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Top-40 summer hits of 2011


From the hottest flicks and T.V. premieres to the best reads and rockin’ tunes, our sizzlin’ entertainment guide has your need-to-know info for the best summer ever. Read on for our top-40 hits spanning June through August. Buh-bye, boredom!
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What are you looking forward to this summer, babes?
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    TEEN WOLF

     

    GL’s June/July 2011 cover girl Crystal Reed takes to the small screen in MTV’s dark new series. She plays the love interest of Scott, a high-school jock (Tyler Posey) who is attacked by a werewolf (Tyler Hoechlin). What will the duo do once Scott’s life is changed forever? You’ve gotta watch to find out!

     

    Get prepped: Watch the original 1985 comedy starring Michael J. Fox (currently available streaming from Netflix) before tuning in to the series premiere Sunday, June 5 after the MTV Movie Awards.

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    THE SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER

     

    The fourth season of Secret Life kicks off Monday, June 6 at 8 p.m. The hit ABC Family series picks up with the imminent arrival of Adrian (Francia Raisa) and Ben’s (Kenny Baumann) baby girl. Devastating news mars the joyous occasion, but you’ll have to tune in to get the scoop!

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    SWITCHED AT BIRTH

     

    When well-off teen Bay Kennish (Vanessa Marano) tests her blood type during chem class, she discovers that her parents aren’t who she thinks they are. She’s been switched at birth with the hearing-impaired Daphne Vasquez (Katie Leclerc). How will the girls cope as they meet the ‘rents they never knew they had?

     

    Grab your mom and catch the premiere of this promising ABC Family series Monday, June 6 at 9 p.m., right after the season opener of The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

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    BLUE CRUSH 2

     

    Surfer girl Dana leaves behind her Malibu digs to travel to South Africa. There, she meets a new crew (and catches killer waves, natch). Australian-born Sharni Vinson (Step Up 3D) stars in this straight-to-DVD guilty pleasure that we will totally be snapping up when it releases on June 7.
    Wanna hang ten with Sharni and the gang? Check out GL's June/July 2011 issue for a peek inside their beach bags!
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    TRUE GRIT

     

    Catch 14-year-old dynamo Hailee Steinfeld’s Oscar-nominated performance in True Grit, out on DVD and BluRay June 7. Hailee plays Mattie Ross, a determined young woman who enlists the help of U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to track down her dad’s murderer.

     

    This film is rated PG-13 for violence and potentially disturbing images. It might be inappropriate for tweens.

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    JUDY MOODY AND THE NOT BUMMER SUMMER

     

    For 10 years, we’ve been following the antics of Judy Moody in the pages of Megan McDonald’s hit kids books. Now, the third-grader (played by Jordana Beatty) is setting out to have a seriously fab summer, for sure and absolute positive. No LBS here! Catch Judy Moody in theaters on June 10.
    Can’t wait? CLICK HERE to watch an exclusive sneak peek.
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    SUPER 8

     

    Super 8 is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. Directed by J.J. Abrams, produced by Steven Spielberg and starring up-‘n’-comer Elle Fanning (sister of Dakota), A.J. Michalka and Joel Courtney, it tells the story of a group of teens who are making a movie when they witness a train crash. The train’s origin? Area 51.

     

    Be prepared to join the masses at your local movie theater on June 10.

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    THE GLEE PROJECT

     

    Can’t wait until Glee returns this fall? Get your fill of song-happy teens and young adults at 12 ladies and gents compete for a part on one of the best shows on T.V. Rumor has it that if a guy wins, he might become Mercedes’ love interest. Wonder how that’ll play out with the surreptitious handholding between her and Sam on the season 2 finale…

     

    Tune in to Oxygen on Sunday, June 12 at 9 p.m. to catch the premiere!

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    OWL CITY’S ALL THINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

     

    Do you love “Fireflies”? Get ready for another summer of Owl City earworms when Adam Young's electronic/synthpop project drops its second major-label album, All Things Bright and Beautiful, on June 14.

     

    Get psyched: Download the first single off the new album, “Alligator Sky.”

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    HOURGLASS BY MYRA MCENTIRE

     

    Seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole wishes her life was normal. Ever since her parents died, she’s been seeing things: Southern Belles, soldiers, jazz trios. She’ll do anything to rid herself of these visions, but will a strange man prove to be the cure or yet another puzzle piece in the mystery?

