Our Reviewers

These are our current Pasadena Public Library teen reviewers who contribute book reviews to the Teens Blog, Teen Zine, and/or VOYA Magazine as a partner with our Teen Librarian. Teen Reviewers are assigned notable, new, and/or not-yet-released books to review. If you are interested in becoming a reviewer, please see our requirements after the list of reviewers.

 

Giselle Carlos is a senior at Marshall Fundamental and is passionate about helping others, screenwriting and film, and writing. In between juggling reading the countless unread books on her shelf (she just can’t stop buying more!), she loves to spend time with her family, practice yoga and guitar, and drink boba with her friends. Her favorite pastime is curling up with a good book, especially YA coming-of-age stories. (reviewer since 2021)

Hailey Chen enjoys drawing, basketball, piano, and loves to binge read through her favorite fantasy novels. When she can, she also likes to find romance genre books and loudly react to the scenes as she sees fit. (reviewer since 2021)

Amber Elias attends Marshall Fundamental and enjoys good food, getting way too emotionally attached to fictional characters and meeting new people! Throughout the stay-at-home order, she has taken up painting, yoga, and doing makeup. If you ever find yourself needing a good fantasy novel to pass the time, she’s the one to turn to. (reviewer since 2021)

Sam Redfearn is a student at Marshall Fundamental School. He enjoys climbing, playing bass, and listening to music. He’s particularly fond of mystery and adventure books, but loves all range of genres. (reviewer since 2021)

Jasmine Sov is a student at Pasadena High School. She enjoys reading, writing, and singing. She particularly enjoys reading realistic fiction and everything involving food. (reviewer since 2019)

Kaelin Lee is a junior at CSArts and loves writing, puzzles, fashion, and all things panda related. When she’s not overly rewatching Friends, movies are playing in her head about the books she’s reading. She enjoys reading anything fiction, but mainly romance and fantasy. (reviewer since 2023)

Elise Chen is passionate about helping others, exercising, listening to music, and reading. In her free time, she enjoys raising puppies, hanging out with friends, playing basketball, karate, and finding spirituality through yoga. Her favorite genre of books is mystery and true crime because it gives her a good fright and a lot of excitement. (reviewer since 2023)

 

Qualifications to be a Teen Reviewer

  • Reviewers must be between the ages of 13-17 at the time of initial application
  • Reviewers must live in Pasadena, attend school in Pasadena, or regularly attend Pasadena Public Library events
  • Reviewers are assigned 6-12 books to review per year
  • Reviewers must write a 200-400 word review for each assigned book
  • Reviewers must be able to pick up books from the Pasadena Public Library when necessary
  • Reviewers must have good written communication skills
  • Reviewers must have access to their own email (whether at home, school, or library) and answer their own emails
  • Reviewers are credited with their full name, so all reviewers will need to turn in a signed volunteer contract
  • Reviewers must apply and be accepted by sending in a sample review
  • Any exceptions to the above qualifications can be made by the Teen Librarian

 

How to apply to be a Teen Reviewer

Please apply by submitting a sample review to Ernesto Covarrubias at ecovarrubias@cityofpasadena.net with the subject:  Reviewer Application.  Attach your review as a Word document or copy and paste it in the body of the email.

 

Guidelines for Reviewers

Read the entire book.  You can’t give a fair review without reading the whole book.  Sometimes, it helps to also read prefaces and the author notes (usually following the end of the book).

Your opinion is more important than the summary of the book.  Your critical assessment is good, but there’s no need to write a book report.  The review could involve your reaction, your engagement to the text, and/or your opinions about the characters or plot.  You could also suggest whether or not other teens would like the book.

Reviews must be submitted using this form:  https://goo.gl/forms/eUtcMfpXhhmfoFcE2  This link is for official reviewers only.

 

Format:

First paragraph: short summary of the book, with no obvious spoilers.

Second paragraph: your opinion.

Your star rating out of 5 stars.

 

Your reviews will be credited accordingly.

 

Reviewer Responsibility

It is your responsibility to notify me if you have a reading restriction. Unfortunately, I can only promise that the book is marked appropriate for ages 12 (or sometimes 14) and up; age appropriateness is based on the book’s publisher, author, and professional book reviewers. If you have other restrictions beyond age appropriateness (such as certain subjects or issues), you have the right to refuse to review the book, but it is your decision only. I will not be checking whether a book falls within your specifications.

If you are claiming service hours for book reviews, you may not “double claim” the hours–meaning, you may not submit the review to another library and get service hours there as well for the same review.

You must read the entire book before writing the review.

Reviews published on another review blog/website or magazine will not be accepted; cross-posting a review on Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing, or on your own personal blog is okay.

 

Tips for writing

Have a set of sticky notes ready to tag quotes or passages that stand out to you.

After reading the book, jot down quick notes about what stood out to you.  Was the ending weak?  Did the characters develop?  Was the plot believable?  Did the writing capture you?

Leave some time between your initial and final review.  Write a draft of your review, and then finish it the next day.  You might change your mind about a certain phrase or opinion you wrote.

Use your words wisely.  Short reviews can be really strong if you’re using the right words, but don’t forget to give examples or details when your point needs it.

The best way to be a better writer is to read… so read lots and lots of other people’s reviews.

 

Read some samples:

By Hadley, teen reviewer:  http://pasadena-library.net/teens/2015/love-letters-to-the-dead-teen-review/

By Hadley and Kara, teen reviewers:  http://pasadena-library.net/teens/2015/red-queen-teen-reviews/

 

Congratulations

Teen Advisory Board members Hadley Willman and Kara Eng are currently teen reviewers for Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), a professional journal for library youth advocates. How did this happen? They’ve demonstrated a combination of responsiveness, dependability, and a series of well-written reviews. Additionally, they’re book and word geeks, so they’re perfect for this role.

Continue reviewing for our library, and you may be the next chosen VOYA reviewer!