April May
Mr. Ringel, Health Teacher
*Which book is your favorite and why? It's so tough to choose a favorite book because different books are my favorites for different reasons. The Road is a book that gripped me from page one and still to this day has not let go! The setting is so desolate and McCarthy does such an amazing job of placing you right in the middle of it. He uses no names for the characters which invited me to live as if it were me and my son trying to find our way in a post-apocalyptic world. It is an emotional unfolding of one of the most important relationships in life - father and son. Moving, brilliant stuff. *Which book affected you the most as a person? The Omnivore's Dilemma and Ishmael both have changed the way I think about the world. The Omnivore's Dilemma stirred a passion in me to research the modern day factory farming system, leading to complete changes in how I eat, what I eat, and what I believe in. Ishmael helped me to see that there are other sides to everything, even some of the most fundamental beliefs that many of us hold true. *Which book do you recommend to others and why? This depends on the person. I recommend that all coaches read as much of John Wooden's books as possible. It should be mandatory. I just recommended Ishmael to a friend who seems like he would enjoy it. The book I've probably recommended the most is Fight Club, mostly to people who love the movie but who have never read the book. As usual, the book far exceeds the film! Favorite Books The Road Ishmael By Cormac McCarthy By Daniel Quinn Fight Club The Jungle Book By Chuck Palahniuk By Rudyard Kipling The Omnivore’s Dilemma Fahrenheit 451 by Michael Pollan By Ray Bradbury Wooden: A Lifetime of It Observations and Reflections By Stephen King On and Off the Court By John Wooden The Hobbit Talent is Overrated By J.R.R. Tolkien By Geoff Colvin |
March January/February
Mrs. Mathieu-Leo, Library Media Specialist
*Which book is your favorite and why? It is so difficult to choose just one book as my favorite. Each of these books has affected me in a different way and has made a unique mark on my heart. If I were pressed to choose just one as a favorite, I would have to say The Kite Runner. Beautifully written, with rich descriptions and detailed characters, the story begged me to read more about a culture I had previously not known much about. Prior to reading this book, the history and the cultural landscape of Afghanistan was foreign to me. I had only known of the bleakness that I had seen on the news, and had known nothing of its rich history. Through the author’s words I was transported to another place, met people I wanted to know, and learned about things that made me only want to read and learn more. These are the hallmarks of a wonderful author and a classic piece of literature. I devoured it quickly and I still think of it often. *Which book affected you the most as a person? I read The Little Prince to my daughter and she loved it for the fanciful story of the little alien who had lost his way. I loved it for the allegory on human nature. The Little Prince spoke to me profoundly and changed the way I think about life. It challenged me to enjoy life, to notice the beauty in small things, to avoid being materialistic, to value others, and above all, it taught me to hold on to my imagination and not to look at things too closely – I might find a boa constrictor eating an elephant, and not a boring hat! *Which book do you recommend to others and why? Night is a must-read for everyone. In this crazy world we live in, Night reminds us what might happen if we sit back and ignore hate and the atrocities that affect others. Sadly this happens too often, and if we wish to prevent history from repeating itself, we need to always remember, and never forget. Favorite Books Great Expectations The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane By Charles Dickens By Kate DiCamillo Jane Eyre The Little Prince By Charlotte Brontë By Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Monster Bud, Not Buddy By Walter Dean Myers By Christopher Paul Curtis Love That Dog Hamlet By Sharon Creech By William Shakespeare The Kite Runner The Georgia Nicolson Series By Khaled Hosseini By Louise Rennison A Tree Grows in Brooklyn The Great Gatsby By Betty Smith By F. Scott Fitzgerald Night The Invention of Hugo Cabret By Elie Weisel By Brian Selznick Because of Winn Dixie By Kate DiCamillo |
Ms. Johnson, Principal
*Which book is your favorite and why? Song of Solomon is my forever favorite! I fell in love with it in 9th grade and almost every year since, I have reread it. The story evokes memories of the South and my summers with my grandmother and other family in Florida. Not only is the story magical…it is the writing. I am completely mesmerized by the author’s use of words. *Which book affected you the most as a person? That is such a difficult question. With every book you read, something in you should change, grow, or at the minimum, give you a different perspective. That is the beauty of reading. *Which book do you recommend to others and why? I recommend them all. But my greatest recommendation is that everyone makes time to read and ignite the passion that the journey through a book brings to its reader. Favorite Books Song of Solomon Breath, Eyes, Memory By Toni Morrison By Edwidge Danticat The Glass Castle The Lovely Bones By Jeanette Walls By Alice Seabold Things Fall Apart The Kite Runner By Chinua Achebe By Khaled Hosseini The Giver A Long Walk to Water By Lois Lowry By Linda Sue Park Wonder Follow the Rabbit Proof Fence R.J. Palacio By Doris Pilkington |