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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH YOUTUBE SINGER

Alex Thao AND THE AWARD GOES TO...

TOP TEN BOOKS TO PUT ON YOUR READING LIST FIND OUT WHICH OF THE

latest movies

TO GO SEE

Contributors Art By: Lizzie F.

Art By: Lizzie F.

What was the BEST entertainment you ever experienced?

Born in Austin, Texas, Jennifer T. enjoys to read, watch movies and play volleyball. Along with this, Jennifer is a batman fan and enjoys to watch many YouTubers. Overall Jennifer enjoys entertainment like any other person.

Jennifer’s best form of entertainment includes going to a Marina & the Diamonds concert. The dim lights and the music created an unforgettable experience that definitely became a show and night to remember.

Born in Mexico, but raised in Austin, Texas, Rosa enjoys to read romance novels. Rosa enjoys spending time with kids and volunteering to help others. Rosa loves to listen to music, making this one of her favorite forms of entertainment.

Rosa’s best entertainment she ever experienced includes when she went to Whole Foods and watched a live singer.

Rosa immediatley loved it. To this day, she still remembers the song the singer played.

Art By: Jennifer T.

Art By:Lizzie F.

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Lizzie F. loves books, chocolate bars and traveling.

She dreams of exploring Europe, learning five languages, and breaking social justice ground as a future film writer. Her favorite books include Harry Potter and the Little Prince.

The best entertainment for her is watching awful reality TV. Originally born and raised in Mexico, Ernesto enjoys having fun with friends. On many occasions, Ernesto watches action and horror movies. Overall Ernesto is a fun guy that makes everyone around him laugh.

The best entertainment for Ernesto includes listening to some of his favorite artists such as Eminem or Drake.

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4 Letter From the Editor

By: Ernesto G., Lizzie F., Jennifer T. & Rosa B.

6 I Wanna Be a Billionaire

By: Jennifer T.

8 Fans Who Change the World

By: Lizzie F.

Page 24

12 Best Movies of All Time

Page 20

By: Ernesto G.

Page 8

Table of Contents Page 16

16 Tearing Down These Walls By: Rosa B. 18 The Bookworm’s Dilemma

By: Lizzie F.

20 Small Stepping Stones

By: Jennifer T.

22 And The Award Goes To...

By: Rosa B.

24 FIFA Champions

By: Ernesto G.

3 Electric Electric Rise Rise 3

Letter from the Editors Dear Readers, Congrats! You’ve just opened the greatest magazine in existence.

Your life can only improve from here.

In our magazine, our name, Electric Rise, says it all. It describes a new feeling of joy from finally getting to see that newly released movie, or read that funny novel that you never got from left to right: Ernesto G., Jennifer T., Lizzie F.& Rosa B. around to. With our magazine, we hope to open a new world for you. A world where you can enjoy any form of entertainment that pleases you. A world where the smell of freshly buttered popcorn swirls around you as you travel into a book or film.

At Electric Rise, we dedicate ourselves to bringing you some of the best entertainment that we can offer. Our content for this magazine includes only the best for our readers, ranging from the best movies, singers, books and YouTubers. Our magazine is a diverse form of entertainment that we hope readers will enjoy. The members of Electric Rise hope that our magazine will inform and entertain you.

So go ahead. Sit down and relax. We bring the entertainment to YOU. Sincerely,

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Open Happiness.

I wanna be a

billionaire By: Jennifer T.

E

ver wonder how much money musicians make? Want to know other facts about them? Here we’ll show you all of the above, going from a variety of artists and genres of music.

Age: 18 Annually Earns:

$55 million Genre: Pop

$14 million Genre: Hip-Hop

Norris fighting a bear is Bieber’s favorite video.

Drake began his acting career on Degrassi.

Fun Fact: Chuck

Justin Bieber

Drake

Age: 24 Annually Earns:

Age(s): 19-21 Annually Earn:

Age: 24 Annually Earns:

R&B Fun Fact: Adele’s

Fun Fact: Hiring

Fun Fact: During

$35 million Genre: Pop,

Adele

high school, Rihanna became a military cadet.

One Direction for a night would cost $32,105.

Rihanna

One Direction

Art By: Nikotransmission

$53 million Genre: Hip-Hop,

$78 million Genre: Pop

favorite video game is RayMan.

Art By: Brett Robson

Art By: Liam Mendes

Age: 29 Annually Earns:

Age: 40 Annually Earns:

Age(s): 33-40 Annualy Earn:

Fun Fact: Carrie

Fun Fact: Due to

Fun Fact: In

$15 million Genre: Rap

$20 million Genre: Country

$177 million Genre: Rock

truancy, Eminem repeated ninth grade.

Underwood’s fans refer to themselves as “Care Bears.”

Carrie Underwood

Eminem

Art By: Keith Hinkle

Art By: CaptainMad

Sources: forbes.com, paywizard.org, therichest.org, thefactsite.com, kidzworld.com

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Fun Fact: In 2001

Art By: Drew

Art By: Joe Bielawa

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Age: 26 Annually Earns:

Australia, people say “Acca Dacca” for AC DC.

