Young Voices of New York

Come November by Katrin van Dam

February 4, 2019

Come November is a realistic-fiction novel that is one of the most engaging things I have ever read. It's unique in the sense that it features a science fiction conspiracy theorist group, so from the beginning it seems like it may be a sci-fi story. The story centers around Marina ‘Rooney’ Harris, who has a s...

Where The Mountain Meets The Moon

Ava Kreutziger, 10, New York

April 11, 2017

"Where the Mountain Meets the Moon", by Grace Lin, is a wonderful book that takes place in a small, poor town in China called Fruitless Mountain. All the villagers were tired of rain. Jade Dragon, who rules all of the clouds, became so mad at their complaints that he stopped the rain so that the...

The Girl Who Drank The Moon

Ava Kreutziger, 10, New York

April 2, 2017

"The Girl Who Drank The Moon," by Kelly Barnhill, is a spellbinding book that will keep you at the edge of your seat. It is a powerful world of paper birds and life-changing magic springing from the moon. The magic from the moon is the strongest power possible. Not only does the story show compass...

Alexander Hamilton in New York

Lily Zufall, New York City, 10

January 2, 2017

I was lucky enough to see Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and ever since then, I have been in an Alexander Hamilton phase. I visited three of the Hamilton locations in NYC. The first was Hamilton Grange. The original Grange was Hamilton’s ancestral family home in Scotland. When Harlem was still ...

This Book Was A “Good One”

Lily Zufall, 10, New York City

October 12, 2016

If you are 9-12, and enjoy realistic fiction, you will love “Ms. Bixby’s Last Day,” by John David Anderson. It tells the story of a sixth grade teacher, who has to unexpectedly leave before the year is over, and three of her students, Topher, Steve and Brand, who go to find her, to say goodbye....

Odysseus’ Loyal Dog

Lily Zufall, 10, New York City

August 23, 2016

If you are a 10-12 year old who likes the traditional Greek myths, than you might like “Argos,” by Ralph Hardy. The book tells the tale of Odysseus through the eyes of his dog Argos. Throughout the story, animals (mostly birds) bring Argos news of his master. Argos follows news of Odysseus from...

So Good I’m “Wishing” For More

Lily Zufall, 10, New York City

May 31, 2016

If you are a 9-13 year old looking for a new book to read, I suggest “Wishing Day,” by Lauren Myracle. In the town Natasha lives in, almost every girl on the third month after her 13th birthday go up to the willow tree on the hill, to make her three wishes. When Natasha takes her turn, her wishes...

Garbage That’s Good for the Earth

Lily Zufall, 10, New York City

April 19, 2016

This looks disgusting, right? It is called compost. Would you believe me if I told you that these icky banana peels are great for the environment in more ways than one? WHAT IS COMPOSTING? Composting is basically a recycling system for food scraps. You can compost fruits, vegetables, breads, and past...

A Fun Fact Book

Lily Zufall, 9, New York City

March 15, 2016

If you like amazing facts about everything, you will love Biggest and Smallest by Guinness World Records. It is full of zany facts and bizarre records. The book starts with animal records. Some of these are biggest animals like tallest horse, smallest animals like tiniest cat, and tricks such as long...

A Travel in Time Through an Amusement Park

Lily Zufall, New York City, 9

January 29, 2016

Recently, I went to an exhibit on the history of Coney Island at the Brooklyn Museum. I enjoyed it a lot. Part of why I liked it is some of the photography. I also enjoyed the paintings. The exhibit begins with late 19th century paintings of the beach at Coney Island, which I thought were sort ...

An Underground Garden?

Lily Zufall, 9, New York City

November 23, 2015

Has it ever occurred to you that a garden could be underground? That is what the Lowline in Manhattan plans to accomplish. They will build a garden under pavement. The Lowline is going to be an underground park. If you have ever been to the High Line in New York City, it is sort of like that, only...

A Very Nearly Honorable Adventure

Lily Zufall, 9, New York City

November 3, 2015

If you are an 8-12 year old and looking for a hilarious book to read, then I highly recommend The Buccaneers Code by Caroline Carlson. It’s full of hilarious lines and is guaranteed to crack you up. It is about a girl named Hilary who is a pirate. She used to be a student at a finishing school cal...