El Deafo by Cece Bell

I read this book last night in one sitting. I loved it!

El Deafo is the graphic memoir of Cece Bell who became deaf after getting sick when she was 4 years old. She recounts with humor and honesty what it's like to grow up with hearing loss. She writes about fitting in with friends, being ashamed of her deafness, struggling in school, and about learning to speak up for herself. Bell ultimately learns that her deafness is a part of her and she learns to embrace what it is that makes her different.

This is a great read for hearing people! I have not had much experience is deaf people in my life and I feel that this books has given me some insight about what it's like to be deaf. And I feel that the book has helped me be more compassionate about the needs and experiences of others.

If you liked Wonder by R.J. Palacio or Smile by Raina Telgemeier, you will love this graphic novel!

Ms. Donaldson

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna & the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins, is about a girl  who falls in love with her best friend. Her father sends her to boarding school in Paris leaving her best friend, her great job and her major crush. She meets this perfect guy in boarding school called Etienne St. Claire and they become best friends. She eventually has feelings for him but he’s taken. After a whole year Etienne breaks up with his girlfriend because he knew that he loved Anna. In the end they’re together and Anna discovers that “home” isn’t a place but a person, and she finally found her home.

This author has captured my attention by using a lot of adjectives and similes. An example of one of the adjectives would be: the patisserie has thick planks of creaky hardwood and a chandelier draped  with tinkly strings of topaz crystals. A simile would be: they glow like drops of honey. Using this type of writing really grabbed my attention because then i could visualize what was happening easier.

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson

Witch and Wizard is a fiction, fantasy, children's literature, mystery novel by James Patterson, and is the first book in the series. The book is about brother and sister, Whit and Wisty Allgood who are kidnapped in the middle of the night and are accused of being witch and wizard, and are due for execution, both syblings must work together to escape and get safely home. Overall this was an okay book to read but I didn’t find it that interesting. I woundn’t read this boom again but if you are very big fan of magic, I would recommend this you read this book to see if you enjoy it.

Sameer Khan

City in the Desert: The Monster Problem by Moro Rogers

City in the Desert: The Monster Problem is a fantasy, adventure, children’s literature, graphic novel by Moro Rogers, it is also the first book in the series. The book follows the story of Monster hunter Irro and his assistant Hari. They were making a good living in the land of Kevala, but when a religious group called “The Way of Secret Peace” comes to Kevala to solve the monster problem, the close the city’s spirit fountain, Irro and Hari become unemployed and are jobless. But at the same time there is a growing danger, and Irro and Hari are determined to get to the bottom of it. I really enjoyed reading this graphic novel because eof its unique plot, and I also loved how the illustrations in the book. I would definitely recommend both middle and high school students to read this book.

Sameer Khan

Stormbreaker : the graphic novel by Anthony Horowitz

Just like the actual novel Alex Rider Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel is an amazing adventure, action, fiction novel just with more pictures. The artists of the book do a terrific job at creating the world which Anthony Horowitz wrote for the audience to get a different perspective, and re-enact the action scenes in the book. If you were a fan of the Alex rider series, then I would definitely suggest this short but great graphic novel to you.

Sameer Khan

Silverwing by Kenneth Oppel

Silverwing is a speculative fantasy novel by Kenneth Oppel and is the first book is the silverwing series. The story is about a young silverwing bat named shade whose father disappeared when he was young and is bullied by the other bats for being the runt of the litter. When shade defies the ancient rule where the bats are not allowed to look at the sun, the Owls who are the rivals of the bats demand shade to be handed over, when the colony refuses, the owls burn down their roosting tree, as a result the colony of bats must migrate to their winter roosting home known as the hibernaculum. The bats must endure a long and perilous journey through sprawling cities and wild forests, especially Shade. I really enjoyed reading this series because of its animal characters which gave me a different character perspective than most normal novels, it was great read. I would recommend this book to both middle and high school students.

