As far as which track is "the best" for a new rider, they each have their own different characteristics.
Sears Point: A paved rollercoaster. The most technical of them all.
Thunderhill: A great combination of fast and slow turns with some nice elevation changes.
Buttonwillow: If I wanted to ride on a strip of asphalt this narrow, I would have gone to Highway 9.
Laguna Seca: It's Laguna. I'm personally not too big on the corner-straight-corner-straight layout, but the pavement is cherry, and the history behind the every turn on the circuit, immense.
Willow Springs: Screw technical riding skills, how big are your balls?
Streets of Willow: Supposedly the most technical road course in California.
Fontana: Haven't ridden it yet. Heard it's expensive to get time down there, and trackdays rarely run the AMA layout.