problem with using String()

I'm new to arduino and currently trying to build a small program with multiple screens and buttons and a counter. when I try to convert a int to a chararray it messes up the world. with out it what I have so far works any suggestions on what I'm doing wrong? with the code to convert the int to chararray it seems to lock up the program when I switch from main screen to options screen then back. I put some serial outs to narrow down where the flaw is.

My results are it is between

   test1++;  Serial.println("oops check");
   str = String(test1); Serial.println("sanity check"); 

Something hangs it up after it outputs "oops check" so I figure it is str = String(test1); I have been searching and trying every thing I can find. if someone can give me a kick in the right direction. I'm usin the tft seedstudio v2 display with the modified tft library for text direction.

   /* 
  Title: TouchScreenButton Tutorial
  About: Example/tutorial file for how to create buttons with the TouchScreenButtons library
  Author: Richard Kirkpatrick
  Date: 20 July 2014
*/

// Libraries
#include <stdint.h>  
#include <SeeedTouchScreen.h>  // Library for the Seeed Studio TFT Touch Shield 
#include <TFTv2.h>      // Library for the Seeed Studio TFT Touch Shield 
#include <TouchScreenGeometry.h> // Library for drawing geometric shapes for the touch screen
#include <TouchScreenStrings.h> // Library for drawing strings for the touch screen
#include <TouchScreenButtons.h> // Library for creating buttons for the keypad
#include <SPI.h>


//Measured ADC values for (0,0) and (210-1,320-1)
//TS_MINX corresponds to ADC value when X = 0
//TS_MINY corresponds to ADC value when Y = 0
//TS_MAXX corresponds to ADC value when X = 240 -1
//TS_MAXY corresponds to ADC value when Y = 320 -1
#define TS_MINX 890*2
#define TS_MAXX 116*2
#define TS_MINY 913*2
#define TS_MAXY 83*2

TouchScreen ts = TouchScreen(XP, YP, XM, YM);

// Global variables
String str;
Button bigButton;
Button buttons[12];
Button reset;
Button back;
int screen = 1;
int test;
int test1 = 0;
char b[5];

void setup() 
{
  // Initializes the TFT library
   Tft.TFTinit();      

  // Start the Serial port. Used to determine which button was pressed.
  Serial.begin(9600); 
 screen = 1; 

}

void loop()
{ test1++;  Serial.println("oops check");
  str = String(test1); Serial.println("sanity check");
  str.toCharArray(b,5);

  Serial.print("screen = "); Serial.print(screen );
  // A point objects holds x, y, and z coordinates
  Point p = ts.getPoint(); 
  p.x = map(p.x, TS_MINX, TS_MAXX, 240, 0);
  p.y = map(p.y, TS_MINY, TS_MAXY, 320, 0);

  // Determine which button was pressed
  int userInput = -1; // -1 means no button is pressed
  if (p.z > __PRESURE){ 
    userInput = getButtonNumber(p.x, p.y); 
     Serial.print("X = "); Serial.print(p.x);
     Serial.print("\tY = "); Serial.print(p.y);
     Serial.print("\tPressure = "); Serial.println(p.z);
  }

   // Show which button was pressed on the Serial monitor

   if (userInput == 13) {
    Serial.println("Options button was pressed!");
    bigButton.buttonDisplay();
  }
   if (userInput == 15) {
    Serial.println("back button was pressed!");
    back.buttonDisplay();
  }
  else if (userInput == 14) {
    Serial.println("reset button was pressed!");
    reset.buttonDisplay();
  } 



  delay(10);

if (screen == 1)  {

if (test == 1) {

    Tft.fillScreen();    }


  Serial.print("test1 =  "); Serial.println(b);      // prints "Hello String"

    // Draw reset button
   reset.setValues(75, 215, 35, 100);
  reset.draw();

 // Draw the big button
  bigButton.setValues(15, 185, 35, 130);
  bigButton.draw();
Tft.drawRectangle(40, 15, 70, 120,BLUE);


Tft.setDisplayDirect(UP2DOWN);


  Tft.drawString("Frays",100,20,2,RED);

   Tft.drawString(b,65,20, 2, BLUE);


  //Draw reset buttons text
  TouchScreenString resetText("RESET", 100, 230, 2, RED);
  resetText.drawText();
 Serial.println("a");      // prints "Hello String"

  // Draw the big button's text
  TouchScreenString bigButtonText("OPTIONS", 40, 197, 2, WHITE);
  bigButtonText.drawText();
test = 0;

}

if (screen == 2)  {

  if (test == 0) {Tft.fillScreen();}
 // draw back button
  back.setValues(15, 15, 35, 85);
  back.draw();


Tft.setDisplayDirect(UP2DOWN);


   // Draw the back button's text
  TouchScreenString backText("BACK", 40, 30, 2, WHITE);
  backText.drawText();
test = 1;
}}

// Gets which button was pressed.  If no button is pressed, -1 is returned.
int getButtonNumber(int xInput, int yInput)
{



if (screen == 1) {
  if (bigButton.isPressed(xInput, yInput)) {
    screen = 2;
    return 13; // Signifies big button was pressed
  } }
  if (screen ==2) {
  if (back.isPressed(xInput, yInput)) {
    screen = 1;
    return 15; // Signifies big button was pressed
  }}
  if (screen == 1) {
  if (reset.isPressed(xInput, yInput)) {
    test1 = 0;
    return 14; // Signifies reset button was pressed
  }}
  else {
  return -1; // Signifies no button was pressed
  }
}