Sameer Khan

Airman by Eoin Colfer

Airman is a science fiction, adventure novel written by Eoin Colfer. The story takes place during the 1890s and is about a boy named Conor who lives with his family on the Saltee islands off the coast of Ireland. There he studies the about flight with his tutor and spends time with the Princess Isabella, the kings daughter. One day Conor finds out about a plot against the King, and when he tries to warn about it, he is accused for treachery and is sent to the prison island of little Saltee. There he has to battle for his life as he is forced to mine in terrible conditions. The only thing that can save Conor is his knowledge of flight. For months he draws plans for a contraption that will get him out of the Island. I loved this book because of its adventure and science fiction genre, and how the main character uses his knowledge and ingenuity to plan an escape from prison. I would recommend this book to both high and middle school students who are interested in Sci-Fi and adventure novels.

Sameer Khan

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a comedy, fiction graphic book written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney. The book follows the life of Greg Heffley , a typical ordinary middle school student who writes about different events in his life in a Journal like style of writing. I found this book fun to read not for its cheesy jokes or hilarious stories, but for its utter absurdity which kept me reading even when I wanted to stop. I wouldn’t recommend this book to high school students, but middle school students might like to read it.

Sameer Khan

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet is a tragic comedy play by William Shakespeare and is his most famous. It plot takes place in the city of Verona in Italy where two families, the Montague’s and Capulet’s live and have been feuding for a very long time. But between these two rival families is Romeo who is a Montague and Juliet who is Capulet. Both Romeo and Juliet are in love with one another, but the tension between their two families is what is keeping them from expressing their love in public. The play was very interesting to read with many different characters, funny scenes, and a terrific end in my opinion. I would definitely recommend high school students to read this book if they aren’t already in English class.

Sameer Khan

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo

Shadow is a war novel by Michael Morpurgo. The book takes place in Afghanistan during the US invasion and is about a young boy named Aman who fled with his mother to a cave during the invasion. During this time a Springer Spaniel dog comes to them, Aman adopts the dog and names it shadow. The story follows the inseparable relationship between Aman and Shadow, in the time of war and difficulty. This was a very emotional story because of the relationship Aman had with the dog and how they struggled to cope with the difficult times of war, and their journey towards freedom. I would recommend his book to high school students who are interested in dramatic war stories.

Sameer Khan

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

The Time Machine is a classic time traveling adventure, and even one of the first of its kind. In fact, Wells even coined the term time machine. It is about this guy that creates a vehicle that can take him back to a specific point in time. He accidentally goes to the very distant point in time, year 802701. He later meets the very gentle and not violent Eloi. However, he does not live in peace with the Eloi for very long because there are these freaky ape things called Morlocks that are not gentle and are violent. Morlocks are not good business, I’m sure. It is a really short, and fun book. It is recommend for middle-school, or any science fiction nut.

Luqman Sattar

War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells

War of the Worlds is another classic novel of H.G. Wells. The book was widely popular, and has gotten a movie, and a few graphic novel versions (we have one in the library… if you check the comic out instead I won’t blame you. I promise). It is about a bunch of aliens invading earth in these tripod thingies. And it all starts on the planet Mars, when astronomers see a bunch of explosions on the surface of the red planet. Then they see a bunch of Martians popping out on Earth and killing a bunch of people. Of course there is a war because then the name of the novel would be different. Anyways, the humans lose and begin foraging through houses and living under ground. The book is very interesting and really cool. I recommend this book to middle school, high school, and science fiction lovers.

Luqman Sattar

The Merchant of Venice by Gareth Hinds

If you are in grade 10 and don’t want to read page after page of boringness in The Merchant of Venice, I recommend that you check out the graphic novel version. It keeps that same ugly Shakespearian English script found in the original play, so how different can the thing be? Merchant of Venice is pretty much about this guy named Antonio who makes a deal with this guy that say, “If you can’t pay me back I will have a pound of your flesh… you know… for the lolz.” And of course, Antonio can’t pay him back. This happens because Antonio’s friend likes some girl and he has to pay her money to ask her to marry him, and of course, he has no money because he is dead broke. It is a very interesting concept, and I love the medium that is used. It will be a useful tool to anyone learning the text.