AC DC

Who’s AmountMaking of MoneyMore? (in millions) Rihanna One Direction Justin Bieber A r Eminem t i Drake s t s Carrie Underwood

In millions

Amount of Money (in

Adele AC DC $0

$20

$40

$60

$80 $100 $120 $140 $160 $180 $200

Amount of Money Earned Yearly

What kind of music?

Rock

They’re How Old? 18-21

Pop

24-25

Country

27-29

Hip-Hop

33-40

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W O R L D ...

Fans who change the and have fun while doing it!

By: Lizzie F. Art By: Harry Potter Alliance, British Broadcasting Corporation, Fox, Lionsgate, Warner Brothers

A

rose bouquet wilts in the backseat of a car.

Sharp suits and flowing dresses reflect the candlelight upon the table. A phone rings, jarring the couple from their conversation.

Red lipstick, credit cards, spit-shined shoes, shy smiles: many things compose a first date, but that list does not often include legal battles between nonprofit organizations and big-name film studios.

Then again, Andrew Slack isn’t just any old schmuck on a first date.

As a transmedia activist, Slack co-founded 501(c)3 nonprofit organization the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) and now serves as the HPA’s executive director. He aims to involve youth in social justice and civic engagement by utilizing the power of stories. He achieves this in the form of campaigns that tie into current pop culture phenomenons.

In 2012, when Lionsgate released the first “Hunger Games” movie, the HPA partnered with Oxfam, a confederation of 17 organizations against poverty, for the global food justice campaign Hunger Is Not A Game. The campaign garnered support from various fandom and news outlets, including the New York and Los Angeles Times. On the night of the movie release, Lionsgate sent a cease-and-desist letter to Oxfam and the HPA. Slack vibrated with nerves and excitement. But not, as some may think, due to impending first date nerves.

“I didn’t know what to do and some of our partners were saying, ‘Well, let’s just let the lawyers handle this,’ and I was like ‘Lawyers? Courts? No, no, no. The only court here is the court of public opinion.’ We win there,” Slack said.

Within hours, a fan created an online petition to combat Lionsgate’s threats, stating, “We’re advocating to feed the

hungry and change the rules of the real-world hunger game, and that should be celebrated. Lionsgate needs to stop bullying its fans into complacency.” Over 18,000 people signed and encouraged the petition, including bestselling young adult authors, famous news outlets, and even the film director and producer for “The Hunger Games”, Judd Appatow. Less than seven hours later, Lionsgate backed off.

“I had a date that night that I couldn’t get out of, so I was on that date and I got a tweet that said ‘LA Times reporting Lionsgate has rescinded,’” said Slack. “Which was like, woah!

This was a first date with this person and I was like, ‘Uh, sorry, my life just went crazy.’”

The HPA seems to have a talent for getting into scuffles with large film studies. After finding out that the chocolate used to make official “Harry Potter” chocolate frogs is possibly picked by child slaves, the HPA started a campaign called Not In Harry’s Name to persuade Warner Brothers to use fair trade chocolate in their commercial chocolate frogs.

“We really, really have been Gryffindors, meaning really brave about this, saying we do not want this chocolate sold in Harry’s name, Hermione would not be happy about this, if Harry’s name was used to sell chocolate that was coming from cocoa that was coming from child slaves,” Slack said.

“Not to mention, we are all at risk for dementor attacks, chocolate is what’s used after a dementor attack, if that chocolate has no magical property because it came from child slavery... We’re screwed!”

The HPA began by contacting Warner Brothers with a report from Free2Work, a partner organization that works to uncover human slavery and trafficking. This report gave “Harry Potter” chocolate an ‘F’ in human rights. Warner Brothers responded amicably, applauding the HPA’s efforts but ultimately stating they had completed their own investigation that refuted Free2Work’s claims. When asked

“It’s incredible, it’s humbling, and it’s uplifting to see someone going out there and doing that in the name of your character.”

J.K. Rowling 8

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to provide proof, Warner Brothers refused. The HPA then launched a combat campaign, Show Us The Report. The campaign has since gone viral, gaining support from many online communities and YouTube celebrities- some who have never associated themselves with “Harry Potter” at allasking for corporate transparency.

“Now can you imagine a Joss Whedon story about children going to Orlando, to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and eating chocolate made by child slaves? This is so Joss Whedon, children eating children! It’s really gross!” Slack said. “So now Warner Brothers is waking up a sleeping giant. We’re going to have to bring these companies into the 21st century. If they’re in the money making business, they need to approach it differently- and we’re in the social justice making business, we cannot be afraid of the fact that they think they have power.”

The HPA has done more than global food justice campaigns.

