Pasadena Public Library
review by Nina Dinan, age 15 Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners by Naomi Shihab Nye In this lovely collection of free verse poems written in a serene, contemplative tone, Naomi Shihab Nye explores a variety of subjects. Her poems include wistful exaltations of nature, laments written for Palestine, and soaring […]
Pasadena Public Library – Teen Advisory Board, 2/11/19 Present: Aminda, Carolyn, Chris, Emilie, Genevieve, Haile, Liam, John, Jonathan G, Mckenna, Sophie Focus of February meeting: advocacy Assignment: I’m in the process of updating our online library guides and it would help me out tremendously if you can let me know […]
review by Kira Toal, age 17 Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy Ramona Blue is a girl-vs-the-world contemporary romance novel. Its protagonist, a 6’3, blue-haired teenager named Ramona, lives in a trailer park in Eulogy, Mississippi with her father and pregnant older sister. The book follows her struggles to navigate various obstacles in her […]
review by John Chon, age 16 The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano The Glass Spare, by Lauren DeStefano, has the interesting premise of the observation of a character set in the Middle Ages. Wil Heidle, daughter of a king with empire-building dreams, is hidden away from the kingdom, unlike her siblings. She […]
The Brilliant Death AMY ROSE CAPETTA · Viking Books for Young Readers Pages: 352 Format: Hardcover For Teodora DiSangro, a mafia don’s daughter, family is fate. All her life, Teodora has hidden the fact that she secretly turns her family’s enemies into music boxes, mirrors, and other decorative objects. After […]
A review and opinion by William Krestow, age 16 On February 6, 2019 in the John Muir High School Library, youth activists gathered for a meeting on annual accomplishments. With a single exception, it was a typical yearly progress meeting. There were few adults directly participating in the discussion; the purpose […]
review by Jacob Chon, age 16 Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen All Sarah has ever wanted was a simple life. However, destiny did not decide it to be that way. Thrust into one of the worst governments in human history, and cursed with a Jewish bloodline that marks her for death, Sarah […]
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson A Young Adult Book Cub Recap by William Krestow, Age 16 Spensa’s world has been under alien attack for decades. Pilots are the heroes of what’s left of humanity, and becoming a pilot is Spensa’s dream. Ever since she was a little girl, Spensa has […]
review by Aminda Zou, age 14 The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo The Poet X is a marvelous novel told in poetry form where Elizabeth Acevedo narrates the story of a silenced young woman, Xiomara Batista. This novel addresses the issues of racism, sexism, and the importance of self-defense and having a voice. […]
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 […]