Luqman Sattar

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby is a classic novel that takes place in the 1920’s, and follows the life of Jay Gatsby from the mind of Nick Carraway. Nick Carraway is the cousin of Gatsby’s love interest. After Nick meets Gatsby, he finds out that Gatsby wants to get back together with Daisy (his love interest). This story is a classic about the life in the roaring 20’s. It is a good book and a classic. Do you know what place good and classic books have in our school? They are a part of our course. The Great Gatsby will be read by high-school students (some of them) as a part of their Grade 10 English course. It is a recommended read especially if you want a good grade.

Luqman Sattar

The Client by John Grisham

John Grisham is an author that writes law or business related fiction books. The Client is about an eleven year old boy and his brother that witness a suicide. Before the suicide the guy that wants to kill himself tell Mark (the eleven year old) why he wants to kill himself. The police later ask him questions and things begin to get complicated. This book is interesting and really hard to put down because of the events that occur in it. I recommend that high schoolers read this book during their free time. I also recommend reading Grisham novels if you are interested in law.

Luqman Sattar

The Stranger by Albert Camus

This book is very important to people going into HL English next year because it is part of the IB curriculum. The story is about a guy named Mersault and his life after his mom died. He makes a friend, and while he is walking on the beach with him he killed someone, and later went to prison. This book is very interesting, and is a key book in HL English. This book was originally written in French (things get lost in translation). If you speak French, I recommend that you read it in French. And if you read the book, make sure you read the book found in school because the online version and the one we have in school is different. Reading it would be a good idea. Trust me.

Luqman Sattar

The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick

Homer manages to escape from his evil foster father to go search for his older brother, Harold, who has been enlisted to fight in the civil war. He journey’s across the United States (well, some of it) to find his brother. Along the way he meets new people, and goes on the adventure of a lifetime. The book is a historical fiction book about one of the bloodiest times in American History. It is very interesting and also very funny because it is aimed for middle schoolers. I really recommend people to read it.

Luqman Sattar

Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen

Do you know who Charley Goddard is? He was a soldier that fought in the Civil War. Gary Paulsen writes about the civil war through the eyes of Charley Goddard in this short novel or novella. It is a very short read, and is no more than 200 pages. It is very short, and incredibly fast paced. Paulsen does a great job at showing the change that Goddard goes through during his experience while fighting in the civil war. The book is recommended to middle school because it is short, fast-paced, and easy to read. To be more specific, I recommend it to 8th grade. It is a definite must read.

Luqman Sattar

Holes by Louis Sachar

This was one of my favorite books in middle school. After Stanley Yelnats is accused of stealing a pair of shoes and is sent to Camp Green Lake. Camp Green Lake is pretty much a correction facility for juvenile delinquents located at a dried up lake. As punishment for his “crime,” he is forced to dig holes. But something weird is going on. Nobody just digs holes as punishment. Something is up, and Stanley needs to find out why. The story is very cool, and takes place in different times. It was my favorite book in middle school, and if you have not read it I recommend that you do so.

Luqman Sattar

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Chains is about an African slave girl during the revolutionary war that was supposed to be freed, but instead got sold to a really mean family. The girl’s name is Isabel, and she and her sister are alone. Along the way Isabel learns more about the family she is working for, and decides to help people that promise to get her freed. This is a historical fiction book that is exciting and really hard to stop reading once you start. I recommend this to the 8th grade mainly because I read it in Humanities in 8th grade. The book is really worth reading. I promise.

