Odd One Out — Teen Review

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review by John Chon, age 16 Odd One Out by Nic Stone     Odd One Out by Nic Stone is a story about self discovery. This book follows two very close childhood friends, a straight guy and a lesbian girl. Courtney “Coop” and Jupiter “Jupe” are very close, with Jupe’s parents being gay fathers […]

Leah on the Offbeat — Teen Review

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review by Jacob Chon, age 16 Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli     High school is an awkward place. Personal interactions are tough, romance is opaque, and Leah Burke is no stranger to these issues. Her progressive ideas and accepting attitude towards others is only matched by the difficulty of doing so. […]

Teen Advisory Board — January 2019

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Pasadena Public Library – Teen Advisory Board, 1/14/19 Present:  Carolyn, Chris, Emilie, Faith, Liam, Liliana, Lauren, Luke, Sophie, Taleen Focus of January meeting: spring event, SRC prizes & graphics Assignment: SRC prize research: To prep for our next meeting, please do a bit of research on what you would like […]

I Have the Right To: A High School Survivor’s Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope — Teen Review

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review by Nina Dinan, age 15 I Have the Right To: A High School Survivor’s Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope by Chessy Prout with Jenn Abelson     I Have the Right To: A High School Survivor’s Story of Sexual Assault, Justice, and Hope is the memoir of Chessy Prout, a student […]

Thunderhead — YA Book Club

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Thunderhead by Neil Shusterman A Young Adult Book Cub Recap by William Krestow, Age 16   In Thunderhead, Neil Shusterman portrays not a dystopian future, but a utopia, where humanity has conquered even death and is governed by a philanthropic AI called the Thunderhead. However, it is a utopia on […]

Light Years — Teen Review

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review by Ashley Z, age 13 Light Years by Kass Morgan     The book Light Years is told from the perspectives of Vesper, Cormak, Arran, and Orelia, all from different planets in the solar system. They are all accepted in to the Quatra Fleet Academy, the most prestigious school in the entire solar system, and […]

Devils Unto Dust — Teen Review

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review by Jacob Chon, age 16 Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist     Devils Unto Dust is a zombie novel set in a post-Civil War era. Willie is just a girl trying to survive in the harsh, Midwestern desert. She lives in constant fear of the shakes—zombies who have lost every shred of […]

Teen Advisory Board — December 2018

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Pasadena Public Library – Teen Advisory Board, 12/17/18   Present:  Aminda, Carolyn, Chris, Emilie, John, Jonathan, Lauren, Liam, Mckenna, Naomi, Sophie, Taleen   Focus of December meeting: winter event, spring event Assignment: holiday meeting   Agenda   Debrief YA Book Club Youth Network meeting Writing meetups Teen zine   Discuss […]

Now Is Everything — Teen Review

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review by Aminda Zou, age 14 Now Is Everything by Amy Giles     Now Is Everything by Amy Giles is an emotional and compelling novel. The story of Hadley McCauley’s senior year is told in alternating then and now chapters. The protagonist of this story, Hadley, comes from a wealthy and seemingly-perfect family, […]

The Dangerous Art of Blending In — Teen Review

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review by John Chon, age 16 The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis     The Dangerous Art of Blending In by Angelo Surmelis is a somewhat true story of a teenager growing up, trying to blend in. Evan Panos is a Greek Christian, with a mother who is very strict and traditionalist. […]