Recently there has been an increase in students reading for pleasure at HHS. Some of the books students have been reading include:
1. Maze Runner trilogy, James Dashner, When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.
2. 13 Reasons Why, Jay Asher, Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them.
3. Eleanor and Park, Rainbow Rowell, Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.
4. The Fault in Our Stars, John Green, Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.
5. Divergent, Veronica Roth, In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue–Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is–she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.
6. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian, Sherman Alexie, The first teen book by Native American poet and writer Sherman Alexie chronicles a year in the life of Junior. Compelled to change his future and sick of always being the odd one out on his reservation, Junior decides the only way to change is to transfer to Reardan, an all-white school off the reservation. Bullied at the reservation school, Junior doesn’t find the transition to Reardan any easier when he faces ridicule from his new classmates and loathing from the friend he left behind.
7. Percy Jackson series, Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school… again. And that’s the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’ master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. (summary of the Lightning Thief)
8. Any Lauren Kate books, Lauren Kate is an internationally bestselling author of young adult fiction. Her books have been translated into over thirty languages and include The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove and Fallen
9. Any Ellen Hopkins books, Ellen Louise Hopkins is a novelist who has published several New York Times bestselling novels that are popular among the teenage and young adult audience, like Cranked.
10. I’ll Be There, Holly Goldberg Sloan, Emily Bell believes in destiny. To her, being forced to sing a solo in the church choir–despite her average voice–is fate: because it’s while she’s singing that she first sees Sam. At first sight, they are connected.
Librarian Faye Friesen also shared her thoughts about reading and what her favorite books are.
”You should read something that you love, you have to read Classics in class, so I feel that you should be able to read whatever you want.”
Faye also shared a few of her favorite books, which were: Slaughter House 5, The Good Earth, and The Biography of Queen Elizabeth 1st.
Everyone can always find books that take them on an unforgettable journey. Even though it’s true that nobody likes to read books in class, there will always be a book out there that you just won’t ever be able to put down until it’s done.