Luqman Sattar

Guardians of the Galaxy: Realm of Kings by Dan Abnett

Guardians of the Galaxy: Realm of Kings is an action, adventure, science fiction graphic novel by Marvel. The book is about the gang of heroes, Star-Lord, Moondragon, Jack Flag, Bug, Groot, Draz and the Rocket Racoon who are recovering from the after math of the War of Kings and are restarting their mission to protect the cosmos. The book was very interesting to read and unlike any other marvel book I’ve read but still has the excessive action and fighting as ever. I would recommend this novel to middle school students.

Sameer Khan

The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

The Merchant of Venice is a comedy play by William Shakespeare. The play features multiple different story lines and how they are connected together. The Play is mainly about a Christian merchant named Antonio who has a friend named Bassanio who wants to head to Belmont to earn the favour of the wealthy heiress Portia and marry her. Bassanio asks Antonio for money for the trip but Antonio says he does not have right now but will get a loan from someone else. Antonio contacts the Jewish merchant named shylock who hates Christians and asks him for a loan, shylock agrees but says if it is not paid back then Antonio must pay in his own flesh. Overall the plot of the play was very interesting to read and funny because of how the characters interacted with each other and one problem led to another. I would definitely recommend you to read this play in both the new and old English language.

Sameer Khan

Brotherband: The Outcasts by John Flanagan

Brotherband: The Outcasts is a fantasy, adventure novel written by John Flanagan, and is the first book in the Brotherband series. The book takes place in Skandia, a brutal land filled with warriors. In this land there is only one way to become a warrior, Boys are chosen and put into different teams known as brotherbands where they have to endure three months of intense and tough training in weapons, battle strategies, and sailing. These groups must go against one another for there can only but one bortherband winner in the end. The main character of the story is Hal Mikkaelson who is the reluctant leader of outcasts. He must pull their brotherband together is they are meant to survive these challenges. Overall this was an amazing book to read with its action packed plot and great characters. I would recommend this book to both middle and high school students interested in medieval fantasy novels.

Sameer Khan

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

The Da Vinci Code is a mystery, thriller, and conspiracy fiction written by Dan Brown. The book is about a man named Robert Langdon, a symbologist who gets a call about a murder of at Louvre in Paris. The man is identified as the custodian of the museum and is covered in strange and bizarre symbols. As Langdon and Sophie Neveu, a French cryptologist go through these bizarre symbols surrounded by mystery, they find more clues inside some of Leonardo’s work which lead to some religious mystery. The information they may discover could very well change Christianity forever. I enjoyed reading this book because of its thriller, and conspiracy genre which I enjoyed reading about. I would recommend this book to high school student because it is a more advanced read.

Sameer Khan

Truce: the Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphy

Truce: the day soldiers stopped fighting is a non-fiction, war, historical, young-adult book by Jim Murphy. The book takes place in 1914 during the First World War on the Western front, where both German and British troops fought against one another in bloody trench battles, until on day the bullets stopped firing and both German and British troops had an unofficial truce to celebrate Christmas together. The book is truly an emotional tale, and highlights the goodness in humanity. I would recommend both middle and high schools students to read this amazing book.

Sameer Khan

Discovering God: The origins of the great religions and the evolution of belief by Rodney Stark

Discovering God is a historical and religious analysis book by Rodney Stark. The book is about human history of religion from is origins in the Stone Age all the way to modern times and gives an insight of how religion changed over time and why and how the largest and most popular religions today came to be. It is a very interesting book to read and gives a deep inside in the history of religion, it is also a great book to use for research. I would recommend this book to high school students and those who might be writing an Extended Essay in religion.

Sameer Khan

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Inkheart is a fantasy book written by Cornelia Funke and is the first book in the Inkheart Trilogy. The book has multiple important characters but the main ones are Maggie and Mortimer who has the power to make things written in a book come to life when reading out loud. The book is very interesting because it follows the characters development for when they were young to when they become adults, its unique plot also makes it a very interesting book to read. I would recommend both middle and high school students to read this amazing trilogy.

