Teen Scenes: Life Situations for Teen Discussion

Highlighting some of the ethical and moral decisions faced by today's kids, Teen Scenes--from Oblate Media, producers of spiritually-themed videos--presents a quartet of vignettes meant to spur teen discussion. In "Plagiarism," Eric, a high school football player who needs to pass English in order to stay on the team, considers downloading a paper off the Internet. In "Shoplifting," Sara is tempted to steal an expensive necklace she cannot afford, to go with her new dress. "Peer Pressure" explores the turmoil Alex feels when his friends expect him to help fight another student. Should he back his friends, even if he thinks violence is wrong? In the final segment, "Gossip/Cliques," freshman Gina has made the varsity volleyball team. Should she be expected to give up her old friends for her new? Each four-to-seven minute vignette concludes before the student crosses the line, leaving the possible endings and consequences open for group discussion. While I found the acting a bit grating (about on par with an actual high school production), the scenes do accurately portray some of the conflicts faced by contemporary teens, making this a strong, optional purchase for spiritual guidance collections in junior high, senior high, and public libraries. A strong optional purchase. Aud: J, H, P. (J. Asala)