Book recommendation - Wonder by R.J. Palacio

What is your first name? Bhumika

What class are you in? D2

What is the title of the book? Wonder

Who is the author? R.J. Palacio

What is this book about? This book is about a young boy who has a condition in which he was born with facial defects, and although he has gone through many surgeries, his face is still very unlike that of a normal person. He used to be home-schooled by his mum but she cannot continue to home-school him and so he has to start going to normal school.

Has this book influenced you in anyway? This book has influenced me to always think twice before saying anything because words can have a big impact on other people and it has also taught me to be more open-minded towards other people because you can never know what they're really going through. I also think this book really made me appreciate what I have and let me see that not everyone in the world is as privileged as we are.

Who would you recommend this book to? I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone! Although the cover and blurb may look and sound childish, the book is very fit for any age group and I really enjoyed reading it!

Why should they read this book? It was a very relatable book, in the sense that everyone at some point finds it hard to fit in in school and I thought it was very well written.

How did you learn about this book? I was looking through the library one day and picked up a few random books and decided to read this one because I thought it was something different than what I usually read.

Any other comments or interesting facts about the book? The book is not only narrated by the young boy himself, but also by people around him, like his friends and his sister, and this really lets you have a full view of what was going on rather than getting one sided views from the young boy himself. However, be warned, this book is a rollercoaster of emotions and you will find yourself in tears, more than once!

Available for borrowing from our library.

Book recommendation - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

What is your first name? Harish

What class are you in? D1

What is the title of the book? Catch-22

Who is the author? Joseph Heller

What is this book about? The book describes the life of soldiers in the Second World War fighting in Italy, focusing on the character of Yossarian, who, surrounded by a variety of unorthodox and often uncaring or ignorant people, attempts to escape the army and keep his sanity.

Has this book influenced you in anyway? Most definitely; the paradoxical logic of the titular "catch-22" meaning that no-one can leave the army, much less Yossarian has really changed my views on logic. The book's commentary as a satirical look at war and the effect it has altered how I view wars, and the various soldiers has made me appreciate how each is completely insane and what war can do.

Who would you recommend this book to? Anyone and everyone who can appreciate a satirical and humorous - yet dark - novel. Perhaps more mature people who can appreciate the backwards and slightly twisted manner of the book.

Why should they read this book? Because it's amazing in every sense of the word.

How did you learn about this book? Through word of mouth / looking at what books to read online.

Any other comments or interesting facts about the book? The book's catch-22 logic was so influential that the term has become synonymous with an inescapable or paradoxical situation - an example of how powerful the book is!

Book recommendation - The book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill

What is your first name? Urvi

What class are you in? D1

What is the title of the book? The book of Negroes

Who is the author? Lawrence Hill

What is this book about? The book is about a young girl, Aminata Diallo who is kidnapped at the age of eleven from her village Bayo, in west Africa and is sold into the slave market. She has a horrific journey of several months at sea. She marries a young boy of her age but is then separated by her owner. The book talks about her struggles as a slave and how she later learns to read and write from a fellow slave. Aminata somehow manages to escape from her owner during the American Revolutionary War and goes back to her village. She eventually leaves the village and goes to Birchtown England and works for a black community.

Has this book influenced you in anyway? The book gave me a perspective of the difficulties, hardship and inhumanity black people faced in the 17th century.
Aminata’s determination to move forward and, learning about how she faced life with her head held high, helps me put trivial matters and arguments into perspective.

Who would you recommend this book to? To people who are more into historical nonfiction and above the age of fifteen.

Why should they read this book? Our generation is quite lucky. We have such luxuries in our life and have not been exposed to slavery nor the slave market and the cruel acts that they faced. This book really opens one’s eyes to all the hardship faced by black people and has been well written.

How did you learn about this book? My Mom

Any other comments or interesting facts about the book? The book is based on historical documents of some names kept by the British naval officers. It documents 3000 blacks who served in that war. It is also published with a different title - Someone knows my name.