Sameer Khan

Seekers: The Quest Begins by Erin Hunter

Seekers: The quest begins is a young-adult fantasy, and speculative fiction book written by the authors Cherith Baldry, Erin Hunter, Kate Cary, and Tui T. Sutherland. It is the first book in the Seekers series. The story is about four young bears, Kallik, Ujurak, Lusa, and Toklo who are alone by themselves in the declining environment of the wilderness and need to learn how to survive. I really enjoyed reading this book because unlike most books I read, the characters of the story are animals which I really enjoy reading about because of their difference in behaviour, this story is also very good and sends a strong message about environmental changes in our world. I would recommend both middle and high school students to read this book.

Sameer Khan

Batman: Death and the City by Paul Dini

Batman: Death and the City is a crime and action DC comic by Paul Dini. The comic takes place in Gotham city which harbours the mysterious vigilante, Batman. During this time there is a growing violence coming from the underworld which plagues the city, Robin is kidnapped by a mad bomber named Vox. Batman meets new enemies and makes new allies. I found this comic good to read even though it was very short. I would recommend middle school students to read this if they are interested in superheroes.

Sameer Khan

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Tale of Two Cities is a historical fiction, and social criticism novel written by Charles Dickens in 1859. The story takes place in the cities, London and Paris during then 1789– 1799 French Revolution. The novel shows the events leading up to the revolution from showing how the lower class masses of French society were treated by the monarchy and the aristocracy. I loved reading this novel because it was a literary classic written more than a hundred years ago and I found it interesting to read literature work from back then. I would definitely recommend high school students to take the time out and read this book.    

Sameer Khan

Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock

Eye of the Crow is a mystery fiction, children’s novel written by Shane Peacock. The book takes place in Victorian London is about Sherlock Holmes as a boy, how he was the misfit amongst the crowd, skipped school regularly, didn’t have many friends, was bullied at school, and only has his wits to help him his way. The story follows his first ever murder case and how he tries to solve it but soon finds himself being the accused. I enjoyed reading this book because of its mystery genre which is full of clues and riddle which I like. I would recommend this book to middle school students interested in detective and Sherlock Holmes.

Sameer Khan

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is a children’s fantasy novel written by C.S. Lewis. The book follows the story of four siblings, Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund who are evacuated from London to the countryside along with thousands of other children during the Blitz campaign during World War 2. Inside their residence, they find a wardrobe which leads to land known as Narnia which is inhabited by fairy-tale and magical creatures. This book was one of my favorites in middle school because I loved to read about magic and fantasy books. I would definitely recommend both middle school and high school students to read this book because it is worth it.

Sameer Khan

Warriors: Into the Wild by Erin Hunter

Warriors: Into the Wild is a adventure fantasy, and children’s literature book written by Erin Hunter, it is the first book in the long Warrior series. The story is about four clans of wild cats who for generations shared the forest under the laws placed by their ancestors. A young cat named Rusty leaves his human owners to join on of these clans known as the ThunderClan. But the code of law between these Clans hangs in a balance and the ThunderClan is in danger. The ShadowClan, a mysterious and sinister clan grows stronger every day, Cat warriors are dying. It seems that the fate of the forest and the balance between the clans falls onto Rusty. I found this book very interesting to read because of its unique story and interesting world of cats. I would recommend this book to middle school students who like adventure fantasy books.

Sameer Khan

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is a science fiction, dystopian novel written by Suzanne Collins and is the first book in the famous trilogy. The story takes place in the distance future in Panem, a country found out of the ruins of North America. Panem had 13 districts, each district produces and provides different resources, All these districts are controlled by the Capitol, the central power of Panem. But the disctricts were dissatisfied of the Capitols treatment and so e rebellion took place and disctrict 13 was destroyed, as a result of this uprising, the Capitol forced each district to give one boy and girl to be sent to an arena to fight to the death until only one remains, this was known as the Hunger Games. 74 years on, Katniss Everdeen volunteers herself for the Hunger Games to save her sister, and by doing so she must face against the other contesters and the brutality which the capitol sends to her. I loved this book because of its action packed plot and interesting characters. I would recommend both middle and high school students to read this book.