     

    This, Myra McEntire’s first novel, will be in stores June 14. CLICK HERE to preorder it today!

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    JACKIE EVANCHO’S DREAM WITH ME

     

    We are in awe 11-year-old Jackie Evancho’s operatic voice. She took second place America’s Got Talent and now she is releasing her first full-length album on June 14. It features duets with Barbra Streisand and Susan Boyle. You can also catch Jackie singing in concert on PBS. The televised special is set to premiere on June 14 as well.

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    PRETTY LITTLE LIARS

     

    Get ready for the PLL girls to spill all during the 8 p.m. June 14 season premiere on ABC Family. The episode centers on a therapy session in which Aria (Lucy Hale), Hanna (Ashley Benson), Emily (Shay Mitchell) and Spencer (Troian Bellisario) dish on how Alison’s death has affected them. What secrets will be shared—and lies told? Tune in to find out!

     

    Can’t wait? CLICK HERE to watch exclusive video interviews with the cast of Pretty Little Liars.

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    9 LIVES OF CHLOE KING

     

    Have you ever wished that you could, say, be invisible or fly or have X-ray vision? Meet Chloe King (Skyler Samuels), a teen girl who can’t wait to celebrate her birthday like usual…until she begins to develop abilities that aren’t quite normal.

     

    Catch the premiere Tuesday, June 14 at 9 p.m. on ABC Family, right after the season premiere of Pretty Little Liars.

     

    Why should you tune in? “Chloe is an inspirational characters,” Skyler says. “She’s fun. She’s fierce. She’s ready to take on the world.” Read more of her interview with GL in our June/July 2011 issue!

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    MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS

     

    The whole family will fall for this flick based on the popular children’s book. Jim Carrey stars as a businessman who inherits six penguins. His new tuxedoed friends turn his apartment into a North Pole paradise…and his life totally upside-down. Madeline Carroll (Flipped, The Spy Next Door) costars as his daughter.

     

    Head to theaters on June 17 to catch this movie before it melts!

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    THE ART OF GETTING BY

     

    The utterly adorable Freddie Highmore is George, an odd teen doing his best to graduate high school without doing a bit of homework. When he’s informed that he must get the stack completed before graduation, he meets popular girl Sally (Emma Roberts). Will he bid HS farewell with her help? This indie movie rolls into theaters on June 17.

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    A.N.T. FARM

     

    This brand new Disney Channel series premieres June 17.  It follows the adventures of China Anne McClain as Chyna Parks, a middle school-aged music prodigy who fights her way through the halls of high school to attend an A.N.T.—Advanced Natural Talents—program.

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    DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: RODRICK RULES ON DVD

     

    Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) heads back to middle school in this adaptation of the popular books by Jeff Kinney. In this second film, Greg and his brother Rodrick survive forced bonding sessions (thanks, Mom!), wild parties and huge secrets to make this year one for the record books. Catch the DVD and Blu-ray release on June 21.
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    CARS 2

     

    Zoom zoom! The Cars crew goes global as Lightning McQueen and BFF Mater go up against the world’s fastest cars in a race to the finish. We’re pushovers for Pixar, so all we can say is rev your engines (and bring the whole family along!) on June 24.

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    MYSTERY CASE FILES: THE MALGRAVE INCIDENT

     

    Love mysteries? The Mystery Case Files video game series lets you be the detective. Explore the abandoned resort of Malgrave Island and see if you can solve the mystery solo or with friends. This is the first game of the series to be released on Nintendo Wii and we are psyched!

     

    CLICK HERE to preorder this June 27 release!

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    BEYONCE’S 4

     

    Beyonce drops her fourth album on June 28, and this one is gonna be different. She drew inspiration from her travels and from a wide assortment of bands and festivals she’s attended to pull together an eclectic mix of songs sure to please every ear.

     

    Get psyched! Check out the early release of the “Run The World” video HERE.
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    WITHERING TIGHTS BY LOUISE RENNISON

     

    Fans of the Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging series starring our favorite Brit Georgia Nicholson will adore this spin-off from the same author. Withering Tights spills the misadventures of Georgia’s cousin Tallulah. Will she survive summer camp?

     

    CLICK HERE to preorder this June 28 release!

