Looking Beyond: A Teen's Guide to the Spiritual World
Reviewed with Julie Tallarad Johnson'sTeen Psychic.Gr. 8-12. Teens have a great fascination with the paranormal, and these books discuss the psychic and spiritual realms using situations and explanations geared to a young audience. Van Praagh, familiar from his television show,Beyond,homes in on the larger questions teens are most interested in (Why are we here? Can we transform our lives?) as well as particular ones (Are there spirit guides and soul mates?). His book distills a lot of information found in other self-help books, adding a patina of psychic principles, and he writes easily about such topics as incorporating intuition and meditation into one's life and ways to be true to oneself. Although his frequent references to pop culture occasionally sound condescending, they will draw in readers. Johnson covers much of the same material, though with more jargon, and her discussion of spiritual practices is more heavy duty. The first half of the book is devoted to working with the body's chakra system; the second focuses on the path of the psychic visionary. An extensive source list for teens wanting to continue their personal journey concludes.Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved