As the school year ends and the members of our Teen Advisory Group plan to ride off into the sunset (or at least take a vacation or go to summer camp), I thought I would share some more of their favorite books, CDs, and DVDs that they enjoyed this year.

BOOKS:

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

This book is about a shape-shifter named Isabel who doesn't remember anything from the past.  She only knows that she exists to protect the handsome king.  Mystery and magic fans will find this book very exciting! 

If You're Reading This, It's Too Late by Pseudonymous Bosch

This book, the sequel to The Name of this Book is Secret, is all about a young girl named Cass who finds something called the Sound Prism.  She records the weird noise that it makes on her phone, and then plays it for her friends Max-Ernest and Yo-Yoji.  Soon they begin a journey to find out what the Sound Prism is all about.  It may start out a little boring, but after reading it for just a little while, it will be so interesting that you won't want to put it down.   

Jack: Secret Circles by F. Paul Wilson

Three friends wind up in a crazy situation.  First they find a little pyramid-shaped object and then they find a dead body.  Then Jack's five-year-old neighbor goes missing.  A little while after that, strange things start to happen everywhere.  While you're reading Jack: Secret Circles you won't want to put it down.  Trust me—when you read this book you will really like it.

Cthulhu Tales: Chaos of the Mind by Michael Alan Nelson, et al.

This is a really great graphic novel about an alien from another dimension that is causing havoc upon the earth!

Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan

This novel, the sequel to Waiting to Exhale, is great because lots of people can relate to it.  It's about cheating, love, betrayal, and finding happiness.  The book is about friction between friends and family, and losing and finding love.

Laughing Sutra by Mark Salzman

This is the story of a Chinese boy named Hsun-Ching whose mother is killed, so he is raised by a Buddhist monk.  The boy then travels to the United States with a demon-like man named Colonel Sun, looking for a magical text called the Laughing Sutra.  This is a very enjoyable book that mixes historical fiction with fantasy.

CDs:

Road to Revolution: Live at Milton Keynes by Linkin Park

I love this group because they're different.  Their music speaks to me, especially the song "Bleed it Out."

All or Nothing by Jay Sean

His real name is Kamaljit Singh Jhooti, but his artist name is Jay Sean.  He writes from his heart and sings from his soul.  Music is his life!  This music is about his true-life experiences and his fantasies, but every bit is him.  His life has been a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences.  This is a great album about love, feelings, and raps.

DVDs:

When I asked my kids about the movies and TV they'd been watching lately, they were all over the map.  They'd seen a bunch of movies that were recently released, like Insidious, Fast Five, and Rio (check them out from the library when they come out on DVD!)  Then when we started talking about DVDs, we took a LONG detour down memory lane.  For movies they recommended West Side Story, Grease, Drumline, Dirty Dancing, The Wiz, Tron AND Tron: Legacy.  And when it came to TV shows on DVD, they've been watching Full House, The Simpsons, Doctor Who, The Twilight Zone, Charmed, and Martin. 

Many thanks to Solen, Crystal, Alyssa, Dawandra, Allyea, Lucia, and the rest of the Kingsbridge Teen Advisory Group for their excellent recommendations.  Have a great summer, guys!