Accio Books, an annual book drive organized by the HPA, has donated over 87,000 books to children in need. The HPA has also raised funds for civilians in Darfur and Burma, promoted ‘magical acts of kindness’, and sent five

cargo planes filled with supplies to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake (each plane named after a “Harry Potter” character). In 2010, the HPA began an eight-month-long campaign called the Deathly Hallows Campaign, tackling a new real-world “horcrux” every month or two; a spin off of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”, when Harry, Ron and Hermione embark on a quest to destroy all seven of Lord Voldemort’s ‘horcruxes’ (powerfully evil objects in which Voldemort hides fragments of his soul). The HPA’s seven real-world horcruxes included the Starvation Wages Horcrux, a corporate transparency campaign; the Dementor Horcux, a campaign to fight the effects of depression (referencing the dementors from the “Harry Potter” series that J.K. Rowling has named as a metaphor for depression); the Body Bind Horcrux, a campaign centered around the media’s narrow ideas of beauty and various ways to take control of health and fitness; the Bullying Horcrux, a campaign to advocate against bullying, specifically that based on sexual orientation; the Illiteracy Horcux, in which the HPA collected books for those in need and built a library for a charter school in New York; and the Climate Crisis Horcrux, a campaign to raise awareness about environmental concerns.

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During these campaigns, the HPA worked with many organizations, including but not limited to The Enough Project, Free Press, Gay Straight Alliance Network, Genocide Intervention Network, International Quidditch Association, Maine Equality, Make It Better Project, Reach Out, Rock the Vote, STAND and LeakyCon.

Lovegood in the original “Harry Potter” movies, and J.K. Rowling, the author of “Harry Potter”.

The HPA has also partnered with John and Hank Green, YouTube celebrities who have built an online community of ‘Nerdfighters’ (AKA nerds that fight). The Nerdfighter community aims to decrease “worldsuck”. Its members, who claim to be composed of not flesh and bones but rather “pure awesome”, have adopted the slogan Don’t Forget To Be Awesome (DFTBA). The most recent partnering between the HPA and the Nerdfighter community occured in 2012, when the two groups ran a campaign together called Don’t Forget To Vote, America (DFTVA) to encourage American youth to vote in the 2012 election.

Although some people may view the leap from a fantasy book series to the real world as odd, the HPA finds many connections between the “Harry Potter” books and the current issues and events effecting people every day.

The home page of the HPA website reads in bold, Gryffindor themed lettering: “Did you ever wish that Harry Potter was real? Well, it kind of is. Just as Dumbledore’s Army wakes the world up to Voldemort’s return, works for equal rights of house elves and werewolves, and empowers its members, we work with partner NGOs in alerting the world to the dangers of global warming, poverty, and genocide. Work with our partners for equal rights regardless of race, gender, and sexuality. Encourage our members to hone the magic of their creativity in endeavoring to make the world a better place. Join our army to make the world a safer, more magical place, and let your voice be heard!”

“It is a place where we take all of the stories and communities that excite us and turn them into fuel for a better world. Where fans of all stories can join forces to turn the fictions they love into the world they can imagine.”

Andrew Slack

Along with John and Hank Green, the HPA has received support and partnerships from many prominent people, including Evanna Lynch, the actress who portrayed Luna

The HPA sends a cargo plane to Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. Art By: HPA

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An HPA chapter collects petition signatures for Not In Harry’s Name. Art By: HPA

“It’s incredible, it’s humbling, and it’s uplifting to see people going out there and doing that in the name of your character,” Rowling said in a 2007 TIME interview.

Andrew Slack speaks at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum in 2013. Art By: HPA

The HPA partners with Youtube celebrities John and Hank Green for election campaign ‘Don’t Forget To Vote, America’ (DFTVA), which went viral during the 2012 fall election. Art By: HPA

The HPA partners with The Box Scene Project, a charity organization for LGBTQ representation created after fans of “Glee” noticed unequal treatment of the popular TV couple Kurt and Blaine. Art By: The Box

When campaigning for marriage equality, the HPA uses the messages of love and tolerance from the “Harry Potter” series to draw parallels to the real world fight for LGBTQ justice.

The organization name, the Imagine Better Project, references J.K. Rowling’s famous quote, “We do not need magic to change the world. We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to imagine better.” The organization aims to inspire members to imagine a better world through their favorite entertainment mediums and then work to create that world rather than sitting idly by.

“I think we all know deep down that one of the reasons Harry Potter is so popular is because it artfully conveys a message that is so very needed at this time- that the forces of fear, intolerance and hatred come and go but they are no match for the power of love,” Slack said. “Harry Potter’s eleven years living in a cupboard for his identity as a wizard reminds us that no one should have to live inside of a closet for their identity.”

As shown by their Hunger Is Not A Game campaign, the HPA works with more than just “Harry Potter” fans. The HPA’s umbrella organization, the Imagine Better Project, works with fans of “Doctor Who”, “The Hunger Games”, “Glee”, “Firefly”, “Star Trek” and more to build an activist community entirely composed of fans.

“The Imagine Better project takes a grassroots approach to harnessing the energy of popular culture, modern mythology and social media for social change,” the website says. “It is a place where we take all of the stories and communities that excite us and turn them into fuel for a better world. Where fans of all stories can join forces to turn the fictions they love into the world they can imagine.”

The Imagine Better project has inspired many other fan created activist groups. The Box Scene Project, spurred by the unequal treatment of LGBTQ couples in the hit TVshow “Glee”, has partnered with Imagine Better to raise nearly $71,000 for charity and LGBTQ representation.

