In the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the main character, Winston, lives in a totalitarian society where he silently rebels against the “Party Members”(the government). The novel takes place in the future and speculates what our society could become. Citizens in Oceania are constantly under surveillance and fear a fictional creation that the government threatens. Throughout the novel, Winston struggles in difficult situations and acts in different ways to overcome them.
Refugee by Alan Gratz is an exciting and emotional book that tells the stories of three young refugees from different times and places: Nazi Germany, 1990s Cuba and modern-day Syria. Josef, Isabel and Mahmoud as protagonists face tough challenges, like escaping danger and crossing dangerous waters to find safety and refuge. Gratz does a great job of mixing action with deep emotion, making the characters’ struggles feel real.
Mira is on her way home for the holidays, when her flight gets canceled due to a raging blizzard. Wanting to get home, she accepts an offer from an acquaintance, Harper, whom she met on the plane ride. In the car with Harper and Harper’s friends, Mira begins to feel like the other passengers are hiding secrets. Harper and Brecken seem to know each other. Brecken has an unsettling intensity and a tendency to break the law. Kayla is sleeping nearly the whole time, or is she? Then, there is Josh, the only passenger who is as paranoid as she is, but he’s ready to throw anyone under the bus.
Veronica Roth’s Divergent is a gripping dystopian novel set in a world where society is divided into factions based on virtues. Sixteen-year-old Tris Prior discovers she is “Divergent,” meaning she doesn’t fit neatly into one faction. As she navigates her new life in the Dauntless faction, she uncovers a dangerous conspiracy threatening the entire society. The book delivers fast-paced action and an intriguing world. I also enjoyed Tris’s personal growth and the romantic tension with Four that added emotional depth.
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone introduces readers to an enchanting world where Harry, a young boy who discovers he is a wizard, begins his magical education at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry befriends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley as he uncovers the mystery of the Sorcerer’s Stone and confronts the dark forces of Lord Voldemort.
The summer drags on as Harry Potter awaits his journey for his fifth year at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Unbeknownst to him, Harry would soon be a part of the most secretive group in the wizarding world - the Order of the Phoenix. Finally returning to Hogwarts, Harry finds that nothing is as he expected. The school is colder, more divided than ever before and tensions begin rising between students and professors. Meanwhile, the rest of the magical community swirls with doubt, skepticism and denial, as one of the darkest wizards quietly begins a second uprising…
Teenager Autumn navigates her way through high school beside loyal friends and a loving boyfriend. Throughout the book she reflects on her relationship with her former best friend and boy next door Phineas Smith, or Finny as she calls him. Finny and her were closer than siblings, but popularity and unspoken truths pushed them apart. Autumn's realization that she is in love with Finny causes problems as they rekindle their friendship. They are both in loving relationships, but that does not make their love nonexistent.
The realistic fiction novel, Troublemaker, by John Cho is a wonderful coming-of-age story about a young Korean American boy as he attempts to keep his father safe and fix their troubled relationship. In Los Angeles during the spring of 1992, people are rioting in Koreatown over several recent cases of gun violence. Amidst this, Jordan, our main character, has just been suspended from school for cheating.
Isaac and Marco have been friends since they were little, Isaac the champion basketballer and Marco the champion mathlete, the two complement each other. However, when they start middle school things begin to change. Marco’s father has always wished he was sportier, while Isaac is sure that getting better grades will make his mom proud and fix his parents’ divorce. When a misunderstanding pushes Marco to try out for the basketball team the two dedicate themselves to their goals, but will they be able to achieve them?
The Fort is a superb piece of literature that tells the tale of four boys (soon to be five) who, after Hurricane Leo, go to check on the condition of their makeshift hideout. However, one of the boys, Evan, is forced by his grandmother to bring along Ricky, the new kid, who no one is very happy to hang out with. Nonetheless, Ricky is the one who finds a new hideout in an abandoned bomb shelter and so they are forced to keep hanging out with him.
