Snow Biz

My kids REALLY enjoy these books and they come to me with LOTS of questions about the characters and why they do certain things. I OWN 10 of these books and LOVE THEM! You don't have to be into Japanese art or Manga or even know what those terms are... I work with youth full time and THIS is the way that many of them act. The questions presented are ones that they have, the situations are realistic and in REAL LIFE, these are the kind of characters I have in my youth group. They are relational for kids in the teenage and tweenage years, but are not written for Suzie Sunday School as their crowd. They are aimed at presenting the Gospel to kids who would normally not even be interested. Serenity accepts Christ in Book SIX but it is important to see what it took to get her there. BOTTOM LINE: This series IS racey, to reach the "right crowd" but not inappropriately so. The topics are edgy, but not anything that teens and tweens aren't experiencing in your OWN living rooms and schools. They are also inexpensive and entertaining, but not for us, 20's to 30's. Those that didn't think thre was adequate character development or that the characters were flat, you're right...but you should probably be reading something more on level!

Billed as "inspirational manga", the Serenity series from Realbuzz Studios is a full-color comic book series focusing on slice-of-life teenage drama. The stories revolve around the interaction between the title character, Serenity Harper (a newly transferred high school student with a troubled past) and the school's Christian club (whose members have themselves struggled through a wide range of temptations and who have "adopted" Serenity as one of their own). Each volume contains two or more interlocking short stories that tell the ongoing tale of Serenity's journey of faith. Summary of Serenity volume 5: Snow Biz Serenity tags along for the Christian club's ski vacation, but soon finds herself wondering if she can stand spending that much time with her quirky friends and her romantic rivals. (Possible parental advisory: "Serenity" is set amid the pressures of a modern high school, and as such the teenage characters are confronted with realistic issues that range from boredom and jealousy to drug addiction and sexuality. Through it all, the stories present the honest struggle between Serenity's fragile faith and the lure of her former self-destructive lifestyle.)

I read somewhere that a mark of a quality work for young people is that adults can benefit from reading it, too. I'm a 55-year-old who has read and enjoyed all the Serenity books. What I appreciate about the writing is that the Christian kids aren't perfect. For example, Kimberly doesn't always do the right thing and it is affecting her relationship with Derek. The script is also laced with humor, which makes the lessons go down easier. And the artwork is incredible, extremely sensitive for an artist who is so young. I'd recommend this series to anybody.