The start of a new year has always been seen as a time to hit the reset button. We make our resolutions to start new habits (or kick old ones), spend time picking out the tools we need to get going like workout gear or a fancy new planner, and loudly declare, “this year will be my year!” But what does it really mean to live your best life?

A group of Bronx YA librarians teamed up in the beginning of the year to put on a series of programs for teens called New Year, New You aimed at taking a deeper dive into topics that will help them set themselves up for success. Covering productivity, self-care, financial literacy, teen rights, and more, the programs were aimed to help teens reflect and recover from 2020 and start 2021 off right. 

For teens who attended the sessions as well as those who weren't able to join us, we have some additional resources to share that you can use on your own time including quick tips, book recommendations and additional resources.

Goal Getters Program (held January 13)

How often have you set New Years’ resolutions only to have them fall away in mid-February? It can be hard to stick to a new habit or routine—it can take up to a month for our bodies and brains to catch up with our changes! Sometimes we also aim high without considering all the little steps we need to take first.

Let’s say your goal for 2021 is to get more exercise. While it sounds simple enough there can be a lot of hurdles in the way of you getting up and going to the gym. One idea is to make getting exercise less about a strict gym routine and instead start off with a baby step of just getting more movement into your day. This could mean taking a 30-minute walk around your neighborhood or a having a 30-minute dance party with your favorite tunes. Maybe it's hard to get 30 minutes of interrupted time to yourself. Could you do 10 minutes of high energy movement like jumping jacks three times a day? No motivation? Write out all the reasons you want to exercise more (to be stronger! to run faster!) or make a vision board and hang it up to remind yourself of your goal and help keep you motivated.

Books and Recommended Resources

Chill: Stress-Reducing Techniques for a More Balanced, Peaceful You by Deborah Reber

Productivity is often seen as how you can squeeze the most out of every hour of the day. While this sounds great in theory (who doesn’t want to get more done?), it can quickly become overwhelming. Making sure you take time to chill and destress is essential to well being and to having the energy to really get stuff done.

 

 

7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens: The Ultimate Teenage Success Guide by Sean Covey

A classic for a reason!This book is one of our most popular titles on the subject of goal setting and productivity. Covey provides a simple approach to help teens improve self-image, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve their goals, and appreciate their parents, as well as tackle the new challenges of our time, like cyberbullying and social media. In addition, this book is stuffed with cartoons, clever ideas, great quotes, and incredible stories about real teens from all over the world. Also available as an e-book and e-audiobook.

 

 

The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future by Ryder Carroll

Bullet journaling is a technique that is part agenda, part to-do list, part diary, part habit tracking, and a million other parts that you can add as you see fit. Also available as an e-book and e-audiobook.

 

 

 

BeWell Health & Wellness has collected a list of apps and streaming workouts to keep you active during social distancing. Our favorite is the POPSUGAR Fitness Youtube Channel where there are hundreds of different workouts for everyone’s speed and style.

Care For Yourself, Be Yourself (Held January 20)

Taking care of yourself can look like many things. It could be making sure you get all your homework done tonight so you’re not stressed out tomorrow. It could be making sure you eat well and drink lots of water to keep your body feeling good. It could be hanging up positive affirmations around your room to remind yourself how great you are (even when maybe you’re not feeling so great).

Here is an idea to try:

1. When you’ve finished that last bit of jam or mustard or olive from a jar clean it out with hot and soapy water (if you want to get the label off you can soak it in the hot water overnight and try scraping it off or use a little bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball to get rid of any sticky residue)
2.  Cut a piece of paper into strips and write an affirmation or positive thought or memory on each slip. For example: “You’re made of stardust;” “That time I went to the beach.”
3.  Put them in the jar and pull one out when you’re feeling down for a bit of a boost!

Take it to the next level by decorating your jar, using colored paper for your slips, putting glitter or little trinkets in your jar to make you smile.

Books and Recommended Resources

Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Queenie Jenkins goes on a journey of self-discovery and affirmation when she struggles with relationships and social issues. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

 

 

 

 

Swimming Lessons: Poems by Lili Reinhart

The debut collection of poetry from Lili Reinhart, the actress and outspoken advocate for mental health awareness and body positivity. Swimming Lessons explores the euphoric beginnings of young love, battling anxiety and depression in the face of fame, and the inevitable heartbreak that stems from passion.
 

 

 

 

(Don't) Call Me Crazy 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health by Jensen Kelly

An anthology of essays and illustrations that illuminate mental health topics in a straightforward way

 

 

 

Brave Face: A Memoir by Shaun David Hutchinson

Shaun David Hutchinson was nineteen. Confused. Struggling to find the vocabulary to understand and accept who he was and how he fit into a community in which he couldn't see himself. In this courageous and deeply honest memoir, Shaun takes readers through the journey of what brought him to the edge, and what has helped him truly believe that it does get better.

 

 

 

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

A half-Japanese teen grapples with social anxiety and her narcissist mother in the wake of a crushing rejection from art school in this debut novel. A luminous, heartbreaking story of identity, family, and the beauty that emerges when we embrace our true selves.
 

 

 

 

Stacks and Sense (Held January 27)

Talking finances and figures can be overwhelming. In our Stacks and Sense program we will start off easy with things like budgeting and saving, but give teens the tools to learn about how to read their first paychecks, what they need to know about taxes, and try to demystify all the things about money that make it feel so scary!