Book recommendation - Unravel me by Tahereh Mafi

What is your first name? Adrienne

What class are you in? M2

What is the title of the book? Unravel me (2nd book in the Shatter Me series)

Who is the author? Tahereh Mafi

What is this book about? It is about a girl named Juliette who has a special power- she can kill/seriously hurt anyone she touches.  She has finally learned to control it and is happy; she has a boyfriend, Adam, and everything seems to be fine. That's when the boy who kidnapped her in the 1st book, (Destroy me) reappears. His name is Warner and when he kidnapped Juliette, he managed to fall in love with her. (It’s a sort of love triangle.) She starts to discover there is more to her power than she had realized. She finds out even more about Warner's mysterious past, and discovers a connection between him and Adam that Warner will never know...

Has this book influenced you in anyway? Yes. It has inspired me to never let myself be controlled by others and to speak my mind.

Who would you recommend this book to? Anyone who loves mystery, adventure, and fantasy. (Some romance, too.)

Why should they read this book? It is an AMAZING book. It’s one of those that you never want to put it down after you start.

How did you learn about this book? I saw it in a bookstore and thought it looked interesting.

Book recommendation - The circle by Dave Eggers

What is your first name? Anna

What class are you in? D1

What is the title of the book? The Circle

Who is the author? Dave Eggers

What is this book about? When Mae Holland gets a job at the most influential internet company in the world - The Circle - she cannot believe her luck. It seems almost too perfect to be true; the modernity and activities it offers, going from concerts over parties and the beautiful California campus, seem out of this world. Everything is shared amongst the circle community; pictures, video clips and stories. There is no moment in which you are alone, you are constantly in touch with everyone around you. You can see everyone and everyone can see you. Soon Mae comes to discover the dark sides of the company - maybe the intentions of the organisation to remake the world in its image aren't that good after all...

Has this book influenced you in anyway? The Circle showed me where Social Networking and constant communication can lead us and drew my attention to the influence technology has and will have on our lives - both good and bad.

Who would you recommend this book to? Anyone who is into Social Media, technology and futuristic scenarios will love this book!

Why should they read this book? Social Networking and the time we spend on the internet affects everyone of us. Especially our generation, who have grown up with Smartphones, Tablets etc. and are used to limitless access to the internet. This book calls attention to what extend time spent online is healthy and points out genius ways it can be used to make our lives easier.

How did you learn about this book? I was given the book by a friend.

We have two other books by Dave Eggers available for borrowing in our library. 

Book recommendation - The perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

What is your first name? Akanksha

What class are you in? M3

What is the title of the book? The perks of being a wallflower

Who is the author? Stephen Chbosky

What is this book about? This book is a novel about an introverted boy Charlie who was very happy until his favorite person -his aunt- died in a car crash when he was 8.
After a few years his best friend committed suicide and this adds up to his depression. This traumatizes him. He makes two new friends and he learns how beautiful life can be if we choose to make it, but one day he starts getting flashbacks about his aunt once again and is taken to the hospital. He is then released after two months when Sam and Patrick come to visit him, then he realizes that even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where to go from there.

Has this book influenced you in anyway? This book inspired me in many great ways, it taught me to be myself and be confident of who I am.

Who would you recommend this book to? I would recommend this book to anybody who would enjoy a great book.

Why should they read this book? This is a lovely book which will inspire them to be proud of who they are.

How did you learn about this book? I'd watched a movie that was based on this book and decided to read it.

Available for borrowing in our library. 

Book recommendation - Percy Jackson (the series) by Rick Riordan

What is your first name? Amrita

What class are you in? M3

What is the title of the book? Percy Jackson (the series)

Who is the author? Rick Riordan

What is this book about? It’s mostly about Greek gods who exist on the earth but not as gods. As Percy, the son of one of the 'Big Three' Gods, ages, he comes across various battles, friends, enemies, monsters and gods. Can Percy live through all this or will he perish?? Read the amazing series to find out!!

Has this book influenced you in anyway? This book has taught me a lot about Greek gods and has also shown me a different perspective on how people think.

Who would you recommend this book to? I would recommend this book to everybody especially people who love reading about myths and gods.

