Pasadena Public Library
Reviewed by Hailey Chen, age 16 Spell Hacker by M.K England Diz is like any other 18-year-old girl her age living in Kyrkarta. Tight-knit group of friends? Check. Living in a crappy apartment? Check. Running an illegal Maz siphoning gig, therefore stealing from a major corporation? Check. Magic, more commonly known […]
Reviewed by Samuel Redfearn, age 16 Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Chiamaka Adebayo: Niveus Private Academy’s Head Prefect for three years running, a valedictorian candidate, the most popular and powerful student. That’s who she is at the beginning of her senior year at Niveus, having worked harder than anyone else ever since […]
Reviewed by Samuel Redfearn, age 16 Boys of the Beast by Monica Zepeda Monica Zepeda’s debut novel, Boys of the Beast, follows the story of three cousins on a road trip after the death of their grandmother. Matt is passionate about filmmaking, and wants to pursue this dream at USC, […]
Reviewed by Jasmine Sov, age 17 The Loophole by Naz Kutub Ever since Sayyed’s boyfriend Farouk left him to travel across the globe and “fix the world”, Sy’s been depressed day and night. With Farouk, it felt like anything could happen—but without him, Sy’s stuck in a dead end. But […]
Reviewed by Jasmine Sov, age 17 How We Ricochet by Faith Gardner Betty Lavelle’s life is going alright—she’s doing well at her internship, her older sister Joy is working at a café, and her mom just started a new job. So when they all go to the mall to pick […]
The NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program takes place each year during the month of November, challenging tweens and teens to write a novel in just 30 days. Though a seemingly daunting task, with enough focus, determination, and creativity, a participant of this year’s NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program was able to complete […]
“WHAT’S YOUR STORY” Excerpt from writing workshops facilitated by youth intern Skye Slattery. Accompanying story provided by the workshop participants. Untitled by Angel Tommy Tommy wandered through the moor looking for his younger sister, Lauren. Lauren often went out into the moor to play, seeing as she was […]
“WHAT’S YOUR STORY” Excerpt from writing workshops facilitated by youth intern Skye Slattery. Accompanying story provided by the workshop participants. “Because of the Fleeting Rainbow” by Sari If you asked Flora what her favorite weather was, she wouldn’t be able to answer right away. She’s not a girl who […]
“WHAT’S YOUR STORY” Excerpts and drawings from writing workshops facilitated by youth intern Skye Slattery. Accompanying story images are provided by the workshop participants. The excerpt featured here has been edited by library staff for length. Full story to follow “The Door That Leads Me” by Evie Woodard […]
Reviewed by Giselle Carlos, age 18 Epically Earnest by Molly Horan Jane Grady is notorious for being the “bag baby,” but all she wants right now is a prom date. As a one-year-old found by her future father and aunt in an oversized Gucci bag at a train station, Jane found […]