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    SELENA GOMEZ AND THE SCENE’S WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN

     

    Almost a month before her 19th birthday, Disney queen Selena Gomez will celebrate the release of her third album, When the Sun Goes Down. The lead single, “Who Says,” has already gone Gold! No matter what you think of her PDA with boyfriend Justin Bieber, you’ve gotta admit this girl’s got pipes. Grab the full CD on June 28.

     

    CLICK HERE to preorder When the Sun Goes Down!

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    THE GREAT STATE OF GEORGIA

     

    Funny girl Raven-Symone stars in this brand-new comic series on ABC Family. Follow Georgia and her science nerd BFF as they struggle to make it big in the Big Apple. Catch the premiere 8:30 p.m. on June 29!

     

    Get prepped: Watch Raven grow up on-screen in some of our favorite flicks: Doctor Dolittle, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century and The Cheetah Girls.

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    MONTE CARLO

     

    When Grace (Selena Gomez) is mistaken for Cordelia, a British heiress, she and her two besties live it up. But what will happen with the real Cordelia shows up? Monte Carlo features Leighton Meester, Katie Cassidy and Glee’s Cory Monteith! Head to theaters July 1 for this fab romp through Europe.

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    PROJECT NIM

     

    The cutest documentary of the summer follows the real-life story of Nim, a chimpanzee raised as a human child in the 1970s to prove the intelligence and understanding of animals. Lucky ducks will catch this doc in select theaters July 8.

     

    Looking for more critter-filled documentaries we heart? Check out March of the Penguins and Born To Be Wild.

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    COLBIE CAILLAT’S ALL OF YOU

     

    This Grammy Award-winning pop singer who’s recorded a duet with Jason Mraz and written songs for Taylor Swift is releasing her third album, All Of You, on July 12. The CD will feature the hit radio single “I Do” and 13 other tracks.

     

    Can’t wait? Create a Colbie playlist on your iPod! We love “Fallin’ for You” and “Lucky.”

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    HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS:
    PART 2 the video game

     

    Can’t wait for the final film in the Harry Potter series to hit theaters? Get in on the action a few days early. Join your fave HP characters with this brand-spankin’-new game by Electronic Arts, available on Xbox 360, Nintendo Ds, Wii, PS3 and Windows computers on July 12.

     

    Read our review of the HP7:P2 game here and get psyched for some killer graphics, girlies!

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    HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS:
    PART 2

     

    July 15 can’t come soon enough for Potterheads across the globe. The final film installment of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series promises big battle scenes during the ultimate confrontation of good and evil.

     

    Need a recap? Read the book, check out our review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and tune into ABC Family from July 7 through July 10 to catch the first five movies in the HP cinematic franchise.

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    CYBERBULLY

     

    When 17-year-old Taylor Hillbridge receives a computer for her birthday, she’s psyched. But what will happen when social media pushes her to a breaking point? Betrayal and bullying abound in this cautionary tale starring Hannah Montana’s Emily Osment. Catch the premiere Sunday, July 17 at 8:00 p.m on ABC Family.

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    DEGRASSI

     

    The long-running series Degrassi returns to TeenNick Monday, July 18 for it’s 11th season. It’s the 31st year of the franchise—holy cow! We can’t wait to see what twists and turns the show will take next, but rumor has it we’ll be seeing shoplifting, drug probs and new freshies!

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    THE SMURFS

     

    Prepare to be seeing blue when The Smurfs hits theaters July 29! The live-action family movie follows the teensy blue cartoon favorites as the evil wizard Gargamel chases them through a portal from their magical world into ours. We can’t wait to watch their Big Apple antics.

  • 33-crazystupidlove.jpg
    CRAZY, STUPID, LOVE

     

    When Cal Weaver (Steve Carell) learns that his wife (Julianne Moore) wants a divorce, he’s sent reeling. Confronted with the single world once more, he finds a wingman in player Jacob Palmer (Ryan Gosling) and potential new love in Hannah, played by the lovely Emma Stone (Easy A). Catch it when it comes to theaters July 29.

     

    This film is rated PG-13 and may not be appropriate for tweens.

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    POPULAZZI BY ELISE ALLEN

     

    If you had the chance to erase your past and reinvent yourself, would you do it? When Cara Leonard changes schools before junior year, her BFF urges her to seize the opportunity of a lifetime: The chance to be popular.