Scene Project

“I call this model of change ‘cultural acupuncture’: where we find the energy in the culture and we move that energy authentically to create a healthier body for our world,” Slack said. “Stories are the needles, stories are what resonate.”

The sudden increase in civic engagement and social activism stemming from fan culture surprises many people, but it has clearly found its place among the political and educational organizations attempting to do the same thing.

“How do we convert that into learning communities?

How do we get schools to begin picking this up?” Slack said. “When students walk into school on Monday, they saw movies on Friday night, and hidden in those movies are the ways to motivate students to not only learn about current events as passive audience members but to engage in current events as the people who are actually going to shape them. I believe stories have the power to be a gamechanger in humanity and how we view ourselves as human beings.

Fantasy is not an escape from our world, but an invitation to go deeper into it.”

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Top Ten Highest Movies by Gross of the Past Ten Years By: Ernesto G.

Art By: Geralt Art By: Bria

Are you tired of losing your money to overpriced and tacky movies? Well, no more, with this list you’ll know which movies will be worth your money and which to avoid.

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Art By: “Caveman Chuck”Coker

The Gross Chart Art By:Torley

Ar By: niteshneela

Art By: Josef-Semon

Art By: Andrewss7

Art By: proyectolkien

Art By: AndrewSS7

Avatar 2.782 Billion Titanic 2.185 Billion Avengers 1.514 Billion

Art By: Julien

Art By: michellerocks (:

As the graph shows the results have been unexpected. One of the biggest things that surprised many was that, “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” made it on the top ten. However, as shown by all three of our resources, “The Lord of the Rings” made a lot more money than expected because of the action and drama shots.

Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows Part 2 1.328 Billion Lord of the Rings Return of the King 1.127 Billion Transformers Dark of the Moon 1.213 Billion Art By: TobeyNguyen

Art By: PK-Enterprises

Big Money!

Skyfall 1.103 Billion

The Dark Knight Rises 1.080 Billion Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest 10.64 Billion

Art By: 2bgr8STOCK

Nevertheless, all three of our sources (Imdb, boxofficemojo, the-numbers) did not completely agree on the exact order of the gross list. But after further research we were able to uncover the exact order of the list so we could bring you the best movies of the past ten years. For example you can now enjoy movies like Skyfall, The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises so that you no longer get ripped off.

Toy Story 3 1.063 Billion Electric Rise

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A SPARK IS IGNITED

THE HUNGER GAMES:

CATCHING FIRE IN THEATERS 11.22.13

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Tearing Down These Walls: From Indiana to Traveling the Country

O

By: Rosa B.

n stage, Lexi Elisha prepares to perform at Crossroads Family Church located in her hometown of Portage, Indiana. There on stage, she stands with a mic in hand facing the crowd focusing on what she is about to perform in the one place she grew up and her career in music began.

Her mouth opens and as she begins to sing what comes out of the speakers is a sound that has the emotion of vulnerability and love behind it. That with each lyric that comes out, she entices all her fans with her talent of hitting every note in her song perfectly and knowing it’s her passion.

But her career started at the age of 11 when she would invest all her time in church choirs, school productions, and recording karaoke tracks in “garage studios”. The chance she gets at having the opportunity to sing and write her own music allows her with the chance of talking about certains emotion that she feels day and day out. Writing and singing music has become an outlet for her emotions and a chance of understanding the problems she faces. She ended up writing her song later in life when she finally got the right push in the direction of seeing what she would truly do with her life.

“It all started when I had an epic moment in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. I had just lost a huge competition and I didn’t know what else to do but take my fears, expectations, and disappointments to God. So that’s when I decided to write my first song, ” Elisha said.

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That whenever she writes a song it’s another story she gets the chance at telling the world. That writing for her isn’t putting down words on paper but a representation of what’s in her life.

That whenever she strums her guitar along with the lyrics she sings its more than just a cool pop singer sound. That the only person who can comprehend the true meaning of the song is Elisha.

That every song always has different way of coming together.

“I have written a song in five minutes, and I have written songs that took weeks to write. I have incredible cowriters and wonderful people in the business who have really formed me as a writer and an artist,” Elisha said.

She has enjoyed having all the guidance that she has experienced along the way, its played a huge role in the songwriter she has become today. That no matter how many times it may get

“

hard to think what lyrics to put down on paper she understands that giving up on her dream can never become an option. Elisha as a singer has grown by finding her own sound and knowing that pop music provides her with the certain adrenaline rush she gets while on stage and that once the song comes to an end and her voice comes to stop that feeling of adrenaline and cool pop sound that she felt while singing has still remained with her. That as singer she has also had the chance of discovering herself. But other people have definitely encouraged her in pursuing a life in the music business and finding where she belongs.

Its not just having people she adores by her side its knowing for herself what she loves and adores about singing and songwriting. The way in how her career has become a passion that comes with so much meaning and understanding behind it. It’s figuring

My parents have been such an incredible part of my career. They have loved me, and supported me every single day of this journey. I am so thankful for them, I would not be here had they not been my number one fans, Elisha said.

