Pasadena Public Library
recap by McKenna Blackshire, grade 8, age 14 There is always something daunting about seeing or even being a part of a tight-knit community such as WriteGirl. WriteGirl is “a creative writing and mentoring organization that promotes creativity, critical thinking, and leadership skills to empower teen girls.” They give teen […]
recap by Angel Gomez & Genevieve Harvey Even though we live in an age where we can access information almost instantly, sometimes it’s hard to spread awareness of certain topics society views as “problems” or “controversial.” An example of this is the topic of mental illnesses, mental health, and how […]
Review by Kristina Yin, grade 11 The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern The plot of The Night Circus, the debut novel of Erin Morgenstern, is extraordinarily hard to explain; particularly because it is everything happening at once. One can view it as a story of star-crossed lovers who are manipulated […]
Review by Alaina Joby, grade 9 Blood, Bullets, and Bones by Bridget Heos Interested in all things murder and mystery? Curious to know how murders are analyzed? Are murder mysteries really part of everyday life? This book is for you. Though, the concept of forensic science seems modern and complicated, […]
Book Club recap by McKenna Blackshire, grade 8 Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson Summary: Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friends of man. With incredible gifts […]
Book Club recap by Kara Eng, Grade 12 We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach Summary: Four high school seniors put their hopes, hearts, and humanity on the line as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth in this contemporary novel. They always say that high school is the best time of […]
Young Readers League 2016 Writing Contest Category 2 (Age 12-14) 1st place Girl on Fire by Amelia Monsour 12 years old (Grade 7) Sierra Madre Middle School The circus master, Eduard, buttoned up his red coat, and prepared to enter the circus ring, where flying children, super strong men, and conjurers awaited. One person […]
Young Readers League 2016 Writing Contest Category 2 (Age 12-14) 2nd place By the Light of the Fire by Teresa Fundter 14 years old (Grade 9) La Canada High School The air was laced with smoke and ash, sirens wailing. The towering tent belonging to the circus now lay on the ground in ashes, […]
Young Readers League 2016 Writing Contest Category 2 (Age 12-14) 3rd place Wonder by Asher Follett 14 years old (Grade 9) La Canada High School Everyone knows that the Infinite Circus is the best in the world. Performer hopefuls travel thousands of miles and sit through hours of grueling auditions only to […]
Young Readers League 2016 Writing Contest Category 2 (Age 12-14) Honorable Mention The Gift of Poise by Elliot Negrin 14 years old (Grade 8) La Canada High School It wasn’t the vibrant colors or musical sounds that first caught my attention, but the sense of whimsy, that brought my attention to Dame Bellefontaine’s […]