Boy Meets Depression — Teen Review

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review by John Chon, age 15 Boy Meets Depression by Kevin Breel Summary: Kevin Breel burst into the public’s awareness when at 19 his TED talk became a worldwide phenomenon. Star athlete, ace student, and life of the party: in short, he was every parent’s dream. From the outside his life looked […]

Teen Advisory Board — February 2018

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Pasadena Public Library – Teen Advisory Board Pasadena Health Department – Youth MOVE National Joint Meeting 2/26/2018, 6pm   Present: Armand, Brittany, Chris, Denisse, Enrique, Faith, Jane L, John, Jonathan G, Jonathan H, Laure, Liliana, Luke, Maya, Penelope, Sofia, Sophie, Taleen, Thomas, Isabella, & Youth MOVE National   Focus of […]

The Arsonist — Teen Review

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review by Sylvie Bower, age 16 The Arsonist by Stephanie Oakes     The Arsonist is the story of Ava, Molly, and Pepper. Ava Dreyman is a world-famous martyr of the Cold War, whose life and possibly death are memorialized in her diary. Molly Mavity is the daughter of a murder-arsonist about to be executed, […]

Zenn Diagram — Teen Review

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review by Alicia Zhang, age 13 Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant     In the book Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant, the lives of two extraordinary teenagers come together to form a cohesive storyline like no other. One of these characters is seventeen-year-old Eva Walker, a math genius who can see a person’s […]

Midnight at the Electric — Teen Review

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review by John Chon, age 15     Midnight at the Electric was an electrifying book. It took me through three different timelines as the main character explores them all through a series of letters she receives. Adri, our protagonist, is chosen to live on Mars with others already there. She is […]

How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child — Teen Review

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review by Nina Dinan, age 14 How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child by Sandra Uwiringiyimana with Abigail Pesta     This is a story of loss and discovery, of grief and triumph, and of unflagging resilience in the face of tragedy and hardship.     Sandra Uwiringiyimana lives with her family in […]

Dear Martin — Teen Review

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review by Jacob Chon, age 15 Dear Martin by Nic Stone     Justyce McAllister is a normal, African American high-school student who lives in the lower income part of town. Although his financial standing is disadvantageous, he has a scholarship to a prestigious private school. Justyce is a rising star in the debate […]

Teen Advisory Board — January 2018

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Pasadena Public Library, Teen Advisory Board, 1/22/2018   Present: Brittany, Chris, Denisse, Enrique, Faith, John, Jonathan G, Kristina, Maya, Sophie, Thomas   Focus of January meeting: STEAM, succession plan, SRC graphics   Agenda   Discussion (45 minutes) STEAM Makey Makey for kids Feb 28 (starts 5pm) – Chris, Jonathan G, […]

Black Swan Green –Teen Review

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review by Kristina Yin, age 17 Black Swan Green by David Mitchell     Black Swan Green is the spiritual descendant of coming-of-age books like Catcher in the Rye and Great Expectations, but because of its modernity and realism, it is far more interesting and relatable than its ancestors. Although it is not a page-turner […]

The Sandcastle Empire — Teen Review

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review by John Chon, age 15 The Sandcastle Empire by Kayla Olson Summary: When all hope is gone, how do you survive? Before the war, Eden’s life was easy—air conditioning, ice cream, long days at the beach. Then the revolution happened, and everything changed. Now a powerful group called the Wolfpack controls the earth […]