“

“I have been crazy mad in love with music since I was a little girl. This is my life and I couldn’t be more thankful and blessed to be able to do it,” Elisha said. “It’s currently my job, but I love it because its what God feels is my calling and I enjoy it so much because I don’t imagine myself doing anything else.”

Elisha is about to perform at 3-in-1 Fest, Porter County taking place in her home state that she poses for a picture right before the big event. Art by: Rhonda Troutman

out what she wants her music to represent of her and how Elisha sees that her music has become a way of life for her. That having the capability to knowing that she can put certain experiences and emotions into words feels like what she says has a true and real meaning to someone else. The life she has a singer brings the opportunity of seeing so many things in life and being able to put those things into a song allows for the expression of what her life has become and how those experiences come to life by the beautiful power and sincerity in her voice. That her whole life she had something that really inspired her to want to go into the music business.

“For me, it’s just being able to be vulnerable. Vulnerability is a strong suit of mine it’s what inspires me to write,” Elisha said.

“I write about everything from God to love so whatever is happening during the time I am writing for a record is fair game to be seen on my next CD.” Even though singing and songwriting is her full time and even while on tour traveling the country alongside her guitar and crew and leaving her hometown of Portage, Indiana she has stayed a proud straight “A” college student and now at the age of 19, she has her newest EP, “Let Go”, produced

by Ben Kasica of Skillet that feature her songs Without You, By the Lake, Effortless, Let Go, and Right Here.

That even though she has become an

Elisha poses for a picture that will hopefully be posted by her and others as she becomes more famous and goes on tour singing around the world.

Art by: Allyn

uprising star she still knows that she can truly keep her dream alive by knwoinghas come by knowing she has her main influence right by her side. “Jesus Christ my best friend, my Daddy, my whole life I give to serve him in following his calling,” Elisha said.

Art by: Julie Harris

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1.The Mysterious Benedict Society

by Trenton Lee Stewart Extraordinary children Reynie, Sticky, Kate, and Constance team up with the wise Mr. Benedict to overthrow the evil Ledropatha Curtain’s brainwashing and apocalyptic dictatorship.

why we love it:

“The Mysterious Benedict Society” will keep you up until all hours of the night with this clever, thrilling adventure story. Includes flawless characters, impeccable writing and a flashlight-under-the-coversworthy story.

2. Matched

by Ally Condie

Cassia has always acted like the ideal member of Society... until she finds herself falling in love with Ky Markham, outcast, and not Xander, her lifelong friend and government match.

why we love it: If you loved

the Peeta/Gale/Katniss fiasco in The Hunger Games, you will have a grand time arguing with your friends over this romantic, squealinducing adventure as well.

3. Inkheart

by Cornelia Funke As Meggie’s father finds out one night while reading aloud to his family, characters can literally come to life in this fantasy adventure.

why we love it: If you read

avidly in the early 2000s, you have probably already read this, but we highly suggest reading it againevery book lover dreams of having a gift like Mo’s, and although we cannot make it happen in reality, with Inkheart we can pretend.

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4. Divergent

by Veronica Roth

Beatrice Prior lives in dystopian Chicago where five factions divide society.- Abnegation, the selfless; Erudite, the wise; Amity, the kind; Dauntless, the brave; and Candor, the honest. When she chooses Dauntless over her home faction and meets the mysterious Four, she learns a few secrets about her society... and possibly starts a war.

why we love it: A strange

concept, but Roth makes it work as she leads you through risky plot twists and solid romantic relationships. “Divergent” has picked up a dedicated following, and with a movie on the way, it surprises nobody that “Divergent” has gained the title of “the next ‘Hunger Games’- without the love triangle.”

5. Anna and the French Kiss

by Stephanie Perkins

Anna’s father, a recent bestselling author akin to Nicholas Sparks, convinces Anna to attend a boarding school in France instead of staying in her Georgia hometown. While there, she meets an interesting new group of friends, including the enigmatic St. Clair- American Frenchman with an English accent, a sweet disposition, and a mysterious relationship

why we love it:

If you find yourself falling in love with fictional characters, St. Clair will be no exception. Similar to “The Fault In Our Stars “in many ways, “Anna” competes for the title of best European love story- with a couple plot twists, quite a few tears, and a swoon-worthy male protagonist to boot. Also check out the companion novel, “Lola and the Boy Next Door”.

6. The Great Gatsby

9.Fahrenheit 451

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

In Guy Montag’s world, firefighters start fires rather than putting them out: The government outlaws all books and burns all novels.

In this American literary classic, narrator Nick Carraway moves to West Egg and meets mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby.

why we love it: John Green

has mentioned his love for Gatsby multiple times, and he obviously takes a page out of Fitzgerald’s book when it comes to metaphors. Do not fear Gatsby simply because America considers it a literary masterpiece- the beauty and challenge of this classic rivals the fluff commonly found in teen lit, and you will inevitable impress people with your reading prowess.

7. A Rose For Melinda

by Lurlene McDaniel Told entirely in letters and emails, aspiring ballerina Melinda and her childhood friend Jesse reconnect despite a leukemia diagnosis.

why we love it: McDaniel has a talent for leaving her readers’ bedroom floor littered with tissues.

Perfect for those drawn to tragedy and heartbreak.