Why should they read this book? This is a very knowledgable book as it is entertaining. It also has a very sarcastic kind of humour. This book is very interesting and once you read it I bet you won’t stop until you’re done with the entire series!!

How did you learn about this book? My friends were big fans of this book and they literally forced me to read it (and I'm so grateful they did that!!).

Available for borrowing from our library.

Book recommendation - Maximum ride (series) by James Patterson

What is your first name? Mikaela Lee

What class are you in? D2

What is the title of the book? Maximum Ride Series

Who is the author? James Patterson

What is this book about? It's a fictional book about how a group of kids who are science experiments running away from a bad guy.

Has this book influenced you in anyway? It has influenced me much because I can’t relate, but I couldn’t put the book down.

Who would you recommend this book to? Everyone, all ages

Why should they read this book? It gets you so involved and is the easiest way to learn a language and escape time.

How did you learn about this book? It was the top best seller in New York over 5-6 years ago.

Available for borrowing in our library.

Book recommendation - The fault in our stars by John Green

What is your first name? Amrita

What class are you in? M3

What is the title of the book? The Fault in our Stars

Who is the author? John Green

What is this book about? This book is about the lovely relationship between two cancer patients. Augustus Waters does all he can to spend the most time with the love of his life, Hazel Grace Lancaster. Sadly, this relationship of theirs does not last very long. This is a very emotional, romantic and inspirational book as it shows us how you can live a happy life because of love even when you suffer from a deadly illness.  

Has this book influenced you in anyway? This book has shown me a completely different perspective of cancer and how painful it is. Though love comes to the rescue and lets both Hazel and Augustus live a worthwhile life, this book will make you cry and want to read it over and over again until you're satisfied with what happens in the end.

Who would you recommend this book to? I would probably recommend this book to fans of John Green, and also to people who love reading romantic novels and emotional novels. This book is also very inspirational and is fit for people who want that push to gain more confidence.

Why should they read this book? This book gives us an insight on the lives of cancer patients. It would also probably inspire and motivate people to care more about cancer patients and probably even lead them to find a cure for this reputed illness.

How did you learn about this book? I found this book at a book fair in my previous school and my friends told me that it was an amazing book so I bought bought the book and loved it!!

Any other comments or interesting facts about the book? This book is not exactly a cancer book but it does tell us quite a lot about it.  Also if any of you have seen the movie and haven't read the book then I would say that the movie is very different from the book and the book is way better than the movie. I would also recommend other books written by John Green because they're just as good too.

Available for borrowing in our library.

Book recommendation - The Giver by Lois Lowry

What is your first name? Greta

What class are you in? M4

What is the title of the book? The Giver

Who is the author? Lois Lowry

What is this book about? "Jonas lives in a seemingly idyllic world of conformity and contentment. When he begins to spend time with The Giver, an old man who is the sole keeper of the community's memories, Jonas discovers the dangerous truths of his community's secret past. Armed with the power of knowledge, Jonas realizes that he must escape from their world to protect himself and those he loves -- a challenge no one has ever completed successfully." - The Giver Plot Synopsis

Has this book influenced you in anyway? Yes, it did, this book influenced me in many ways which helped me to see with a different perspective. This book made me think about how things are not always what they seem, and that there is more to something than what is just on the outside.

Who would you recommend this book to? I would recommend this book to students in M1 to M3 because I think that the characters and age group in the book relate more to those specific grades.

Why should they read this book? The Giver is a good read as it opens up the minds of students and makes them think about the concept and meaning of the book and how that relates to modern life.

How did you learn about this book? I read this book a few years ago.

Available for borrowing in our library. 

Book recommendation - Hate by Alan Gibbons

What is your first name? Sohana

What class are you in? M2

What is the title of the book? Hate

Who is the author? Alan Gibbons

What is this book about? A girl was murdered one night because of the way she dressed. There was one witness watching what happened that night and he didn't do anything. A few months later, this witness stumbles upon the victim's sister at school.

Has this book influenced you in anyway? Hate is everywhere, and we can stop it. We have a choice.