Sameer Khan

Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden

Escape from Camp 14 is a true story presented by the author Blaine Harden of one man’s journey from North Korea to freedom. The book is based on the true story of Shin Dong-Hyuk who was born in 1982 inside a North Korean political concentration camp and talks about his life in the camp, how he escaped, and his journey to the US and South Korea. His story is one of the most remarkable because he is the only known prisoner to have escaped from a North Korean concentration camp and survived. This is one of the most intriguing and emotional books I have every read because when I was reading; I was reminded that every account was true. I definitely recommend that everyone, both middle school and high school students should read this truly life changing story.

Sameer Khan

Goosebumps: Say Cheese and Die by R.L. Stine

Say Cheese and Die! is a horror, speculative fiction, children’s literature novel and the fourth book in the Goosebumps series written by R.L. Stine. The story is about four friends Greg, Michael, Doug, and Shari who together decide to investigate the Coffman House, an old crumpling building where many alleged ghost stories originated from. During their search, they find a strange camera where you take a picture but it shows a spooky dark outcome. Goosebumps was definitely one of my favorite childhood horror series which its many different spooky plots. I would recommend this book to middle school students who haven’t experienced reading the series to do so because it is seriously and awesomely spooky!

Sameer Khan

Star Wars: Rebellion by Rob Williams

Back when Luke Skywalker was a kid he was friends with Janek Sunber. The two were inseparable until they grew up a bit and went their own ways. Flash forward a few years, and Luke Skywalker is a legendary Jedi Knight, and Janek has become a soldier for the galactic empire (yes, he becomes a bad guy.) The two meet and spark a rivalry for the first time in many years making both of them question the side they are on, and causing very big repercussions. Star Wars is one of my favorite science fiction series, and I will read anything about it, this is the main reason why I liked it. I really recommend this action packed graphic novel to any middle schooler because that is the level that it is for.

Luqman Sattar

The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

This book takes a very widely known concept which is virtual reality. In the future, you don’t control a character when playing a game, you are the character. In video games you can die and come back to life repeatedly, but some kind of hacker dude keeps hostages in the virtual world and kills causes them to have permanent brain damage in the real world. Three teenagers are recruited by the government to stop them, and causing them to move into an area of the virtual reality that they have never seen before. James Dashner takes a very interesting concept and makes an action and science fiction novel for young adults! In my opinion I find it very interesting, and reminds me of Tron. A definite recommend to high school and middle school.

Luqman Sattar

And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

And the Mountains Echoed is Khaled Hosseini’s most recent novel, and follows the emotional journey of Abdullah and Pari through the viewpoint of other characters. The story is about the siblings and how they get separated and the events both of them go through until they meet each other again. I really liked this book and I definitely recommend it to anyone to read it. The characters are very different from each other and show a huge contrast from one character to another. However, I must say that this book is really sad and emotional, so if anyone does decide to read the book I just want you to know what exactly you are going to be getting yourself into.

Luqman Sattar

Bone: Out from Boneville by Jeff Smith

Bone is a comic book series self-written, self-illustrated, and self-published by Jeff Smith. It is about three White peanut-ish shaped characters collectively known as the Bone Cousins (whose names are Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone). The three of them are wandering in the desert until they fall off a cliff and get separated running into various strangers and dangers along the way. However, little do the cousins know that they are about to become involved in something big… and dangerous. I read these comics back when I was in middle school and I was unable to not read them. The comics are funny and exciting, and I really recommend them to middle school (6th grade to be more specific).