8. Les Miserables

by Victor Hugo

In nineteenth century Paris, a group of rebels begin a revolution while an ex-convict raises a young orphan.

why we love it: The original

source of the “Les Mis” musical- a thousand page whopper of a bookpacks the reader full of fascinating details about nineteenth century France through killer characters and a heartbreaking story.

by Ray Bradburn

why we love it: Yet another

classic to add to the list, but a book lover will truly find nothing better than this frightening and fascinating literary masterpiece.

10.The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky Charlie begins high school as an outcast, but everything changes when seniors Sam and Patrick take him under their wing. By writing letters to an anonymous friend, Charlie learns to cope with the highs and lows of mental illness, falling in love, and growing up.

why we love it: Chbosky,

spins a beautiful, touching tale through the relatable and lovable characters of Charlie and his friends. Even non-wallflowers will empathize with Charlie and the struggles he faces as he grows up.

11. Candor

by Pam Bachorz Oscar resists the brainwashing that the town of Candor subjects all children to- and runs a business helping new kids escape. But when Nia moves to town, Oscar must choose between saving her and losing her forever.

why we love it:

Candor satisfies all the spine-tingling requirements for a good brainwashing novel and, though short, keeps you on your toes for the entire ride.

12. The Diary of 13.Paper Towns a Young Girl

by John Green Anne Frank’s published account of living in hiding during World War II will take you back in time and into the mind of one of history’s most beloved heroes.

why we love it: Every hu-

Inspiring themes (1) Witty teens (5) cal ori 7) h tap es ( Me ssag me

John Green writes brilliantly.

why we love it:

We will admit it. Nobody does John Green like John Green and nobody ever will. If you have not yet read all of his books, it’s time to do that.

“Paper Towns” never experienced the popularity that “The Fault In Our Stars” and “Looking For Alaska” did, but it has remained one of our favorites nonetheless.

The Fault In Our Stars

I adore books about books.

Fantasy (4)

Specifically Holocaust related (5)

by Marcus Zusak Clearly, I exist in the wrong time period.

Cancer books make what did you like about it? my heart Happy break in all ending the best Augustus Waters.

Death ways.

Mmmm, fictional sentence Just kidding, crushes. (3) (8) cancer books never have a happy ending (8) No For more suggestions, visit our favorite source for all things book-related, www.goodreads.com.

Other sites such as www.barnesandnoble. com and www.amazon.com also include book suggestions based on your previous purchases. We pulled many of the book choices in this quiz from the New York Times and USA Today bestseller list as well as the

National Public Radio 2012 100 BestEver Teen Novels poll- all great places to find books if you have not already read them.

(7)

Gripping, tragic, and narrated by death, a young girl and her family struggle to survive in Nazi Germany.

what did you like about it?

Any historical fiction (2)

okworm’s o B

by John Green 16-year-old Hazel Lancaster faces the reality of cancer with gorgeous plot twist Augustus Waters.

The Book Thief

emma D il

man being should read The Diary of a Young Girl at least once in his or her life. It discusses emotions, thoughts and feelings that nearly everyone can relate to, despite Anne Frank writing it as a Jewish teen in the 1900s.

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The

by Anne Frank

Dystopia (12)

By: Lizzie F.

Sick of reading the latest John Green novel

over and over again?

Our favorite nerdfighter no doubt spends his time working on another masterpiece, but until he releases his next novel, maybe you should stop sorrowfully clutching The Fault in Our Stars and find something fresh to read.

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The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins A wildly popular dystopian novel, The Hunger Games follows fierce Katniss Everdeen as she participates in a live, televised fight to the death.

what did you like about it?

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Small Stepping Stones By: Jennifer T.

A

A moment of silence passes by as Alex Thao takes a moment to gather his thoughts. He looks towards the camera and gives a tiny smile with the wave of a hand.

As he strokes his guitar, the rhythm and beat come easily from his four years of playing. After a few moments of solely hearing his guitar, he starts to sing the lyrics from “Thinkin Bout You” by Frank Ocean. After some time, Alex closes his eyes, forgetting about everything else besides the music. The strum of the guitar floats around, echoing into the camera. His slow, gentle voice escapes his mouth, entering through the camera and into the viewer.

“Music is an outlet for me, on any occasion I am able to use music to channel my emotions and express how I feel,” Thao says. On many occasions, music helps relieve Thao of stress.

“My parents and my oldest brother inspired me to start music. Growing up they were always performing at parties and such.”

At age 15, Thao started playing music, learning how to play guitar and sing.

After much influence from his family members, Thao decided that he’d give performing a try. Coming from a family that was thoroughly involved with music, it isn’t hard to see where Thao’s love for music came from.

“My dad used to be in a band and I enjoyed the environment,” Thao says.

He’d always been a man of God, so he decided to perform at an old church of 20

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his. At his church, he and his worship team performed “God of Wonders” to an audience that wasn’t too big. “It honestly was nerve wrecking, but once I began to sing, all my worries went away and I just let the music take me,” Thao says.

“I dream of making it big with music, but realistically I’m shooting to become a Physician’s Assistant.”

