G’day mates! Pack a Vegemite sandwich, because we’re heading to the land down under in our second to the last “You Are Here” summer reading list. There is no shortage of great books coming out for teens from our neighbors across the Pacific, including these titles below. If you’re looking for some laughs, you can also check out Flight of the Conchords, my favorite comedic musical duo from the island nation of New Zealand.

The clock is ticking…Just a few more days left to finish writing your Summer Reading Celebration reviews in order to claim your free book and get entered into our last raffle drawing for a $50 book store gift card!

You Are Here: Australia & New Zealand

Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams

When superstitious eighteen-year-old John "Beatle" Lennon, who is dating the best friend of his twin sister, meets Destiny McCartney, their instant rapport and shared quirkiness make it seem that their fate is written in the stars.

Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Year Eleven at an exclusive prep school in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, would be tough enough, but it is further complicated for Amal when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a badge of her faith--without losing her identity or sense of style.

Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks

Young prodigy Cadel Piggot, an Australian antisocial computer hacker, discovers his true identity when he enrolls as a first-year student at an advanced crime academy.

Finding Grace by Alyssa Brugman

Undecided about her future after graduating from high school, an Australian girl takes a job caring for a brain-damaged woman.

Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey

Eighteen-year-old New Zealand boarding school student Ellie Spencer must use her rusty tae kwon do skills and new-found magic to try to stop a fairy-like race of creatures from Maori myth and legend that is plotting to kill millions of humans in order to regain their lost immortality.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

High school student Taylor Markham, who was abandoned by her drug-addicted mother at the age of eleven, struggles with her identity and family history at a boarding school in Australia.

The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

As her beloved grandfather, chief of the Maori tribe of Whangara, New Zealand, struggles to lead in difficult times and to find a male successor, young Kahu is developing a mysterious relationship with whales, particularly the ancient bull whale whose legendary rider was their ancestor.

In this next installment of our “You Are Here” summer reading lists for teens, we are heading south to the continent of Africa. This list features teen fiction that explores some serious contemporary topics, but I’ve also included an uplifting non-fiction memoir. Stay tuned…There are just two stops left on our international journey before we finally head home.

This is the last week of the Summer Reading Celebration, which officially ends Saturday, July 30. Read some books, write some reviews, and you might just win some prizes!

You Are Here: Africa

Afrika by Colleen Craig

Thirteen-year-old Kim travels to South Africa with her journalist mother and must come to terms with the country's diverse and often shocking history with the realization that she is not as removed from this powerful story as she thought.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer

This engaging memoir relates how an enterprising teenager in Malawi builds a windmill from scraps he finds around his village and brings electricity, and a future, to his family.

Child of Dandelions by Shenaaz Nanji

In Uganda in 1972, fifteen-year-old Sabine and her family, wealthy citizens of Indian descent, try to preserve their normal life during the ninety days allowed by President Idi Amin for all foreign Indians to leave the country, while soldiers and others terrorize them and people disappear.

The Door of No Return by Sarah Mussi

Heeding his grandfather's dying words, Zac is off to Ghana to track down his family's history. But what did his grandfather mean when he said that Zac had the map to the family treasure? Following every clue he can find and escaping danger at every turn, Zac begins to suspect that the treasure is real.

Over a Thousand Hills I Walk With You by Hanna Jansen

The only survivor of her family's massacre, Jeanne witnessed unspeakable acts. But through courage, wits, and sheer force of will, she survived. Based on a true story, this haunting novel by Jeanne's adoptive mother makes unforgettably real the events of the 1994 Rwandan genocide as one family experienced it.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

This classic story traces the growing friction between village leaders and Europeans in an African village.

We’re continuing to head east in this week’s installment of our “You Are Here” reading lists. These books span the massive continent of Asia, including India, China, and Japan.

Teens, don’t forget… You still have nearly two weeks to submit your five reviews for the Summer Reading Celebration in order to pick up your free book. We still have drawings left at all SJPL locations for two $50 bookstore giftcards. We also encourage those of you with the time and imagination to submit a video review for a chance to win a NOOK Color! Check these awesome book trailers out for some inspiration if you want to get cinematic, but remember, it can be as simple as you in front of the camera talking about a book you enjoyed.

Chain Mail : Addicted to You by Hiroshi Ishizaki

The boundaries between reality and fantasy become blurred when four disillusioned Tokyo teenagers, who have never met, collaborate to write an online fictional story--a psychological thriller told from four points of view.

Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet by Kashmira Sheth

Growing up with her family in Mumbai, India, sixteen-year-old Jeeta disagrees with much of her mother's traditional advice about how to live her life and tries to be more modern and independent.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya by Nagaru Tanigawa

On the first day at a Japanese high school, an irrepressible girl announces her lack of interest in "ordinary humans" and proceeds to form a club dedicated to finding aliens, time travelers, and other forms of supernatural life, with the intention of having fun with them.

Subway Girl by P.J. Converse

In Hong Kong, Chan Tze Man, called Simon Chan, leaves high school because he cannot master English, but when he befriends Amy, a Chinese American who knows little Chinese, their unlikely bond gives hope to both.

Swimming in the Monsoon Sea by Shyam Selvadurai

The setting is Sri Lanka, 1980, and it is the season of monsoons. Life for Amrith seems rather uneventful and orderly, but things change in a hurry when his male cousin arrives from Canada.