Luqman Sattar

The Language of Tolkien's Middle Earth by Ruth S. Noel

I usually do this last, but if you are not a Tolkien nerd this book is definitely not for you. If you do want to learn elfish and other languages from the Lord of the Rings then maybe it is. This book talks about all the languages featured in LOTR and other Tolkien stories such as Numenorian and Quenya. I personally liked this book because I am a Tolkien fan, and it was interesting to learn about the languages in his stories. Again not for everybody, but of course, give it a whirl if you like. This is recommended for middle school because high school should be doing other things like studying Spanish, French or Arabic and not Elfish.

Luqman Sattar

The Iliad by Homer

The Iliad is an insanely long poem written by Homer in Ancient Greece (in other words, a really long time ago). The poem is about the war between Troy and the Greek army that was fueled by the love affair of Helen of Troy and Paris. It is considered a classic and is a pretty long read. I thought it was interesting, because I like reading this kind of stuff (mythology and fantasy stuff). In all honesty I recommend reading it, but there is a big possibility that you will get bored while reading it. I recommend this for high school more than I recommend this for middle school.

Luqman Sattar

The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

The Forsaken is a dystopian fiction novel written by Lisa M. Stasse and is the first of a trilogy. The book takes place in the U.N.A, a country that formed from the remnants of Canada, United States, and Mexico. The main character Alenna shawcross is an orphan living in the U.N.A after having both her parents dragged out of her home by government soldiers. During this time she tries to live an obedient and quiet life. But at sixteen years-old, she fails a government personality test designed to diagnose insubordinate tendencies. As a punishment, she is sent to a mysterious island known as “The Wheel”. A harsh and dangerous place where a civil war rages between two different tribes of teenagers. Alenna meets a boy named Liam, charming warrior who is planning to escape the island. This story is focus towards a young adult audience. I personally liked this story because it reminded me of another favourite book of mine which was the hunger game series. If you are a fan of the hunger games, battle royal, and any other rebellious dystopian novels, I guarantee you will like this book.

Sameer Khan

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Divergent is a dystopian fiction novel written by Veronica Roth and is the first book of the Divergent trilogy. The book takes place in the post apocalypse city of Chicago. The survivors in the city have divided themselves into five different factions. “Abnegation” for selflessness, “Amity” for the peaceful, “Candor” for the honest, “Dauntless” for the brave, and “Erudite” for the intellectual, all these different groups play specific roles in this post-apocalypse society. The main character is Beatrice Prior who born to an Abnegation family, but for many years she never truly felt she belongs to the faction. On her sixteenth birthday, Beatrice took the aptitude test to see which group she want to be part of, but her tests were inconclusive for they gave her three options, Abnegation her home faction, Dauntless, or Erudite. The test coordinator warns her not to tell anyone about her test results because it makes her a “Divergent”. On the choosing day after a stressing over her results, she chooses to join Dauntless. Starting a new life, Beatrice will have to prove herself in order to be called Dauntless or rick becoming faction less. This book is mainly for young-adult readers. I personally enjoyed reading this book because it goes back to my favourite dystopian fiction genre and its likeness to the Hunger games one of my favourite series. Overall I would recommend this book if you are fan of dystopian genres like The Hunger Games or The Forsaken.

Sameer Khan

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a fiction novel written by Khaled Hosseini an Afghan American writer and also author of The Kite Runner. The book takes place in Afghanistan and follows the story of Mariam, an illegitimate child of a wealthy businessman. She suffers humiliation because of her birth and abuses through her forced marriage. The book also follows the story of Laila who was born a generation after Mariam. She has a more privileged life compared to Mariam until their paths meet and Laila and is forcefully married to Rasheed, an abusive man who is also Mariam's husband. The book tells the life story of these two women and how their paths intersected and affected each other’s lives. The book captivates the struggle of women in Afghan society which personally leads to one of the saddest novels I have read. Overall this story left me shocked and depressed.