Currently in attending the University of Colorado, singing isn’t the only thing on Thao’s mind. Thao chose to study molecular biology as one of his courses and says that it seems quite interesting.

“I want to become a PA to have a direct impact on the people I meet,” Thao says. Thao says that he wants to

thought people would take an interest in them. “It’s truly a blessing to have so many people watch them and give feedback,” Thao says. After his videos continued to gather more and more views, Thao continued to upload more covers of songs. Now, Thao has gotten popular for his videos, having over five million views on his YouTube channel alexthao20. Thao continues to add covers of songs, and has many times performed original songs. Now that his album is out, he can only look forward towards the future and hope to go even further.

“Having an album out is truly unreal.”

Thao says that like any artist, having an album out is a huge step forward but also a small stepping stone in the

“I really do want to keep making more albums and get better at producing music.” experience the different walks of life and find solution to their needs. On an average day, Thao goes to school, eats, does his homework and works on his YouTube videos, which he posts when he has the time to.

“Fans are a big reason as to why I’ve continued to make YouTube videos.”

Thao’s first YouTube videos were of him performing covers to songs. When Thao first put his videos out, he never

direction he hopes to go to.

Thao’s album Once in a Lifetime has many of his original songs such as: “Move on”, “He Will Save You”, “Be loved”, “One, Two, Three”, “Vajtwv Muaj Hwjchim”, “You Are the One” and “Once in a Lifetime”. His family members and girlfriend support Thao all the way, reassuring him to continue on with his music and motivate others.

“I would like to say that I inspire people

by showing that anyone can follow their dreams.”

Thao says that humble musicians inspire him like Chris Tomlin. “I love how he puts all of his efforts and emotions into leading the people in worship instead of praising himself,” Thao says. Thao says that other YouTubers inspire him as well. His advice for beginning YouTubers includes making music because you love it, not for popularity.

Along with this, balancing YouTubing and school can be a challenge.

“Honestly, I’m torn between two worlds sometimes. I want to be the best at music, but then there’s school.”

Although Thao tries to balance the world of music and school, it does come with a price. With many uncertainties, Thao says that there

have been many challenges that he’s faced. “One of the most memorable challenges is getting over the fear of being judged.” Thao says that his fear of others judging him comes from the uncertainty of what people might say or do. Thankfully, his fan base ensures him that he should continue to make and play music. Along with this, Thao says that writing a song may be either amazing or extremely difficult.

“One of the most memorable challenges is getting over the fear of being judged.”

Although Thao balances both music and schoolwork, his hopes for the future include continuing to write music. Along with this he hopes to continue as a God-loving man. His plans for the future include two kids, a wife and maintaining a good job. “No matter what troubles in life I may face,

I want to still be trusting in the Lord.”

Alex Thao’s album -----------------------1. Move On 2. He Will Save You 3. Be Loved 4. One, Two, Three 5. Vajtswv Muaj Hwjchim 6. You Are the One 7. Once in a Lifetime 8. Once in a Lifetime (instrumental) ------------------------

Art By: Alex Thao

Art By: Alex Thao

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And the AWARD Goes Too...

Always Keeping Their Eye on the Prize

By Rosa B.

Every year on your television screen you end up having multiple of different award shows going on around you that tuning into watch is a must. But have you ever wanted to know what famous singer has won the most awards and in what category. Well now its truly possible, the best singers of our century who have won the best awards in the world and can very well prove it.

Whether you’re into some nice soulful country, just want to listen to some cool pop beats, or want some fast-paced rap coming out of your speakers, well now you can see which s inger has won themost awardsfor the past two years and fulfills your striving for some new cool beats.

What’s the #1 Award?

The best award given to any singer is a Gra mmy .

It represents an outstanding achievement for any singer making their way to the top.

The singer has a chance to prove to their adoring fans the true worthiness they have in the music industry.

The American Music Award really represent the amount of fans you have on your side and since the winner is decided by the public, the singers know they have dedicated fans on their side. Taylor Swift at the 2012 AMA’s said,“This is unreal. I want to thank the fans. You guys are the ones who voted on this.” It shows that because of these singers dedication to music 22 Electric Rise

they won over the votes to be able to win.

Then the very well known Billboard Award given to a singer through the sale data of the singer, number of downloads and total airplay. This awards represents the number of people who are willing to pay something to be able to listen to these singers music.

The MTV Video Music Award shows what singer has created the best video in that year. It shows the creative side of a singer, the way they act around a camera when filming their video for the song that everyone will soon be listening to.

Staring Clockwise to the Right: The American Music Award Trophy, The MTV Video Music Awards, The Best Award ever (Grammy)

http://www.grammy.com/nominees http://www.billboard.com/bbma/winners

Adele Won...

EminemWon...

7 Grammy’s 4 AMA’s 3 MTV video 12 Billboard

4 Grammy’s 4 AMA’s 10 MTV video 8 Billboard Art By: Nicole

Art By: Alex Kormis

Art By: Keith Hinkle

Carrie Won...

Gotye Won...

3 Grammy’s 3 AMA’s 1 MTV video 7 Billboard

3 Grammys 1 AMA 1 MTV 1 Billboard

Rihanna Won...