     

    Populazzi is author Elise Allen’s first solo YA novel, though she did have a hand in helping Hilary Duff pen Elixer. Find it in bookstores August 1 or CLICK HERE to preorder now.

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    GREYSON CHANCE’S HOLD ON ‘TIL THE NIGHT

     

    The YouTube dynamo is back with the August 2 release of his first full-length studio album, Hold On ‘Til The Night. Though his tours with pop stars Miranda Cosgrove and Cody Simpson are over (sigh!), we’re hoping he’ll hit the rode soon. In the meantime, we’ll be printing up I <3 Greyson shirts.

  • 36-teenspirit.jpg
    TEEN SPIRIT

     

    We cannot wait to plop down in front of the T.V. at 8 p.m. on August 7. Why? Because ABC Family will be premiering a brand-new original movie, Teen Spirit, staring Cassie Scerbo and Lindsey Shaw. The premise? A mean girl gets electrocuted and dies, but can’t go to heaven until she helps the school dweeb become prom queen.

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    INGÉNUE BY JILLIAN LARKIN

     

    We loved loved loved Jillian Larkin’s first novel, Vixen, and can’t wait to continue the story August 9. Ingénue follows would-be flapper Gloria as she takes on New York City in the Roarin’ Twenties with her cohort, Clara and Lorraine.

     

    CLICK HERE to preorder Ingénue now!

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    THE HELP

     

    Emma Stone stars as a college grad returned to home to Jackson, MS, in the ‘60s. Based on the bestselling book by Kathryn Stockett, The Help explores racial divides among wealthy white folks of the mid-century South and their African-American servants.

     

    Head to theaters August 12 to see this drama. It’ll clue you in on your parents’ and grandparents’ experiences way back when.

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    GLEE LIVE! 3D!

     

    Our favorite misfit show chorus kids hit the big screen in a razzle-dazzle 3D extravaganza. This docu-style movie will give Gleeks a glimpse behind-the-scenes of the GLEE LIVE tour…and plenty of on-stage action, too! Head to theaters August 12 for a front-row seat.

     

    Wanna see more on Glee? CLICK HERE!

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    THE LYING GAME

     

    When foster-kid Emma discovers she has an identical twin sister, Sutton, she thrilled. But when Sutton convinces her sis to trade roles for a few days so she can find out the identity of their birth mother and disappears, who knows what will happen?

     

    Tune in to ABC Family on August 15 at 9 p.m. to catch the premiere, starring Alexandra Chando as both Emma and Sutton.

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    SPY KIDS 4: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD

     

    They might not like their stepmother, but that doesn’t mean Rebecca and Cecil won’t help her save the world when mega-villain The Timekeeper, threatens planet Earth. Rowan Blanchard and Mason Cook star, but you can expect appearances from original Spy Kids Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara. Grab your spy gadgets and get to theaters August 19!
    Can't wait? Watch the first three movies in the series, Sky Kids, Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams and Spy Kids 3: Game Over.
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    WHAT’S COMING NEXT?

    Whoa! Back-to-school is comin’ up fast, but just ‘cause you’re hitting the halls again doesn’t mean you’ve gotta say buh-bye to your favorite shows ‘n’ stars. We’re looking forward to fall, thanks to these ah-mazing anticipated premieres and releases…

     

    Pop star Joe Jonas is set to release a solo CD in September! We’ll have more on this cutie and his new tracks in the August/September 2011 issue of GL.

     

    We’re keeping an eye on Willow Smith and Kelly Clarkson. Both of these pop megastars’ new albums have been pushed back, but we’re hearing good things about fall 2011. Fingers crossed for new tunes from La Roux, Christina Perri and No Doubt, too.

     

    Goliath, the third book in the Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan series, will be out Sept. 20. Fans of Uglies (Leviathan and Behemoth) rejoice! Later this fall, devoted readers of the Inheritance cycle will snap up the fourth and final novel in the series. Inheritance completes the story of The Rider and Saphira. Will they defeat the evil king? We’ll find out on Nov. 8.

     

    Abigail Breslin returns to the big screen in September with Janie Jones while November brings Puss in Boots, Happy Feet 2 and (dare we forget) Breaking Dawn: Part 1 to theaters.

     

    And on the small screen? We can’t wait to see Vampire Diaries spin-off The Secret Circle, airing on the CW this fall.

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by Brittany Taylor | 2/1/2016
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