Sameer Khan

Lord Loss by Darren Shan

Lord Loss is a horror fiction and children’s literature novel written by Darren Shan, it is the first book of the Demonata series. The main character of the story is Grubbs Grady who is the younger child of a family that is obsessed with chess. He notices that there was a growing unease amongst his family. On a night full of death and darkness, Grubbs first encounters Lord Loss and his evil minions and he learns three things: “the world is vicious and cruel”, “magic is possible”, and “demons exist”. Darren Shan is one of my favourite authors in the horror genre with his explicit detail of and terrifying imagery together with an excellent story create one of the best horror books I’ve read. I would recommend middle school and high school students to read this book and other in the series.

Sameer Khan

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell never fails to create thought-compelling books such as, Tipping Point, David and Goliath, and What the Dog Saw. Blink is a book about quick thinking and snap judgement, or “the power of thinking without thinking.” It contains many stories, just like his other books. He various real life stories and situations to complement the points that he is trying to make. He talks about a person’s ability to spot something instantly using an example of a fake sculpture at a museum. He also backs his claim up with a marriage analyst being able to spot whether a couple will stay together or break up. This book is definitely recommended for the high school especially when it comes to making discussion questions and topics.

Luqman Sattar

The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis by Ian Boothby

The two funniest and well known TV shows of all time have come together to make a seriously legendary comic book! Fry and his friends from Futurama are transported into a Simpson’s comic. And things begin to go wrong in Springfield. Watch the two legendary comedy shows bring out a ton of laughs that will be surely unforgettable. This comic is not written by Matt Groening, but Ian Boothby (it shouldn’t matter because he is still funny). This comic is not really for high school because there is probably more important stuff to read (like Chronicle of a Death Foretold or The Stranger), but this is recommended for middle schoolers who have free time and want a laugh.

Luqman Sattar

The 39 Clues: Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan

The Maze of Bones is a children’s literature, mystery, and adventure fiction book written by Rick Riordan, it is the first book of The 39 Clues series. The Book follows the story two orphans, Amy and Dan Cahill who are brother and sister. Upon the day of Grace’s (their grandmother) funeral, they discover that their family is an old, large, and very powerful one, before Grace’s funeral, Amy, Dan, and bunch of other Cahills are called for a private meeting where they watch a video message of Grace. She gives the Cahills two choices, to accept one million dollars of inheritance, or to take one of the greatest challenges yet, the one who wins this challenge will become the greatest Cahill who has ever lived. This challenge consists of 39 clues all which are scattered around the world, from Boston, to Paris, and beyond. Both Amy and Dan take on this challenge but are faced with competition from other Cahills. This is a great adventure series which I enjoyed reading and I would recommend it to mostly middle school students.

Sameer Khan

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

To Kill a Mockingbird is an outstanding novel written by Harper Lee and published in July, 11 1960. The novel depicts the 1930s and the times of the Great Depression in Maycomb, Alabama. The story is told from the eyes of a six year old girl called Scout Finch. She narrates the story by remembering past events in her adulthood. Personally I found this type of narration to be unique because it gave me a sense that what she remembered could have easily been false and misleading as our memory tends to fool us at times. The book being about the rape of a white woman by a black man, the theme of racial prejudice is highly prevalent in the novel. Adding in the fact that a white lawyer is trying to prove the black man innocent really emphasizes on the dramatic story and tragic elements. Though I didn't find the book to be very tragic or sad, it had elements of injustice which may prove to be moving for some readers. I wasn't surprised with the ending of the novel as the story has elements suggesting how there were double standards between whites and blacks. Tom Robinson(the black man) being falsely convicted was something I expected from the portrayal of the society in the setting. The way he was framed and accused by Mayella Ewell (the white woman) despite her flirting with him in reality is the perfect example of racial prejudice in a society. This story reminded me of the novella "Chronicle of a Death Foretold" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in the way an individual is accused for something he didn't do and the society prefers to stay oblivious to the reality that can save the individuals life.


Due to the strong themes it illustrates and it's unique narration. To Kill a Mockingbird is an outstanding novel.

Yasin Mergen