Art By: Eva Rinaldi

5 Grammy’s 3 AMA’s 3 MTV video 4 Billboard Art By: Carlo

Justin Won...

0 Grammy’s 7 AMA’s 2 MTV video 6 Billboard Art By: Brichuus

Taylor Won...

Usher Won...

7 Grammy’s 5 AMA’s 1 MTV Video 4 Billboard

3 Grammys 4 AMA’s 2 MTV video 3 Billboard

Art By: Tessie Chester

Art By: Noree

Lady Antebellum Won...

Bruno Won...

6 Grammy’s 3 AMA’s 1 MTV Video 2 Billboard

1 Grammys 1 AMA 2 MTV 1 Billboard

Art By: Keith Hinkle http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2012/winners.jhtml http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/american-music-awards

Art By:Themeplus Photostream

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FIFA CHAMPIONS

by Ernesto G.

As the World Cup approaches, soccer teams and fans wait enthusiastically for kick off on June 12, 2014.

However, unlike many people most Americans find the World Cup as a representation of a competition that sees what team can keep the ball the longest, but to others it’s a competition that represents their whole life. So how can these all-time fans affect your life even though you don’t know them?

According to Mexican soccer team fan Juan Rebolloso, “Soccer is not just a game, it’s also a way to be with friends.” Juan informs us that he has gotten into much trouble for being a soccer fan at work and at home. Juan has gotten into problems for skipping work and going home early to enjoy a game of soccer with friends and has gotten in trouble at home for spending too much time watching the games and not spending enough time with family.

“I sometimes get into fights because my friends and I don’t agree on what teams are better and of who will make the World Cup.” However, Juan mentions that when it comes to losing a game, Juan’s heart breaks, but Juan eventually learns to live with it.

Nonetheless Juan says that sometimes 24

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it’s hard to interact with friends and family because of his love for soccer and that those moments make him think that soccer may be a curse that makes him grow farther from friends and family.

Juan’s dad took him to the 1986 world cup championship in Mexico.

Nevertheless, he mentions how, “at first I wasn’t really excited because I don’t like soccer, but after the game, soccer became my favorite sport because I got a taste of what the game really means.”

Juan’s friend, Fernando Hernandez has a different point of view. He explains to us that ever since he was young, he has had a love for the sport that he has never been afraid to show it even though people may criticize him.

But compared to Juan, Fernando has an undying love for the sport that almost cost him more than just money.

According to him, “when Argentina lost against Germany in the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIFA I was so mad I went on a childish tantrum that almost killed me, I wasn’t mad at the fact that I lost but at the fact that I had lost a bet, so I got in my car after drinking and I got in a car accident that almost killed the other driver.”

“It was hard, but my family and I got over my childish tantrum, but that day I learned that I couldn’t let soccer affect me the way it did, because I had to think of my family and of the people that I could hurt.”

During Fernando’s childhood, his dad would skip work and he would skip

“We can’t help loving the sport, because even though we know it’s a waste of time Soccer is still part of our life.”

ART by Zuaid

Germany scoring a goal against Argentina during the 2010 FIFA world cup Quarter Finals in Brazil school so that they could watch the games and they would have huge parties when Argentina won a game and he loved that because that was one of the only times he could spend time with his dad because his dad had to work a lot and almost never had time for him.

Another big time soccer fan is Alejandro Rodriguez, a sophomore at Travis High School, who has been getting into more trouble because of constant use of his phone and because of recent fights he has gotten in.

Unlike most teenagers Alejandro is a calm person, but Alejandro mentions how he only gets in trouble because of the constant usage of his phone and because of the fights that other people start with him.

Furthermore he mentions that he doesn’t care what his friends think of Spain, but he says that when someone

starts talking bad about Spain, he will not hesitate to take stand up for his team. In fact, Alejandro started getting in trouble when he was younger because his love for soccer made him skip class to go practice in the park.

Nevertheless, compared to these three big soccer fans, not all Americans enjoy soccer and may sometimes suffer from the love of other people, as shown by Fernando.

For example many think soccer is as sport for girls and that may lead soccer lovers to try and convince them that it’s not and that will eventually lead into fights. But, as explained by most people, soccer, compared to other sports, takes more skill and agility than some sports and that may offend some people because they feel that they are being judge on their believes.

do with the fact that they may find it boring. However, as mentioned by all three soccer fans, soccer may not be the most interesting sport but, “we don’t watch it because it’s interesting, we watch it because it takes skill, its fun and it reminds us of our childhood.”

So even though people may have different points of views from soccer lovers, the criticism that they give won’t change the love that most Latino families have for the sport.

Nevertheless, some people may think that the love they have for the sport may sometimes go overboard. But the truth is that the only reason people go overboard may have something to do with the fact that the sport may represent one of the only things they still have from their homeland.

The reason that many people don’t watch soccer may have something to Electric Rise

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DOCTOR T.J. ECKLEBURG IS

WA T C H I N G Y O U . . .

The GREAT GATSBY IN THEATERS

10 MAY 2013

starring

LEONARDO DICAPRIO

and

CAREY MULLIGAN