books

As the school year slows to an end students are excited to have so much free time. Most of which will be spent catching up on the sleep they lost through out the nine months school was going on. But high school students will also be catching some sun, hanging out with friends and reading. Many students returning next year will be reading books for their AP classes, but some will be reading for pure enjoyment. I spoke to Cory Patel, an Eastview junior, and he filled me in on the books he enjoys. "I would recommend The Catcher in the Rye" Cory says. He also likes The Kite Runner and Soldier X. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, is about a mans life and all of his experiences. The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, which has been turned into a movie, has many awards. The movie was nominated for “best young actor” and “best art direction in a contemporary film” plus much more. It also won the academy award for best picture. The book has also been listed as a best seller. The Kite Runner is a story about a boy growing up in the Afghanistan war zone. He and his best friend grow up motherless, but both have incredibly different futures ahead of them based on their father’s occupations. So as they grow up they grow apart and The Kite Runner shares the story of redemption. Another huge hit turned film was twilight. The twilight series swept not just the nations, but the worlds, teenage girls. Twilight by Stephanie Meyer is about a vampire who falls in love with an average girl. The movie came out in November 2008; the sequel will be out in November 2009. Soldier X, by Don Wulffson, is about a sixteen year old who is drafted into Hitler’s army. It shows you the realities of war, and makes you think differently of it. I also spoke to the librarian about books coming out this summer. “Waiting for you by Susane Colasanti will be a big hit" Ms. Koziy says. Waiting for you is about a young teenage girl who is tired of waiting for the perfect boyfriend, but is taught to live “in the now.” Ms. Koziy says “I read at least an hour a day.” But of course even more on the weekends when she has more free time. When I asked Cory the same question, he said “I read about 4 hours a week, maybe less.” I also looked into Eastview High Schools book club. EVHS has multiple ones, like “Real men read” and “the Eastview book club.” Real men read started out as a male only group, to promote more boys to get reading. It eventually turned into a mixed male and female group. The original “Eastview book club” is for anyone at EVHS who enjoys reading. Anyone can join either group, it just depends what type of experience your are looking for. “Real men read” does more activities besides just reading, for instance they had a pizza party early this year. Many students will be reading for AP classes. That may not be considered an enjoyment but many of the books chosen for class are bestsellers. Though many students will be relaxing and taking a break from home work, the books will be waiting for them when their ready to dig in and enjoy some good stories.