Regarded as one of Tolstoy's late masterpieces, The Death of Ivan Ilyich examines the fate of Ivan Ilyich, a man who lived by society's mandates, as he faces impending death. As he begins to question whether or not he deserves to die, whether or not he's lived a good life, and whether or not his life has been real, his inner dialogue and behavior towards those around him elucidate some of philosophy's biggest arguments surrounding death.

 

Admittedly, the pace of the book is a bit slow, the buildup to death even dragging at times, but Tolstoy does this so the reader can fully grasp the before-and-after of Ilyich's transformation. Additionally, the prose is clear, which helps move the book along. Read this book to enhance your understanding of the philosophy of death.

 

The hate u give
by Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is about Starr Carter, a black teenage girl, and her point of view of the injustices of police brutality and the abundance of gangs in her neighborhood. When she was younger her friend was murdered in a drive-by shooting as she watched, so she grew up knowing about the violence happening around her. One night as she is driving home with her friend Khalil, they are pulled over by a cop car and the officer, unprovoked, shoots Khalil. This is the story of her finding her voice, and speaking up when the officer goes on trial. She also has to learn how to balance her life at her predominantly white school with her life in her neighborhood.

 

The plot shows her growth and she is a much stronger person at the end of the book. Readers should read this book because it is a powerful representation of real life events happening right now in our country. It gives an important perspective and I believe it should be required reading for teens. 

Hooper
by Geoff Herbach

Adam Reed moved from Poland not that long ago. He was adopted by a single woman and she moved him to the US. He has been a basketball stud ever since. He has been the best on all of his school basketball teams for a while. This year has been different though. He was dropping 20 points in every game he played. He got recruited by an AAU a 16-year-old team. To prepare he would watch Hakeem The Dream on YouTube. He would copy his moves and did one at the try-out. The coach was amazed and brought him up to the 17-year-old team.

 

I liked this book a lot because it was about basketball and that is my favorite sport. Not only that but it was an incredibly good story. It was a come back story about my favorite sport. I also picked up a few moves. 

Hullmetal girls
by Emily Skrutskie

Aisha’s little brother is dying of the plague, and there’s only one way for her to get the money to help him—become a Scela, a member of an elite cyborg force dedicated to protecting the Fleet. Meanwhile, Key wakes transformed into a Scela, but she cannot remember why she decided to become one. In order for Aisha to save her brother and Key to discover the truth, they must first succeed in training. But tensions are rising in the Fleet, with rebellion drawing nearer every day. In these dangerous times, both girls must decide where their loyalties lie.

 

I found the way that both sides were portrayed in this book interesting, especially how their similarities were shown. It really drove home the point that the line between good and evil is often incredibly blurred. Additionally, the societies in Hull Metal Girls were really interesting. There were both completely new ideas and residual elements from before they left Earth. All in all, I found this book enjoyable, with good world-building and fascinating sci-fi ideas. 

Midnight sun
by Stephenie Meyer

Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer is the newest book in the Twilight series, and it follows the same story as the original Twilight book, but from Edward’s point of view. Edward is a 17 year old vampire and mind reader, who also goes to high school trying to fit in and not let anyone know his secret. One day when Bella Swan shows up at school, the whole school is captivated by Bella, as they don’t get new students very often. Edward is not sure why everyone thinks Bella is so special, but when Bella walks into his biology class he is overwhelmed by the smell of her blood it takes all the control he has to stay in his seat and not attack her in front of the whole class. He becomes fascinated by Bella and tries his best to stay away from her to protect her, but he is drawn in a way he has never experienced before, and he is not sure he will be able to stay away for long. The rest of the novel follows the growing relationship between Edward and Bella, and the complications of a vampire being with a human.

 

Midnight Sun is a must read for any fans of the Twilight series. It is very interesting to read the same story again from a different perspective, and know what Edward was thinking and how he feels about Bella.  

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
by Kate DiCamillo

The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane tells about a china rabbit named Edward Tulane and his journey. His owner, Abilene Tulane is a wealthy young girl who lives a nice life with her parents, with pretty much every toy in the world, however, she loved Edward the most. Edward has become confident in himself and loves everything about him. He takes pride in himself and his looks. One day, Abilene's parents decide to take a trip, requiring them to take a boat. On this boat, Edward falls off and sinks into the water. The rest of the novel tells about his journey around the world with different people. Throughout this journey, Edward begins to grow as a person, where he realizes how lucky he was to have Abilene, and he realizes that he is not as special as he thinks that he is. Edward takes this journey to find many different people, but also to find his self worth and who he is. Edward becomes a bigger person and thinks more about the world than himself.

 

The Miraculous Journey Of Edward Tulane is not too difficult to read and understand, so an elementary school or middle school student should be able to understand it. Readers should read this book if they enjoy books that are more about the journey than the actual destination, or if they enjoy reading books that are about self-worth and finding who they are. 

Planet Earth is blue
by Nicole Panteleakos

Planet Earth Is Blue is about sisters who are torn apart due to the foster care system. Nova is autistic and can't speak. Bridget is her older sister who takes care of her. Bridget is the only one who believes in Nova and thinks that she's smart. Nova and Bridget love space and dream of being astronauts. With Bridget gone, Nova has to learn how to live without Bridget. Nova is in a new home without Bridget and goes to school without Bridget. She struggles to fit in and for a majority, people seem to like her. Nova can't fit in not because she lacks social skills, but because she doesn't want to. Nova is waiting for Bridget as the countdown for the Challenger Launch gets closer and closer. Nova waits for Bridget and the story tells about how Nova adapts to this new environment.

 

Overall, I love this book. It's heartwarming and shows that although you may not always get along with your sibling, without parents you guys are the only family you have. The writing was beautifully done, and you could feel as if you were there with Nova through everything. I would recommend this book to anybody who needs their heart to be warmed, or if they enjoy books about family and the importance of it. 

Summerlost
by Allyson Braithwaite Condie

The book Summerlost is about Cedar and her family and how they cope with the deaths of 2 of their family members. In this book, Cedar's father and brother, Ben, have passed. In an attempt to grieve, what is left of this family moves to Iron Creek for the summer. There, Cedar meets Leo while he was in a costume riding on a bike. Cedar then gets a job working concession stands at the festival and though there is a new sense of normalcy arising, there is something mysterious about the town. The main characters of this book were Cedar and Leo. They wanted to work together in an attempt to figure out the mystery in Iron Creek.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought that there was a good plot and that the ideas were thought out. However, when it came to writing the novel I felt as if there were details missing and what was happening was not always evident. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book as a majority and thought that the characters were realistic. Readers should check out this book if they like a mystery about digging deeper or if they like mysteries that involve partners in crime. 

The wonderful Wizard of Oz
by Frank L. Baum

In the classic novel of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Frank Baum expresses timeless lessons through his unique characters and plot. He bases his story off of Dorothy, a bright young girl who lives with her aunt and uncle in Kansas. Her life is turned around one day as a cyclone sweeps her and her little black dog Toto into the air and brings her to the strange but beautiful land of Oz. Her newfound beloved friends – the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion – accompany her on her quest to find Oz, who will hopefully fulfill her wish of bringing her back to Kansas. Along the way, she shares adventures of the people, conflicts, and trials she has to encounter that test her limits and moral capacity. As she travels down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, she and the reader learn about the fight between good and evil, the importance of doing something bigger than one’s self, the power of friendship, perseverance, and self-confidence, and the value of wisdom, love, and bravery.

 

In Baum’s classic yet modern fairytale, readers experience the simplicity of an exciting and heartwarming journey into and back out of fantasy.