While most 16-year-olds worry about taking SATs, finding prom dates and getting their driver’s licenses, Annabelle Chang was busy opening her own bookstore.
Chang, now 19 and a sophomore at Stanford University, opened Annabelle’s Book Club in 2023. At the time, she was enrolled in an online high school called Laurel Springs, which she said gave her flexibility to pursue her business.
Located on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, the pink, pop art-inspired bookstore invites patrons of all ages to browse their selection focused on young adult (YA) novels. While the business thrives as a physical bookstore today, it originated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Chang started an Instagram page to recommend her favorite books.
“Seeing people’s excitement about our YA curation and our merchandise really gave me the confidence to kind of make the leap to a physical store,” Chang said.
Besides its bright-pink exterior, what makes the store especially unique is its focus on the YA genre. Chang found a gap in the bookstore market when she realized that there are no bookstores specifically dedicated to YA novels. This realization, coupled with Chang’s passion for YA literature, was the force that motivated her to open Annabelle’s Book Club as a physical bookstore.
“YA does a great job of highlighting historically underrepresented voices and making space for new authors and new voices,” Chang said. “Even though these books are geared at teenagers and young adults, they’re really so impactful for readers of all ages.”
Alexandra Brown Chang, Chang’s older sister, is the author of her debut YA novel “By Invitation Only.” Over the years, Alexandra has watched Annabelle’s Book Club flourish from its humble beginnings as an Instagram blog.
“The community that she’s built is really special,” Alexandra said. “It’s people who are writers, who are readers, who maybe are just getting into writing or reading, and it kind of spans all ages.”
In September of 2025, Annabelle’s Book Club hosted a launch party for Alexandra’s novel. Set in the Parisian debutante ball, the novel follows two teens challenged with navigating a high-class society.
“Oftentimes stories about or for teenagers are overlooked or dismissed as trivial or unimportant,” Alexandra said. “Annabelle has done a great job at amplifying voices for young people.”
Because Annabelle’s Book Club mostly appeared at pop-up events before opening a physical location, Chang likes to think of the Festival of Books as “where it all started.”
The 2026 festival marks the fifth year that Annabelle’s Book Club has sparked conversation about YA literature on USC’s campus.
“I did not expect it to turn into what it has,” Chang said. “I feel so incredibly grateful that it has grown and been so embraced by the community, but it really just started with the love of books.”