EDUCATOR NEWSLETTER
MAR-APR 2026

Featured Programs & News
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All Abilities Science
March 17 & April 21 | 11a.m. -noon
La Pintoresca Branch Library
Join us for an inclusive, sensory STEAM program for teens and adults. Explore the wonders of the physical world, and wear something you don't mind getting dirty! For teens and adults of all abilities and their teachers/family/caregivers.
 
Please call 626-744-7268 if you would like to bring a group or if you have any other questions.
Contact Us
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All Abilities Spring Craft
March 26 | 10:30-11:30a.m.
Santa Catalina Branch
A multi-sensory club for adults with developmental disabilities. Enriching activities including games, art, and crafts will be based on interest and level of ability, so please share your ideas with us! Adults of all ages are welcome, as well as caregivers, aides, family, and teachers.
 
Sign ups begin Tuesday, March 2 at 10 a.m. Call to sign-up: (626) 744-7272.
Contact Us
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One City, One Story 2026 Conversation with Laila Lalami
March 21, 2026 | Pasadena Presbyterian Church
Join us as author Laila Lalami discusses her book, The Dream Hotel, the 2026 One City, One Story selection, with Library Director Tim McDonald. A book signing will follow. This is a free event and no tickets are required. 
Learn More
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Homework Help
Mon. - Thurs. | 4 - 6p.m. | Hastings
Mon. - Thurs. | 4:30 - 5:30p.m. | La Pintoresca
Do your students need some assistance with homework? Kids in Kindergarten through 6th grade can get help with math, science, language
arts and reading from a friendly teen volunteer. Walk-ins are welcome. First-come, first-served. For questions, please contact Hastings or La Pintoresca Branch Library.
Learn More
Elementary School Booklist
Check out these books recommended for grades K - 5!
Popo the Xolo/Popo el Xolo
by Paloma Angelina Lopez, illustrated by Abraham Matias
An emotionally resonant and visually stirring picture book about life, death, and celebrating those we love. Inspired by the 9 levels of Mictlān and the role Xolo dogs play by guiding those who have passed on in Indigenous cultural understandings of present-day Mexico.
 
Un libro ilustrado emocionalmente conmovedor y visualmente estimulante sobre la vida, la muerte y la celebración de aquellos a quienes amamos. Inspirado por los 9 niveles de Mictlān y el rol que desempeñan los perros Xolo al guiar a quienes han fallecido, según las creencias culturales indígenas del México actual.
Winner of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award!
CHECK OUT ON HOOPLA
Worm Makes a Sandwich
by Brianne Farley
Worm sets out to make a sandwich, but first must compost food scraps into soil, to plant a seed in, to grow the vegetables to put into the sandwich. This hilarious, engaging picture book is the perfect introduction to the process of composting from start to finish, told from the perspective of one little worm who is very eager to help.
PLACE A HOLD
Middle School Booklist
Check out these books recommended for grades 6 - 8!
The Lion's Run
by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen
Lucas is tired of his cowardly reputation, just as he’s tired of the war and the Nazi occupation of his French village. He longs to show how brave he can be. He gets the chance when he saves a litter of kittens and brings them to an abandoned stable to care for them. There he comes upon a stranger who is none too happy to see him: Alice, the daughter of a horse trainer, who is hiding her filly from German soldiers. Soon Lucas begins to realize they are not the only ones in the village with secrets.
PLACE A HOLD
The Pecan Sheller
by Lupe Ruiz-Flores
In 1930s San Antonio, thirteen-year-old Petra dreams of going to college and becoming a writer. But with her beloved father's passing, two younger siblings to care for, and with a stepmother struggling to make ends meet, Petra has to drop out of school to shell pecans at a factory. Hoping it's only temporary, she tries not to despair over the grueling work conditions. But after the unhealthy environment leads to tragedy and workers' already low wages are cut, Petra knows things need to change. She and her coworkers go on strike for higher wages and safer conditions, risking everything they have for the hope of a better future.
Winner of the Pura Belpré Author Award!
PLACE A HOLD
High School Booklist
Check out these books recommended for grades 9 - 12!
All the Blues in the Sky
by Renée Watson
Sage's thirteenth birthday was supposed to be about movies and treats, staying up late with her best friend and watching the sunrise together. Instead, it was the day her best friend died. Without the person she had to hold her secrets and dream with, Sage is lost. In a counseling group with other girls who have lost someone close to them, she learns that not all losses are the same, and healing isn't predictable. 
Winner of the Newbery Award!
PLACE A HOLD
On the Wings of la Noche
by Vanessa L. Torres
Death waits for Estrella (Noche) Villanueva. In her human form, she is a lonely science girl grieving the tragic accidental drowning of her girlfriend, Dante Fuentes. At night, she is a Lechuza who visits her dead girlfriend at the lake, desperate for more time with her. The longer Dante’s soul roams the earth, the more likely it is that she will fade into the unknown, lost forever, but Noche cannot let go… But when a new kid comes to town, Jax, another science nerd like Noche, they connect in a way she can’t ignore, seemingly pulled together by an invisible thread. As Noche’s heart begins to beat for two people, she is forced to question her purpose as a Lechuza and everything she has ever believed in.
Winner of the Pura Belpré Young Adult Author Award!
PLACE A HOLD
Resource Spotlight
Check out this new resource available at the Pasadena Public Library.
New!
PPL on the Web
Educators & School Webpage
Check out our new webpage curated for educators and students!
Doing research for a school project? Looking for hands on materials to use in your classroom? Curious about upcoming educational programs happening at your local Pasadena Public Library branch? Check out our new webpage curated specifically for educators and students! This new webpage is your one-stop shop for all things school. 
 

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The library often photographs or videotapes programs for use in publicity materials. By being present during these activities, you consent to the use of your appearance or likeness by the library and its licensees, designees, or assignees, in all media, worldwide, in perpetuity. To ensure the privacy of individuals and children, images will not be identified using names or personal identifying information without written approval from the photographed subject, parent or legal guardian. 
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For accessibility information and requests, contact the library site hosting the program. Providing at least 72 hours advance notice will help ensure availability.  
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Pasadena Public Library
285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, CA 91101
Phone: (626) 744-4066
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