Teens Know Best

What is TKB?

The Teens Know Best (TKB) book club is for teens 12-18 who want to read and review young adult (YA) books that aren’t available to the public yet. YA Publishers read TKB member reviews and use them to influence their future decisions. You can check them out on Facebook and Instagram.  TKB is a collaborative program of Metro State University and Saint Paul Public Library. Our group also nominates books for the annual Teens Top Ten Book award.

• Interested? Fill out the Online Application Form or come to a meeting and apply there.
• Have a book review to submit? Use this form for reviews.

When does TKB meet?

Teens Know Best is meeting the second Tuesday of every month in the Metro State Library first floor lounge. Books are available either at the meeting, or any time the library is open.

How do I get books?

Books are distributed every Third Tuesday at Metro State University Library/Dayton’s Bluff Library at 645 E.7th Street, St. Paul, or by appointment.

Questions?

Contact Jennifer Mason — jennifer.mason@ci.stpaul.mn.us — or Jennifer DeJonghe — Jennifer.DeJonghe@metrostate.edu — for more information.

The Dayton’s Bluff library’s main phone number is 651-793-1699. The Metro State University Library main phone number is 651-793-1616.

Participation Guidelines and Details

At the monthly meetings teens will each talk about at least one book they read, by briefly sharing the highlights. Teens are always allowed to “pass” if they are not prepared to share. 

Members are encouraged to submit at least four reviews a year using the form linked above. Non-submittal of reviews may be a case for suspension of borrowing privileges.

Respect is crucial: everyone deserves to share as much or as little as they like, without interruption – even if you disagree with them.

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion and there are no “right” or “wrong” responses.

Don’t feel stuck with a book. If you don’t like it, just read something else. However you can still review the book (why you dislike a book is just as important as why you do).

Books are “hot-off-the-press” and mostly “not-off-the-press” titles (in other words, not yet in their final published and publicly available form); these are commonly known in the industry as prepublication “galleys” or “Advance Reader Copies” (ARCs).