If you’re trying to get in the habit of saving money, one of the easiest things you can do is start a using a piggy ban. Use an old coffee can to collect your loose change or the smaller bills left over after you break a larger one. If you get into the habit of emptying your pockets into the jar you’ll be amazed at how much can add up and it might be the boost you need to get into more serious thoughts about money.

Books and Recommended Resources
 

Rich Dad, Poor Dad for Teens: The Secrets of Money—That You Don’t Learn in School! by Robert T. Kiyosaki

Another classic for a reason! This age-appropriate guide encourages the development of confident and responsible money skills, providing case examples, sidebars, and attitude recommendations that demonstrate how to achieve security in today's challenging job market. Also available in Spanish and as an e-book.
 

 

 

The Infographic Guide to Personal Finance: a Visual Reference for Everything You Need to Know by Michele Cagan

This illustrated beginner's guide to personal finance distills essential information into small, easy-to-follow steps to help you get your finances in order. Full of colorful descriptions organized in an easy-to-read format, this book contains infographics such as: Choosing your bank; Building an emergency fund; Choosing a financial planner; Where your money is going; What not to buy; Health insurance; Property insurance; What federal taxes pay for. With the help of this guide, you'll learn how to make good investments, save for big things like a house or college tuition, budget, and more! Also available as an e-book.

 

The Teen Money Manual: A Guide to Cash, Credit, Spending, Saving, Work, Wealth, and More by Kara McGuire

Provides a comprehensive guide for teenagers to saving, spending, and earning money, and includes information on starting a business, preparing for interviews, opening a bank account, and purchasing car and property insurance.

 

 

 

Heads Up Money by Marcus Weeks

Does money make the world go round? Can wealth buy happiness? What would happen if a bank simply printed more money? Find out the answers to these questions and much more in Heads Up Money. Using real-life scenarios, you will learn about a variety of topics including supply and demand, free trade, globalization, and financial crises. Packed with colorful graphics and easy-to-follow text, this indispensable book will help you understand money and the role it plays in our world. Also available as an e-book.

 

 

KhanAcademy: Life Skills: Personal Finance
Complicated topics explained with engaging videos about the basics like saving, budgeting, and also bigger topics like buying a house, retirement, and paying for college.

Know Your Rights (Held February 3)

Being a teen can be tough—you're not a kid anymore, yet not truly treated as an adult. So what rights apply to you as a minor? In our Know Your Rights program we tackled the tough stuff like; what to do when you’re stopped by the police, seeing a doctor without your parents, support for LGBTQAI+ teens, resources for protection and housing, and other topics.

In most states, you are considered a minor if you are under the age of 18, but this doesn’t mean you are without rights or protection under the law. At any age, you have the right to remain silent when interacting with law enforcement including immigration and school security. Whether you are arrested, just detained, or being asked questions about something you saw you must verbally state, “I want to remain silent” or “I choose to remain silent” and calmly refuse to answer any questions. If arrested, ask for a lawyer immediately and one will be provided for you for free. You can also call the Legal Aid Society at 212-577-3300 or Youth Represent at 646.759.8080 (if under the age of 25) to be connected to a lawyer.

Books and Recommended Resources
 

Youth to Power: Your Voice and How to Use It by Jamie Margolin

You don't have to be able to vote or hold positions of power to change the world. In Youth to Power, Jamie presents a guide to changemaking, with advice on writing and pitching op-eds, organizing successful events and peaceful protests, time management as a student activist, utilizing social media and traditional media to spread a message, and sustaining long-term action. She features interviews with prominent young activists including Tokata Iron Eyes of the #NoDAPL movement and Nupol Kiazolu of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, who give guidance on handling backlash, keeping your mental health a priority, and how to avoid getting taken advantage of. Also available as an e-book.

 

What Are My Rights?: Q & A About Teens and the Law by Thomas A. Jacobs

“Can I be prosecuted for comments I make online?” “Can I get a credit card?” “When can I get a tattoo?” “Why can’t I wear what I want to school?” These questions—and many more—are asked and answered in What Are My Rights? Using a straightforward “just the facts” tone, and drawing on examples from real-life court cases involving young people, Judge Tom Jacobs explains to teens what their rights are. Readers learn about the laws that affect them, appreciate their rights, and consider their responsibilities.

 

 

You Call This Democracy?: How to Fix Our Government and Deliver Power to the People by Elizabeth Rusch

America is the greatest democracy in the world...isn't it? Author Elizabeth Rusch examines some of the more problematic aspects of our government but, more importantly, offers ways for young people to fix them. Also available as an e-book and e-audiobook.

 

 

 

 

LawHelp.org - Family Safety: Rights of Minors
You should always consult a real attorney when possible but LawHelp.org is a good place to start your research when you have a legal question. It is an online tool for helping low-income New Yorkers solve their legal problems. They provide and promote access to high-quality online information about free legal services, your legal rights in a broad range of substantive areas, answer questions about the New York State court system and provide information on advocacy groups, government offices, and social service organizations that help low-income New Yorkers.

 

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Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.

Summaries adapted via NYPL’s catalog, which draws from multiple sources. Click through to each book’s title for