Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3

Hey Teens, did you know the Teen Lounge has not one, not two, but  all THREE (3) of the latest gaming consoles? That's right! We have a Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii. The following games are available for your gaming pleasure in the Teen Lounge.

Xbox 360:

• Rock Band 2
• Guitar Hero: World Tour
• American Idol Encore
• Soul Calibur IV
• Kung Fu Panda
• Indiana Jones
• Guitar Hero Metallica
• Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe
• Burnout Paradise
• DJ Hero
• Scene it?

Nintendo Wii:

• Wii Sports
• Wii Fit
• Mario Kart Wii
• Super Smash Brothers Brawl
• New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Playstation 3:

• Tekken 6
• Gran Turismo 5 Prologue
• Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack In Time
• Katamari Forever
• Little Big Planet
• Uncharted 2

Want to play something else? We have XBOX 360 games and Nintendo Wii games available for checkout, that you can also play on our consoles. So, which game have you played lately?

Kyra has lived her entire life as one of The Chosen Ones, a group of families living on a compound in the desert. 

She has three mothers, her father’s three wives, and twenty brothers and sisters, with two more on the way.   They are not allowed books, except the Bible, television, or contact with the outside world.  When the Prophet and his Apostles announce a visit to Kyra’s family, they are excited and hopeful that Kyra’s father has been chosen to join the Apostles.  The family is shocked to learn that the reason for the visit is that the Prophet has had a vision from God that thirteen year old Kyra is to become the seventh wife of one of the Apostles: her father’s sixty year old brother Hyrum.  Kyra immediately rejects the idea in her heart and mind, but the Prophet is the voice of God to her family, and disobedience is not tolerated.

The Chosen One is a great read.  Kyra is caught in an impossible situation, and works through every possible solution.  The Prophet and Apostles are terrifying, and Kyra’s family powerless.  As the book progresses, Kyra’s situation becomes more and more desperate, as she learns more about Uncle Hyrum, and as she realizes more about the nature of The Prophet and Apostles.  This book shows clearly how abuse, isolation and ignorance can be used to control people, and Kyra's thinking is fascinating as she realizes how far she will have to go to avoid marrying her uncle.               
 

If you're like me, you are SO EXCITED for tonight's premier of Lost. I can't wait. I can't wait. I can't wait.

There's lots of speculation about the little hints dropped by the writers of the show, and one thing people like to theorize about is the books that turn up. Here's a list of some of the books that have made appearances on Lost. Maybe if you read them, you'll be able to figure out where the island is?

Heloise does not know how old she is, or where she lived before she came to live with her godmother in the house beside the Museum of Mary Child.  All she knows is what her godmother tells her: that life is to be devoted to doing one’s duty and avoiding anything that could be A Waste of Time.  According to her godmother, love is the biggest waste of time of all, which is why Heloise’s earliest memory is of trying to touch her godmother’s face and having her fingers brushed away. Heloise has never been hugged, never been kissed, and has barely ever had a kind word spoken to her.  She is prohibited from playing with the nearby children, and she is not allowed to enter the forbidding Museum that makes her and her godmother’s livelihood.  The thing that Heloise longs for more than anything in the world is a doll: a plaything to share the few moments of idleness between chores and prayers.  A doll to love.

The Museum of Mary Child is horror and fantasy all rolled into one.  It starts off as the basic story of an ill-used orphan, but quickly twists and turns into something more.  It is a fairy tale, complete with a prince, a madwoman, a talking doll, magic and a society of talking birds bent on saving the day.  You will love it.     
 

Luce was six by the time she realized that not everyone saw the shadows, monsters that lurk and fly around in dark places, like forests or marshes.  After spending most of her childhood on antipsychotics, she learns to pretend she doesn’t see them either.  When her boyfriend dies in a fire and Luce, the only survivor, can’t remember anything about it, she is court-ordered into a reform school.  Luce starts her first week at school haunted by her boyfriend’s death and seeing the shadows around every corner.  When she meets Daniel, she is immediately and powerfully drawn to him.  Daniel, however, wants nothing to do with her, even though he seems to know everything about her.  Luce doesn’t know that Daniel is keeping a secret that could kill her, or that their fates are intertwined. 

