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 […]

Generation One — Teen Review

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review by Jacob Chon, age 15 Generation One by Pittacus Lore     Generation One follows Taylor, a teenage girl living in a sleepy Midwest town. She enjoys the monotony of life and plans to take over the family farm when she grows old enough. Having survived an alien invasion with minimal consequences, Taylor’s life […]

Freya — Teen Review

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review by Alicia Zhang, age 13 Freya by Matthew Laurence     The novel Freya by Matthew Laurence is about a goddess, Freya, who, in Norse mythology, is the representation of love, beauty, and war. In this world, deities of all types exist, camouflaged into human society. They are powered and strengthened by belief, and […]

The Art of Starving — Teen Review

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review by Jacob Chon, age 15 The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller     The Art of Starving is a novel about a young, gay man coming out of the closet.  Although at first it seems like a novel about obesity, it really is a much wider story that encompasses the social […]

Get published: Where to submit your writing

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Are you a writer looking to get published? Here are some places to submit your writing:   Pasadena Public Library – Teen Zine Open to teens ages 12-18, for Pasadena Public Library patrons only. Submissions are open twice a year; deadlines: June 30 and December 31. Submission site:  https://tinyurl.com/pplzine   Light-Bringer […]

Winter is here: TAB’s guide to binge-watching

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Looking for something entertaining to binge watch this winter? Here are some top choices from the Teen Advisory Board.   13 Reasons Why (Netflix) When high school student Clay Jenkins receives a box in the mail containing thirteen cassette tapes recorded by his classmate Hannah, who committed suicide, he spends a […]

Housing and Emergency Services

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Know someone who might need help finding an emergency shelter? Or someone who has suffered abuse, neglect, abandonment, or in need of a residential program? How about someone who’s looking for legal aid or in search of other helpful resources? Here are some resources for youth experiencing homelessness or teens […]