Who would you recommend this book to? If you're fine with reading about strong social issues in the world today this book would be fine for you. Grade wise, I probably would recommend it for older M1 students and up.

Why should they read this book? If you're interested in the deep and strong social issues that are happening today, it’s a good book to read for this type of topic.

How did you learn about this book? Ms. Anton recommend it to me. 

Available for borrowing in our library.

Book recommendation - Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

What is your first name? Vikram

What class are you in? D1

What is the title of the book? Jurassic Park

Who is the author? Michael Crichton

What is this book about? This book is based on the premise of scientists discovering a way to extract dinosaur DNA from prehistoric mosquitoes trapped in amber. Through this extraction, they were able to produce real-life dinosaurs and allow them to habit the attraction theme park named "Jurassic Park". However, there is a series of happenings that cause the park to go into chaos and shut down. This book dives deep into the world of bioengineering and looks at the problems associated with the tampering of nature.

Has this book influenced you in anyway? I'm not a fan of reading books, but this new idea of cloning dinosaurs irked me and I decided to read this book. It turned out to be very interesting.

Who would you recommend this book to? I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the science fiction genre, and anyone who has watched any Jurassic Park movie.

Why should they read this book? It allows the reader to look at the mysterious world of cloning, bioengineering while also conveying messages about greed and power.

How did you learn about this book? Through the wildly popular movies which continue to come out, with the latest being Jurassic World. 

Available for borrowing in the library. 

Book recommendation - Warriors by Erin Hunter

 

What is your first name? Isha

What class are you in? M2

What is the title of the book? Moonrise (Book 2 from the Warriors: The New Prophecy series.)

Who is the author? Erin Hunter

What is this book about? I don't want to spoil the book for anyone who wants to read it, but the book is about a bunch of cats who go on a journey to save their clans, and run into another tribe of cats, when one cat is picked out as special and had to face a another cat for the tribe to let him go as prisoner.

Has this book influenced you in anyway? Yes, it’s about cats and whenever a look at a cat, I don't look at it in the same way I used too.

Who would you recommend this book to? I would recommend this book to people who love action and cats or just want a new exciting book to read.

Why should they read this book? The book is interesting and full of action and suspense and it’s one of the best books I have ever read.

How did you learn about this book? I played a game that was a bit influenced by the book, and I saw the book in a old library sale and I just had to get it.

Any other comments or interesting facts about the book? It’s a series, and I think a new book might be coming soon.

Available for borrowing in the library. 

Book recommendation - A fish in a tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

 

What is your first name? Amanda

What class are you in? P8 Teacher

What is the title of the book? Fish in a Tree

Who is the author? Lynda Mullaly Hunt

What is this book about? A twelve year old girl is struggling to fit in at school. She has dyslexia but hasn't received a diagnosis yet. Some interesting friends, and a helpful teacher help her to find her place in the school. Don't just a fish by it's ability to climb a tree!

Has this book influenced you in anyway? It made me consider a different perspective to school life.

Who would you recommend this book to? Anyone who is finding their way in a school.

Why should they read this book? It's a great way to connect with other peoples perspectives of classroom dynamics. A reminder that a bit of compassion can go a long way in creating a respectful community at school and beyond.

How did you learn about this book? Recommended on a friend's blog.

Book recommendation - Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

What is your first name? Anvit

What class are you in? D1

What is the title of the book? Catch-22

Who is the author? Joseph Heller

What is this book about? It follows the story of a group of soldiers fighting in WW2, where they are harassed by acerbic Generals and stuck in a paradox of missions they have to complete which is seemingly never ending. The very sardonic nature of it with added satire really makes for an interesting read.

Has this book influenced you in anyway? It helps you understand the war attitudes and how war life was back then. It gives you an evocative experience because you find yourself crying and laughing with them.

Who would you recommend this book to? Anyone who loves satire and likes historical fiction. Historical fiction at its very best.

Why should they read this book? It's full of personal anecdotes which make you delve deep into each character and really understand different types of people. It gives you a feel of another epoch of life.
How did you learn about this book? Through the internet. It's one of the best novels.

Available for borrowing from our library.