Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Reading in the Rain - A Sampling from the Class of 2015

Last week it rained. Which was wonderful for two reasons: first, we needed rain. Second, the seniors  exchanged a soggy senior patio for the warmth of the library. A handful were gathered near the big red reading chairs. Here is a sampling of their reading choices: 


 L.B. class of 2015: Alana the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce. “I’m not reading this now, but if you ask me what book I’ve really enjoyed, it would be the first book in the Alanna series. Tamora Pierce is my favorite author of all time. At my old school, this book got passed from friend to friend, from grade to grade: it was read by lots of people. I’ve recommended it to two people at Prep already today. The main character, Alanna, is not a perfect human – but she still pushes herself to achieve her goal of becoming a knight. Her temper does not go magically away, but she learns to live with herself and her quirks breaking gender stereotypes along the way.”
 


R.D. class of 2015: Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole.  “I am totally captivated by Confederacy of Dunces. Some people really hate it though. Everyone has met someone like the main character, Ignatius J. Reilly. He is wholly unsatisfied and disgusted with contemporary society, yet he contributes nothing. I see a lot of myself in him. There is a piece of Ignatius in everyone.”





 
S.M. class of 2015: Deliverance by James Dickey. “The book is harrowing, more so than the movie because the drama is more drawn out. These are normal people in an extraordinary situation: the common man doing uncommon things. The last 100 pages are like pure adrenaline. And, it’s a story about a canoe ride.”






 

A.P. class of 2015: The Brothers Karamazov by Fodor Dostoyevsky. “I’m not even done with it, but I think you would like it. It is a well-told story and it has the answer to every question you could ever ask. It’s hard to read – but it feels good when you understand it. It envelopes you.”








With clear skies and temperatures near the 80s, it is hard to believe it rained last week - but near the foothills here, I saw the shimmer of new green sprouts on the hillside.  More rain would be nice. Hmmm. More seniors in the library again would be nice, too. 

Mrs. Eldridge