Wandering Warrior by Da Chen

Eleven-year-old Luka, destined to become the future emperor of China, is trained in the ways of the kung fu wandering warriors by the wise monk Atami.

We’re boarding our first international flight in this week’s installment of our "You Are Here" summer reading lists. Pack your beret, lederhosen, or wacky royal wedding hat…Next stop: Europe! We’re exploring England, France, Italy, Germany, and more in this week’s list of recommended reads, which contain a mix of sci-fi, romance, mystery, and historical fiction.

Teens, don’t forget to keep writing those book reviews! Last week we gave out the AMC Gold Experience movie packs to lucky winners at all SJPL locations in our first bi-weekly Summer Reading Celebration raffle. Don’t worry though, there’s still time to read and write reviews before July 31 in order to win upcoming prizes, or you can finish up that video review for a chance to score the Nook Color!

You Are Here: Europe

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

When Anna's romance-novelist father sends her to an elite American boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school, she reluctantly goes, and meets an amazing boy who becomes her best friend, in spite of the fact that they both want something more.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

When sixteen-year-old orphan Tessa Fell's older brother suddenly vanishes, her search for him leads her into Victorian-era London's dangerous supernatural underworld, and when she discovers that she herself is a Downworlder, she must learn to trust the demon-killing Shadowhunters if she ever wants to learn to control her powers and find her brother.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

A group of teenagers uses their combined talents to re-steal several priceless paintings and save fifteen-year-old Kat Bishop's father, himself an international art thief, from a vengeful collector. The new sequel is out now: Uncommon Criminals.

Montmorency: Thief, Liar, Gentleman? by Eleanor Updale

In Victorian London, after his life is saved by a young physician, a thief utilizes the knowledge he gains in prison and from the scientific lectures he attends as the physician's case study exhibit to create a new, highly successful, double life for himself.

Num8ers by Rachel Ward

Fifteen-year-old British teen Jem knows when she looks at someone the exact date they will die, so she avoids relationships and tries to keep out of the way, but when she meets a boy named Spider and they plan a day out together, they become more involved than either of them had planned.

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

When seventeen-year-old Ginny receives a packet of mysterious envelopes from her favorite aunt, she leaves New Jersey to criss-cross Europe on a sort of scavenger hunt that transforms her life. Check out the new sequel: The Last Little Blue Envelope.

Do you know what your toothbrush really does when you’re at school?

This summer, challenge your imaginative skills with the Society of Young Inklings

writing challenge, presented in collaboration with San José Public Library.

Step One: Create Your Character

Transform an everyday object into a character. Anything is possible: Bananas

in Peril, Flashlights in Love, or a Hose on the Fritz.

Step Two: Take Your Character On The Town

Take your character on four outings. On each outing, snap your character‘s

photo and write an account of their extraordinary tale.

Step Three: Submit Your Writing

Submit your episodes to the Society of Young Inklings between June 1 and

August 15, 2011—We’ll post them on the Caught on Camera blog.

Step Four: Celebrate!

Participants who complete the challenge are invited to an exclusive celebration

on August 20, 2011  at the Willow Glen Branch Library; complete with a Skype visit from author, Lisa Yee,

games and, of course, delicious treats!

For more information, please visit caught-on-camera.younginklings.com

We hit the road in last week's installment of our "You Are Here" summer reading lists. It was a long drive, but we've finally arrived at the Atlantic. These books below take place along the East Coast. Get your passport ready, because next week we're crossing the pond.

Also, don't forget to enter your five book reviews online to score your free book and to get entered into our gift card raffles. If you create a video review, you'll also be entered to win a Nook Color. Keep up the great reading!

You Are Here: East Coast

The Daughters by Joanna Philbin

In New York City, three fourteen-year-old best friends who are all daughters of celebrities watch out for each other as they try to strike a balance between ordinary high school events, such as finding a date for the homecoming dance, and family functions like walking the red carpet with their famous parents.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

In this dystopian sci-fi tale, Lena looks forward to receiving the government-mandated cure that prevents the delirium of love and leads to a safe, predictable, and happy life in her hometown of Portland, Maine, until ninety-five days before her eighteenth birthday and her treatment, when she falls in love.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

It's the night of Nick, Norah and NYC. Their chance meeting turns into a crusade to find a legendary rock band's secret show, which somehow ends up as a first date, and ultimately becomes a night that will change their lives forever.

Summer of the Geek by Piper Banks

Fifteen-year-old Miranda's summer job in Florida as au pair to a ten-year-old piano prodigy proves to be as challenging as keeping out of her stepmother's way, passing her driving test, and holding her boyfriend's interest when his former girlfriend returns.

Surface Tension: A Novel in Four Summers by Brent Runyon

During the summer vacations of his thirteenth through his sixteenth year at the family's lake cottage in upstate New York, Luke realizes that although some things stay the same over the years that many more change.

Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos

Three immigrant girls from different parts of the world meet and become close friends in a small New Jersey town where their mothers have found domestic work, but their relationships are tested when one girl's mother is accused of stealing a precious heirloom.

Vampire High by Douglas Rees

When his family moves from California to New Sodom, Massachusetts, and Cody enters Vlad Dracul Magnet School, many things seem strange, from the dark-haired, pale-skinned, supernaturally strong students to Charon, the wolf who guides him around campus onthe first day.