Austin Gutwein may only be fifteen years old, but he knows that it's possible for ordinary kids like him to save the lives of AIDS orphans in Africa, build a school, provide a medical facility for people living hundreds of miles away from the nearest city, and writing a book that encourages others to make a difference as well. And to think this all started by Austin shooting some free throws! In fact, this remarkable young man founded Hoops for Hope, and organization that has people sign up to shoot hoops, get sponsored for every basket they make, and the raised money goes towards improving the lives of the impoverished in Africa. Autin knows that some miracles have happened in his life, but he's still just a normal fifteen-year-old. So if ordinary Austin could do all this, then that means all teens could go after their own dreams in big ways as well, right? Exactly. In this book, through is stories and life lessons, Austin calls all readers to go out there and take your best shot!

Why You'll Love It:
•Everyone should read this book. (Yes, it even addresses adults!) But it would be best for the nine-to-nineteen decade.
•Everyone wants to use their life to make a difference in some way. While you don't have to shoot basketballs to make a difference, this book encourages everyone to make a difference in the best way they can!
•Let's face it: everyone looks down on minors. Stop allowing this to happen. Read this book!
•Austin tells of his adventures in both Africa and in the United States. It's fun to read about his incredible experiences!

• Helping others is the best way to give life meaning! And what better book to encourage this than Take Your Best Shot?
•Includes quotes and raving reviews from teens' favorite celebrities like Daniel Biro of Hawk Nelson, NBA's Luke Ridnour of the Milwaukee Bucks, and bono of U2.
•Introduces a great charity called World Vision, which allows people to sponsor a child in need and more.
•The end of each chapter includes questions to ponder and challenges to apply to life.

Always Watching by Brandilyn Collins and Amberly Collins, Published by Zondervan

(Book One of The Rayne Tour Series)
Sixteen-year-old Shaley O'Connor is living every teen's dream: to be the daughter of a popular band's lead singer, to tour the nation with a comfortable lifestyle, and to have some great friends. But Shaley's world gets flipped upside-down when she finds Tom, her friend and her mother's stylist, lying dead backstage. Now a mystery unravels as Shaley and the band must figure out who executed this murder before it happens again. And let's not forget the other mysteries of Shaley's life. What about the father she never knew? What about these curious gifts that she's been receiving telling her that someone's always watching?

Why You'll Love It:
•Thrilling for any teenage girl!
•Written by an award-winning suspense writer and her college-age daughter.
•It will keep you one the edge of your seat-- and you'll have a hard time putting it down!
•It just came out this month, so you can be one of the first to own it!
•It's worth more than it's price- $9.99.
•Proves that the sought-after celebrity life isn't all fun and games.
•It's sequel, Last Breath, comes out in October.

The Double-Daring Book for Girls by Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz
Saturday morning, my 13-year-old sister comes up to me and asks "do you know how to burn the edges of paper?"
"Sure," I respond, "but why?"
"I want to make my story for school look like it's old."
"Hmm. It would look more old if you antiqued it with tea bags."
"Okay, but how do you do that?"
So, I went to my room, grabbed a book, opened up to the page about how to make antique paper, and we spent an hour in the kitchen, working on this project together. (It was especially amazing that we actually got along during this time without any fighting or parental involvement!) So, what was this book that helped make an amazing-looking project AND helped sisters bond? Well, The Double-Daring Book for Girls of course!
Antiquing paper is just one of the hundreds of great things from this handbook-style book. In fact, here are a few more features it has...

Why You'll Love It:
-As an 18-year-old, I loved it. As a 13-year-old, my sister loved it. I'm sure that girls older and younger than us would love it as well.
-Outlines several little-known careers, such as how you can become a spy or how to run away and join the circus.
-Great sleepover and girl time activities, like dying your hair with Kool-Aid.
-You'll be challenged to step out of your comfort zone and experience amazing adventures!
-Explains both traditional feminine activities as well as activities that are more male-dominated.
-You will never have to say "I have nothing to do!"

Snap2It! by Sondra Clark, published by Sourcebooks
Being a teenager doesn't have to be so hard. In fact, it can be a SNAP! That means Stay positive, Not always about you, Academics count, and Play hard! This book gives tons of advice on how to make teen life count for more, written by an author who is an accomplished teenager herself. From volunteering to reducing stress, this book is filled with several ways that you can Snap2It!

 Why You'll Love It:
•Excellent for young teenage girls.
•It's written by a 16-year-old, not a 50-year-old who doesn't remember what it was like being a teen.
•Filled with fun ideas for games, sleepover activities, school survival tips and more.
•Every few pages has an activity with questions for you to answer.
•118 pages for $7.95... good deal!
•Encourages positive attitudes, as well as activities like volunteering and doing well in school.
•Author Sondra Clark (who is 19 as of date) is all about living a positive life. If you aren't convinced by this book, then check out one of the other eight books she has published.

Be the Change by Zach Hunter, Published by Zondervan
15-year-old Zach Hunter is an activist with a goal to free the slaves of today's world. Now he also wants to encourage other teenagers to break the typical teen mold and live a life to change the world. (Hmm. Sounds kinda like my baccalaureate speech! Scroll down if you haven't read it yet.) Each chapter of this book is filled with facts, quotes, stories, and inspiration to help you change the world, whether it's for the abolition of slavery or your own cause.
 
Why You'll Love It:
•Good for those in middle school, high school, and even college.
•Includes a foreward by Jon Foreman, the lead singer of the band Switchfoot!
•You've always believed that you were more than just an ordinary teen. Now you can have the resources to put that belief into action!
•Includes many quotes and stories from some of your favorite role models and heroes.
•It's worth more than it's price- $9.99.
•Each chapter contains a new life value.

77 Creative Ways Kids Can Serve by Sondra Clark, Wesleyan Publishing House
Sondra Clark, who was 18 at the time her eighth book was published, has volunteered in Kenya, Uganda, Peru, Mexico, Guatamala, Germany, Canada, Spain, and all over the United States. This has been a great experience for her, but she knows that all of this extensive volunteer travelling isn't availible for all kids. So, she wrote 77 Creative Ways Kids Can Serve, a book, as the title suggests, contains 77 step-by-step service projects that any kid can do. So, as Sondra says, Happy Volunteering!
 
Why You'll Love It:
•Perfect for kids ages 8-13, but also a good resource for those who are older or younger.
•Sondra Clark wrote eight books before she became an adult. Seven of those are for kids, and one was coauthored by her mom for parents!
•Volunteering no longer has to be difficult; everything you need to know is laid out on these pages.
•In addition to the 77 projects, there is an interesting opening and helpful conclusion.
•Will give good projects  to accomplish over summer, plus good ideas to fulfill school/club community service requirements.
•The projects are diverse-something for kids with every interest!
•A real book for real teens by a real teen. It's so...real!