Pasadena Public Library
–review by Julia, teen reviewer The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian follows Junior, a boy living on an Indian reservation, through times of loss, disappointment, success, and most importantly, hope. Junior’s character is easy to relate to as […]
When the Light Shows a poem by Kendra W., age 14 As the night grows darker my soul grows darker. My light never shows, you brought the light back, the fog is gone and the sun is up, I can see what’s right in front of me, you saw […]
–review by Kara, teen reviewer Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo ***SPOILERS for those who have not read the first two books in the series: Shadow and Bone & Siege and Storm.*** We last saw Alinas as she was going underground with the Apparat and we pick up with her being […]
–review by Kara, teen reviewer Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys Lina and her family are taken during the middle of the night by the NKVD, who are known today as the KGB. Lina and her family are deported from their home country of Lithuania and charged under Soviet Penal […]
–review by Josh, teen reviewer The Stranger by Albert Camus The concept of this novel alone is thought-provoking enough to spend hours analysing. A man arrives in a city in France after his mother dies, and after killing someone in self-defense, is put on trial; the main driving force of […]
Untitled story by Celeste Rivera (teen) Have you ever had your friend ask you one of those questions that go along the lines of, “If me or your mom were about to die who would you save?” I’m Lauren and my friend Cassandra had started asking me those questions […]
Untitled flash fiction by Angel Gomez (teen) 15th of May Hot day. Water was scarce and yet they still poured gallons of it to plants that were dead already. It had started last month. We were given a government issued warning through the radio. Everyone was in the chaos […]
–review by Josh, teen reviewer The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner Grammatical rules become non-existent, time irrelevant, and confusion normal in this emotionally-charged novel about a family and their mentally retarded son; but goddamn, it’s sure done well. Faulkner divides the book into three separate sections, each of […]
How to Smile a poem by Frissiel Juscamaita (teen) One teaspoon of friends For laughs and support Two teaspoons of best friends To call to when you need someone to talk to Three teaspoons of junk food To clear up your stomach when sad Four teaspoons of family members […]
How to Survive a Freestyle Rap Battle a poem by Sofia Priego (teen) Rapping is something that can come naturally. Or it’s something you just enjoy doing happily. It’s an outlet to express yourself and all your emotions, when you have feelings locked up inside going through the motions […]