Here’s a list of teen-oriented apps to enhance your smartphone or tablet, including eBooks, educational apps and every kind of game under the sun. Scroll to the bottom for some other random apps that might be useful. It is important to note that app prices do change from time to time.
Featured Apps
 Daniel Boone Regional Library: Find books, CDs and DVDs, place holds and manage your account. |
 Overdrive Media Console: Access thousands of library eBooks and audiobooks. |
eBooks | Educational Apps | Music Apps
Music Games | Word Games | Puzzle Games | Adventure Games
Strategy Games | Role Playing Games | Racing Games | Action Games | Arcade Games
eBooks
3D Classic Literature Collection: You can read over 50 classic books with 3D page turns.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Our Choice: Al Gore’s book on climate change has been turned into a multimedia app with some interactive content.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Solar System for iPad: It’s an interactive multimedia book about the solar system.
Devices: iPad
Dracula: The Official Stoker Family Edition: It’s an interactive multimedia book that brings the Dracula story to life.
Devices: iPad
Educational Apps
Species on the Edge: You can learn about endangered species and see lots of photos of them.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Da Vinci HD: It’s a virtual museum of da Vinci’s works.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Algebra Touch: It helps you understand and practice algebra.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Wikipedia Mobile: It’s a mobile version of Wikipedia, so it’s easier to use on your mobile device than the website is.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
HowStuffWorks for iPad: You can learn just about anything.
Devices: iPad (versions also available for iPhone and Android)
BeSeen: It simulates Facebook and teaches you how to be safe online. It may be a good way to prove to your parents that you’re ready for a Facebook account.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Music Apps
Pandora Radio: You can create your own radio station.
Devices: Android, BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Kindle Fire
iHeartRadio: You can listen to radio stations from around the country, or create your own commercial-free station.
Devices: Android, BlackBerry, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Kindle Fire
SoundHound: It identifies music it “hears” through the mic (including if you sing or hum the song), and gives the name, artist, lyrics, and a link to buy the song.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
MusicPound: You can compare your iTunes music collection to a friend’s.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Shapemix: You can mix your own music.
Devices: iPad; also a version for iPhone called Shapemix Mobile
Songify: It turns your spoken words into songs.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Music Games
Guitar Hero: You can customize your avatar and share your scores on Facebook.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Rock Band Reloaded for iPad: It has 35 free songs and vocals as well as instruments.
Devices: iPad (also has a version for iPhone and iPod touch)
Word Games
W.E.L.D.E.R.: A highly-rated game where you form words using the letters on the screen.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Rhymo: A rhyming word game.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Words With Friends: Play against Facebook friends, random opponents, or friends in the same room.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Scrabble: It’s just like Words With Friends. One advantage is the Teacher Feature, so you can learn what your best move would have been and improve for future games.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
7 Little Words: It’s a fun way to improve your vocabulary, and is also available in Spanish and French.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Puzzle Games
Castlevania Puzzle: Encore of the Night: A puzzle game with role playing game elements.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Symmetry Shuffle: Improves your geometry skills in either race mode or solve mode.
Devices: iPad
Machinarium: An award-winning puzzle/adventure game, also available for Mac or PC.
Devices: Android, iPad 2 or newer
Adventure Games
The Stroke of Midnight: You can try to solve the mystery around a Victorian-era love triangle.
Devices: iPad
Stray Souls: Dollhouse Story: It’s a horror-themed game with puzzles to solve and objects to find.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Hamlet!: A time traveler has to try to save Hamlet’s girlfriend Ophelia in this offbeat adventure game with challenging puzzles.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Monkey Island 2 Special Edition: LeChuck’s Revenge: Pirates, adventure, and monkeys…enough said.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Strategy Games
Kingdom Rush: A critically-acclaimed tower defense strategy game.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch (HD version for iPad)
Fieldrunners HD: A highly-rated tower defense strategy game.
Devices: Android (non-HD versions also available for iPhone and iPad)
Anomaly Warzone Earth HD: Instead of tower defense, you’re trying to breach the towers of the attacking aliens.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Majesty: the Fantasy Kingdom Sim: A kingdom-building strategy game where you cannot control your citizens directly but can offer rewards for things you want them to do.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
geoDefense Swarm: A challenging tower defense strategy game with chat function.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Role Playing Games
Aralon: Sword and Shadow HD: It’s 3-D, and you can save your game to the Cloud to access it on multiple devices.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Rimelands: Hammer of Thor: An interesting story and puzzles, as well as magic and steam technology.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Zenonia 2: The Lost Memories: It’s the sequel to a very popular RPG.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch (not ideal on phones with small screens)
Heroes Lore III: Choose to fight on the side of either kingdom, or go on quests.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Racing Games
Smash Cops: Chase down runaway criminals while trying to dodge traffic.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Asphalt 6: Adrenaline: Race through city streets in your dream cars.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Kindle Fire
Action Games
Zombie Gunship: Shoot zombies from your aircraft.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Bug Heroes: Characters include a spider assassin and an armed beetle warrior.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Monster Dash: Hero Barry Steakfries shoots monsters in exotic locations.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Super Mega Worm: Become a worm and save the world.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Arcade Games
Doodle Invasion: Use your doodling skills to save the planet from an alien invasion.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
WackyLands Boss: You get to be the monster in this game.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Other Apps
Facemakr – Avatar Creator HD: Make your own avatar for use on social networking sites.
Devices: iPad (also has an iPhone version, Facemakr – Avatar Creator Pro)
Graffiti Spray Can HD: Spray paint graffiti using your finger.
Devices: iPad, or non-HD versions for Android and iPhone
Bear Grylls – Bear Essentials: Wilderness survival handbook, plus quizzes and games.
Devices: iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Pinger: Text without cell phone service or charges. It assigns you a random phone number for sending and receiving texts. You can also make free calls to other Pinger users.
Devices: Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch
Otter: It prevents texting while driving by sensing when you’re in a moving vehicle and sending an auto-response to friends saying you’ll text them back as soon as you arrive.
Devices: Android, Blackberry (coming soon for iPhone)
iCurfew: It’s an easy way to let your parents know where you are and arrange for pickup.
Devices: iPhone