Fallen is the first in a series, and it has an ending that leaves you looking for the next book.  It’s a fun read, and if you’ve been reading paranormal romances, you’ll like this one—as one Amazon reviewer put it “vampires are so last year.”
 

The Vast Fields of Ordinary is a “can’t put it down” book.  It tells the story of Dade Hamilton’s last summer before starting college: a time in his life when change is inevitable in every part of his life and everything seems unreal.  Dade has been having a rough time.  His not-exactly-boyfriend is an abusive football player who won’t acknowledge him in public.  His parents are on the brink of divorce, but have decided to pretend everything is fine until Dade leaves for college.  Dade himself hasn’t come out (unless you count telling his ceiling fan) but all his “friends” assume that he is gay and ostracize him anyway.

Things start to look up when Lucy gets exiled to her Aunt’s for the summer.  She moves in next door and becomes Dade’s first real friend.  Then, as he’s leaving a party, he meets a guy who captures his imagination.  Choosing to try to learn more about this stranger sets Dade on a path that will change his life.  

The Vast Fields of Ordinary is a romance and a book about growing up and leaving home.  The characters are wonderful because they are flawed, but still likable, and their voices are authentic.    Though some of the subjects dealt with are different, readers who like Sarah Dessen will like this as well.
 

The winner of the 2010 Printz Award

Libba Bray's GOING BOVINE won the Printz this year. The Printz recognizes excellence in young adult literature.

And check out these lists, which were released by the American Library Association today:

• Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
• Best Books for Young Adults
• Fabulous Films for Young Adults
• Great Graphic Novels for Teens
• Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
• Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers

Little Audrey is the true story of what happened to Ruth White’s family in 1948, told in the voice of her older sister Audrey.  The family, Audrey, her three little sisters and her mother and father, are living in a mining camp in southwestern Virginia.  Her father works hard in the coal mine for very little pay, most of which he uses to buy alcohol.  As a result, the girls and their mother are often left without enough to eat.  Coupled with her mother’s depression, being bullied by neighborhood kids and chasing after her whiney, wild sisters, Audrey’s life is difficult to say the least.

Little Audrey is a quick read, and is well written.  It offers a look into the life of a disadvantaged family at a turning point in their lives.  The resolution of the story is surprising, and readers will be left with a lot to think about.             
 

Rei and Kira are from different worlds.  Rei is a complete player- he hustles on the basketball court for money, races his motorcycle, and has a reputation with girls.  Kira is a quiet art student- shy to the point of almost being mute, she is disliked by her classmates and spends all her time drawing and painting.  When Rei and Kira unexpectedly cross paths, Rei is taken by Kira’s talent.  When she asks him to model for her paintings, he agrees and as they begin to spend time together their connection deepens.

Mars is a graphic novel romance.  Rei and Kira love each other, but are both damaged people whose lives get in the way of their happiness. It is a fun, quick read, that is part of a series.
 

The Hanging Woods is a dark story of deep family and personal dysfunction.  Set in rural Alabama in 1975, the three main characters at first seem to live idyllic lives from a more simple time and place: whittling toothpicks from fence posts, building tree forts and eating boiled peanuts for a quarter a bag. Then Walter reads his mother’s diary and everything changes.  He learns a terrible secret that plays a pivotal role in the events of that summer, ripping open a web of lies and leading to the destruction of three families.  Part of what makes this book interesting are the details: the fact that Walter's mother will not acknowlege one of his friends due to a mysterious feud; a plan to gain fame by setting a record for the longest-lived fowl without a head; the trips to spy on the town's feared "Troll".   

As the story unfolds, each character becomes more complex and the veneer of perfection disappears.  The three boys, while best friends, are tied together as much by bullying and kept secrets as by friendship.  Each is emotionally troubled, due to neglect, abuse and mental illness, and each deals with their problems in unhealthy ways.  The outcome of their friendship is disaster and death.  This is a good read—a tense thriller that moves toward a disturbing end.