at him.  The teachers at his new school forget to face him so he can read their lips.  And the only student who wants to hang out with him is WAY too friendly for Will's taste.  So basically, he's perilously close to an invisible outcast. 

When one of the most popular guys in school ends up dead during a class trip to a coal trip, Will and his one and only friend (what are you going to do when the guy wants to be friends so badly?) decide to play detective.  It turns out you can see a lot when no one sees you.

Smart, funny, and just a little bit bitter, Will "Hamburger" Halpin is a completely fun and original narrator eager to explore a few high school mysteries.  Who killed Pat Chambers?  What's up with their creepy bus driver?  And who takes a field trip to a coal mine?  

Thanks to everyone who came to the Teen Writing Competition last weekend and congratulations to all of the winners!  If you couldn't make it or forgot to grab a book at the ceremony please stop by the Teen Lounge to pick up your very own copy of the 2011 edition of the Darien Library Teen Writing Competition  Book filled with your writing entries!

This teen program, "Mini Video Documentaries" is part of the One Book, One Community program. The teens were asked to use a flip camera to capture a powerful memory in their life. The teens in this video chose to speak about the passing of their friend and school mate for whom they will never forget.

16 year old Cara hasn't seen her BFF Zoe in forever. The last time they saw each other was just before Cara's family moved out of town.  

Cara is having a hard time making friends as the new girl at school and to top it off the mean girls are calling her "choker" due to a mishap in the cafetaria. Life was so much better when Zoe was around. Wasn't it?

Just when Cara thinks she is on the verge of a mental break down, Zoe appears.  Cara wonders why her friend has runaway and  where she is going to stay?

 Cassia Reyes is a perfect student, daughter, and sister. Everything in Cassia's life has been perfectly planned with no mistakes.  The society where she lives makes sure everyone's life is equally perfect.  The society controls when its citizens eat, sleep, and with whom they are matched.  Cassia's 17th birthday is approaching fast, soon she will meet the person she is destined to spend the rest of her life with, her match.  On the night of the matching banquet Cassia stood confidently in front of the screen that would soon project an image of her match.  She waits eagerly in her beautiful flowing green dress special for the occasion. Suddenly, the face of Xander, her childhood friend flashes on the screen then goes black and in an instant a different face flashes on the screen for only a moment before it vanishes. Cassia is shocked at what she has just seen or should not have seen. Has the society's most skilled officials made a huge mistake? Which boy is really Cassia's match and how will she feel when she finds out?

Over a year ago, the world was in awe when news surfaced about Microsoft's latest gaming project, codename NATAL. Everyone wondered what wizardry Microsoft had up their sleeves. The demo videos seemed too real to be true, only a fleeting dream in a distant future. Well guess what? That future is now! Microsoft has released the finished product called Microsoft Kinect for the Xbox 360, just in time for the holidays. 

Kinect brings games to life in a way never experienced before. According to Microsoft, "You are the controller. No gadgets, no gizmos, just you!" 

So teens, come experience Kinect at Darien Library in the Teen Lounge!

Also, don't forget to Like us on Facebook and check the video after the jump!

In this future version of earth, the internet, data-mining and the human mind have been fused into one thing: the Feed.  The feed is a constant stream of information into everyone’s brain that monitors thoughts and provides correlated information and advertizing based on current and past patterns of interest.  Most people get the Feed at birth, and it has become an integral part of everyday life: a constant stream of information and communication.   That is just the setting for the story.  The story is that Titus decides to spend Spring Break on the moon, with his friends, and this is where he meets Violet Durn.  She’s not like any girl Titus has ever met, and she is going to change his life forever. 

Feed is a dystopian satire and a really good read.  Everyone around Titus is wrapped up in their own lives and in the Feed.  It’s an amazing book, and the audio version is also great.