Taylor Swift: You Belong With Me

Borchetta, S., Chapman, N., & Swift, T (Producers). (2008). Taylor Swift You belong with me. Big Machine: Tennessee.

Winner of the MTV Best Female Video Award, Taylor Swift has made her way into the hearts of teens across the nation. Soft and ethereal, Taylor Swift is a beautiful performer. Though some music critics have called her pitchy, American tweens and teens will be quick to defend their idol. You Belong to Me is a song about a classic love drama that so many teens can relate to. Swift sings about her love for the boy next door who is dating the captain of the cheerleading team. The video shows them writing notes to each other, the football game, and the big dance. Swift carries herself with respect and is a positive role model for tween audiences everywhere. In the video, she dresses like a normal girl-- while lounging in her room she wears tee shirts, glasses, and has her hair back in a ponytail. The song's lyrics speak to teens who might not be the most popular. In this regard, Swift has done the music industry a great favor. She is one of the few artists who offer that image to teens. The music is basic pop with a country flavor-- a few guitar cords, steady drumbeat, and a catchy, cheerful chorus make the song easy to enjoy. Musically, it is about as interesting as every pop song ever written, but Taylor's message and image make this a smash hit with tweens and their parents alike.

Justin Bieber: Baby

Stewert, C., The-Dream, & Milian, C. (Producers), Bieber, J., Stewert, C., The-Dream, Bridges, C. & Milian, C. (Writers) (2010). Justin Bieber Baby. Island Records: New York.

Justin Bieber, teen sensation, has melted hearts all over the country with his pop hit, Baby. The lyrics describe Bieber talking to his first love, telling her all the sweet things he can in order to win her back. The song is simplistic and the music is unremarkable, but Bieber's fans are head over heels for this one. The song does feature a short segment by Ludacris, which will only help to cement the cool factor into the minds of Bieber fans.

Miley Cyrus: Party in the USA

Dr. Luke (Producer), Gottwald, L., Claude Kelly, & Jessica Cornish (Writers). (2009). Miley Cyrus Party in the USA [video recording]. Hollywood.

Stomping her dirty cowboy boots and shaking her hips, Miley shows she knows how to have a good time. The video, about her moving from Nashville to L.A., talks to kids about the feelings of uncomfortability people experience about moving to a new place. Miley tells kids that even though things are different all over the country, they can still turn on the radio and hear their favorite songs, and then everything will be okay.

Syren

Syren by, Angie Sage. ISBN-10:0060882107

Seventh son of the seventh son, Septimus Heap has a powerful destiny. In this, the fifth book in the series, Septimus gets trapped on an island with Jenna and Beetle while they wait for their dragon, Spit Fyre to recover from a lightning injury. Septimus discovers that the island is inhabited by Syrah Syara, a 500 year-old apprentice who is controlled by a dangerous spirit named Syren. The story has many subplots that tie together nicely to create a grand adventure that is every bit as excellent as the rest of the series.

Dragonsdale

Dragonsdale by, Salamanda Drake. ISBN-13: 978-0439871730

This heartwarming story is a bit of a cross between the new fantasy dragon stories with the classic girl loves horses story. Except the horses are dragons. They live in fireproof stalls, get saddled and groomed, and fly through various obstacle courses with their riders. The story features a dragon riding school run by Huw, a gruff man whose wife died after falling of her dragon. Consequently, he has forbidden his daughter, and our hero, Clara, from ever riding a dragon. She cleans the muck from the stalls and takes time for her favorite dragon, Skydancer. Skydancer is a wild, untamed dragon who seems to love Clara as much as she loves him. Clara also must deal with the Lord Torin's horrible daughter Hortense, whose spiteful ways seems to cause much of the book's action. Hortense uses whips to beat the dragons, which the author has used to take her stand against animal cruelty.

The story is light, the characters are girly, and the relationships between people are a major focus of the story. The plot moves slowly and doesn't really do more than scratch the surface of the fantasy genre. While there are a variety of mythical creatures, they are all portrayed as parallel to other, more familiar ones. Drake claims to be 16 years old, and it shows in the depth of her story. It is a delightful book, but don't expect anything more than that.

N.E.R.D.S.

National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society by, Michael Buckley. ISBN-13: 978-0-8109-8918-4

Jackson Jones was undoubtedly the most popular guy in school. That is, until the day he got braces. Instantly, Jackson went from adored to shunned-- causing him to take a good look at the type of person he used to be. In this amusing nerdy, spy adventure, Buckley does an excellent job of talking to kids about the fact that popularity isn't what makes people cool.

The safety of the entire world is at risk and it is up to the super top-secret team of misfits to derail the evil plot of a dastardly villain. The team consists of six super nerds--kids who get wedgied in the school bathroom and then save the world using inhalers, braces, and an enormous pair of gleaming buck-teeth. These super nerds know that they better move quick if they have any chance of thwarting the beauty-pageant assassin working for an evil mastermind determined to destroy the world. These characters are easy for kids to understand; Buckley provides excellent descriptions of normal childhood dramas, helping readers relate to these nerdy superheroes. Full of action and antics, this is a great book for reluctant readers and outcasts. The story is fast-paced, the plot is easy to follow, and the creativity that Buckley has used in writing this story will amuse and delight his readers.

The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief by, Rick Riordon. ISBN-13: 978-0786838653

There are many books that become overnight smash sensations, but this one really deserves the fame. Riordon has crafted an ingenious book, carefully melding together the world of the Greek gods with that of 21st century youth. The result is a marvel that educates and entertains readers who will have a difficult time putting down this book. Our hero, Percy Jackson, is a boy who suffers from ADHD and dyslexia. His best friend, Grover, turns out to be a satyr while Percy discovers that his own father was actually a Greek god. This, and a giant minotaur that attacked Percy, Grover, and his mother, lead Percy to Camp Half-Blood where Percy will discover his destiny. The action-packed adventure is exciting and intelligent. The characters are well-developed and slide gracefully between the world of the mundane and heroic battles with mythical creatures. Percy, who is granted a quest to find the magical lightning bolt belonging to Zeus, will travel from Olympus to the Underworld in an attempt to divert a massive battle from erupting between the gods and goddesses themselves. This, the first book in the Percy Jackson series is an unbelievably amazing story that begins an epic series that will be known for generations. Fans of Harry Potter will be enthralled with this magical delight!