by Lorie Lewis Ham
When the High School Musical movie came out in 2006 on the Disney Channel my 13-year-old daughter was obsessed with it, and I enjoyed it too! We even eventually talked her brother into watching it. Through the years we watched all three movies many times, and even now she and I are big fans of Zach Efron and Lucas Grabeel, two of the stars of the movies. So when we heard that the Selma Arts Center’s Teen theatre group was doing a production of the stage version, well of course we were going to be there.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
The Selma Arts Center in Selma, CA has been providing the Valley with some awesome theatre (check our review of Bring It On), and now it has started a brand new theatre adventure-they have created a special theatre company just for teens.
by Ashley Brandon
I ordered a Big Mac the other day and I told them to hold the meat, the sauce, and the cheese. Why? Because I’m a vegan. I’m not going to be one of those vegans who preach it as if it’s a religion, but there are many benefits of veganism. First of all, veganism isn’t so much a diet as it is a philosophy and a lifestyle. There are environmental benefits, health benefits, and the benefit of saving animals from cruel treatment.
by Valley Teens & More
These poems were written by local, and not so local, teens who won our most recent Teen Talk poetry contest. The contest is open to anyone age 13-19.
by D.J. Reimer
Change is among us at Reedley High School. Upperclassmen entered the parking lot on August 27, 2012 to discover an unprecedented tragedy: Ms. K is no longer with us. The Anglo-Saxon community at RHS briefly mourned her absence that Monday morning. Luckily, she is happy at her job at Reedley College, chasing the same kind of kids, just bigger and older. We wish her the best.
by Jessica Ham
Do you like young love and humor? Then you will love The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower is narrated by a teenager going by the alias Charlie. He describes several scenes in his life by writing a series of letters to an anonymous person who he does not know personally.
by Jessica Ham
If you love drama, teen romance, or the show Gossip Girl, then you will love these books written by Cecily von Ziegesar. It all takes place in New York, mainly the Upper East Side, and follows the lives of the rich and fabulous students of two prep schools in Manhattan. There are many characters in this series but the two that are featured are Serena van der Woodsen and Blair Waldorf, the queen bees of the Upper East Side.
by Valley Teens
These poems were written by local teens who won our most recent Teen Talk poetry contest. The contest is open to anyone age 13-19. Any subject or type of poem will be considered with five or more poems selected each time.
by Liz Stoeckel
On October 3, 2004, seventy-five people gathered in Fresno, California to hold a prayer vigil for a missing 16-year old girl. I’d seen these vigils on the news—pictures of a smiling teenager, Mom begging for information, candles lighting up the night, and volunteers handing out flyers. I wasn’t watching this scene unfold on the 6:00 news, however. The face on the flyer belonged to my daughter.
by Jesus Ibarra
Magic Slays is an urban fantasy that is set in an alternate Atlanta and in a future where technology and magic come in waves, and magic is winning. When magic is in effect, most technology will not work, and spells, monsters and people with magic are at their strongest. The opposite is true when the magic goes down.
by Teen Poets
These poems were written by local teens who won our September 2011 Teen Talk poetry contest. This time we only have two winners-one from Parlier and the other from Reedley. The contest is open to anyone age 14-19. The next contest results will be published in October and will have a Halloween theme.
by Aimee Lewis
If one of your family members were forced to fight for his or her life, yet you had the opportunity to step in for them, would you? Honestly, I get the feeling that not many people would. Yeah, many people say, “Of course I would! It’s family!” but when it comes down to it, and they’re actually put into this situation, would they do it? In The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, families are put to the test. It shows that sometimes, no matter how much you love someone, you don’t necessarily know how you will react.
by Jesus Ibarra
Jason Starr presents what happens to a normal guy, Simon Burns, who gets lured into a “pack” by three other stay at home dads who are more than they seem to be. Simon’s life isn’t going that great. He gets fired, he is having marital problems, and is adjusting to becoming a stay at home dad. And after being drawn into a wild night, he blacks out and wakes up in the woods naked. After that night, Simon notices extreme changes. Simon is suddenly stronger, faster, acute senses, and overall more animalistic. The gist is he has become a werewolf and possibly killed somebody.
by Lorie Lewis Ham
As the Reel Pride Film Festival in Fresno celebrates its twenty second year, the festival organizers have made an extra effort to bring in local youth to the festival. One of the things they have done toward that effort is to bring on board Clovis youth Justin Kamimoto as outreach coordinator. Reel Pride runs from September 14 through 18.
