It follows its teen-age hero, the deaf skateboarder Rad Boy, as he embarks upon manhood guided by a cadre of grown boys he meets in the California punk scene.

But like the plays staged by the teen-age hero of the film "Rushmore," it is compelling in its serious effort.

Fluidly staged by Daniel Sullivan and featuring an endearing, breakout performance by Sam Trammell as the play's teen-age hero, this "Ah, Wilderness!"

To capture these reluctant readers, publishers spill out books featuring real sports heroes and make-believe teen-age heroes and have even created a new genre for young males: the survival novel.

The teen-age human hero falls for the teen-age fairy Crysta and carves her name on a tree.

And yet in the interest of delivering dignity to her teen-age hero, Ms. Mahy may have inadvertently taken dignity away from his elderly friend.

Good reviews for Oates' 29 th novel, which follows the way a small town remembers its teen-age hero, John Reddy Heart.

The movie's teen-age hero, Mitchell (Shane McDermott), is a baby-faced Southern California surfer who also skates.

The success of "Animal House" in particular demonstrated that teen-agers and young adults would flock to deliberately gross and anarchical films with teen-age heroes.

The one dimly interesting thing about "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" is the way the two teen-age heroes communicate in superlatives.