Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men, a fiction story, is written by famous writer John Steinbeck. It stars the two main characters named George and Lennie, two friends who moved to a better place to work and get settled. Their main goal is to buy a piece of land and have a farm. 


Lennie is a grown man with mental disabilities which causes him to struggle. He has a habit of petting rabbits because of their softness. George is a smart man but uneducated who is Lennie’s role model; he is like his dad. Both of them try to live a normal life and make money.

They encounter problems which are caused by Lennie almost getting them killed. It would be because of a woman since Lennie tried seducing her but he didn’t know he was trying something he shouldn’t have ever tried. There is a big question to resolve everything as a mob is about to find Lennie to kill him. To keep Lennie hidden so he isn’t killed George has to choose wisely while at a high stress point. Desperate hounds are coming and they are craving blood and men are armed and running in despair towards the lake where George found Lennie hiding. 

In my opinion, this is a must read book. It gets you wired so you want to stop but it gets interesting with a lot of tension and climax build in.

Gabriel C.

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Barry Lyga’s book, I Hunt Killers, is an action packed fiction novel. This book was a big mystery and full of puzzles and questions. 

The main character is Jazz Dent who is the son of one of the most notorious serial killers. With Jazz growing up with his dad pushing him to follow in his footsteps, Jazz has all the inside information on what serial killers look to do and why they perform some of their actions. This characteristic is important to Jazz in this book because a few years after his dad has been arrested, a new serial killer is using some of the same tactics. This is a problem for Jazz because now people think Jazz is following in his father’s footsteps. 

The only way for Jazz to stop these accusations is to help the police by using the skills he has learned from his father. He helps investigate the crime scenes and finds more clues about who the new serial killer is. Jazz is able to help the police because he sees crime scenes from a whole different viewpoint because of his past experiences with his dad.

This book is full of description and mysteries that are very interesting as they start to unravel. The author does a great job to help you picture all the scenes and really gets you interested in the book. You will want to keep reading. If you enjoy watching TV shows like CSI or Criminal Minds you will love this book. This is one of the best books I’ve ever read and it has an ending that will keep you wondering. A struggle you have is always wondering what will happen if Jazz will continue to blaze his own future or if he will decide to do what his father had planned for him. You will need to read this book to find out. Go pick it up at your local library and you will not want to put it down.

Lucas R.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I read the book, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The story of the book takes place in the future of the United States. The states are now districts and they have a dictatorship type government. 

Katniss Everdeen is a young girl who takes her father’s place after he dies in a gold mine cave. After her father’s death, her mother falls into depression and that puts Katniss in charge of the house and responsible for the care of her younger sister, Prim. 

In total, there are twelve districts and two teenagers are chosen from each to participate in the annual games. They are chosen to defend themselves and defeat others in order to win the games. The prize of these games is money and food for their family. 

As the ceremony begins, everyone is in front of the stage were Effie Trinket, the leader, stands to pull the names of the chosen participants from the ballot box. Effie pulls the first name and it is Prim Everdeen. Prim is Katniss Everdeen's younger sister.  Katniss volunteers to take the place of her sister. 

After she volunteers, the second name is pulled and it is Peeta Mellark. Both of them are chosen and they are the participants to fight for their lives in the games. They have personal trainers who help them fight against others. Since they are new, they don’t know how to survive. Both are together and trying to survive for their lives. 

If you are interested in finding out if they survive these games alive, read The Hunger Games.

Kate C.

Carrie by Stephen King

Anyone who loves Stephen King horror novels or movies will definitely love this book. I couldn’t put it down because of the entertainment it gave me. I personally love the way Stephen King writes and this book was a perfect example of that.

Carrie is the story of a timid, shy girl who is ridiculed and verbally abused or bullied everyday by her senior class. Little does she know she has a telekinetic power she is barely noticing. She ends up using this power to her advantage for revenge on her classmates for what they put her through on Prom night.

It’s a classic horror novel and a film as well. It’s creepy and serves as a thriller because the issue of bullying is so common today and the fact the tables are turned on her classmates is a great twist to a horror story. This is why this story will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the entire book.

I loved this book and will read it and watch the movie again and again because I’ve always loved the horror themes in films and in books. If you love stories about revenge, I definitely recommend this book because even though the book serves for entertainment to scare people, a lot of Stephen King’s novels have a hidden underlying moral theme to them. In the case of Carrie it teaches the audience the effects of bullying with a horror story that will make you remember Carrie forever.

Gianna D.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

The novel, War Horse, made me understand more about the way horses contributed in a war and  the       hardships they shared with their caretakers and the solders.


Joey is the name of the famous horse that lived to tell his stories of the war and his return home to his owner, Albert. It’s amazing how many people can have a part in a horse’s life and make changes for an animal that you wouldn’t believe. Joey made and lost friends, horses and people alike. The suffering these horses endured really shows how strong a horse’s will is. Albert was the young owner of Joey who taught him the ways of running a farm. Then out of nowhere Albert’s drunken father sold Joey to the Army and this started the new life of the War Horse.

Yazmine M.

No Child's Game: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White

No Child’s Game is a fiction book written by Andrea White. The story of the book takes place in the year 2083 and it’s about five teenagers who enter a reality TV show called “The Survival”. Their mission is to be the first group of teenagers to reach the North Pole. The journey to the North Pole is 150 miles in the freezing weather. 

At the beginning of the book, the kids didn't realize how brutal the journey was going to be but once they were on the ship they started to wonder what was really going to happen to them. It was supposed to be a reality TV show but there was no crew around them so they all started to get suspicious and wonder what was really going on. Throughout the story the kids learn to take care of each other and survive. 

If you like reading about adventure and suspense, No Child’s Game is a perfect book for you.


Arisaday N.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult

The book, House Rules, by Jodi Picoult is a fiction novel. I read this book during the winter for a class.

The book is about an 18 year old boy, Jacob, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Jacob is an extremely intelligent boy. He is very interested in crime scenes and forensic shows. He watches a crime scene show on the television all the time and then tries to figure out the crime before the end of the show. Jacob also sets up his own crime scenes and has his mom and brother figure out the crime.

One day when Jacob was supposed to meet his tutor for a session, he showed up to the location and finds her dead. He freaks out, runs home and does not speak for almost a whole day. The police suspect it was Jacob who killed her but no one knows for sure. He gets caught in the middle of an accident even though he did not even intend to get involved.

I won’t say any more about the book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone to read. It is extremely interesting and keeps you on your seat. I learned a lot more about what a person is like when they are living with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Kayla G.

Thirteen Reasons Why by: Jay Asher

Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why is about a girl named Hannah who had committed suicide. Before she committed suicide she made thirteen tapes that involved all the people who made her life go from great to terrible all in one month. The main person in the book is Clay. One day when Clay came home from school there was a box sitting on his front stoop. Clay was very confused because it didn't have a return address on it so he didn’t know who sent it. Clay opened the box and there were 13 tapes inside. He was very confused about them so he took tape one out and began to listen to it. As he hit play, he realized it was Hannah's voice. Clay was very confused about why she would have sent the tapes to his house. As Clay listened, he heard about all the people who made Hannah's life terrible. As each tape played, Clay found out what the people did to Hannah that made her life so bad. Toward the end of the book, Clay finished up the tapes. He felt very guilty and thought Hannah's death was all his fault but in reality it wasn't. Hannah was actually thanking Clay for being such a good friend to her when everyone else was putting her down. Hannah asked one thing of Clay and that was he would pass the tapes on to whomever was next on the list. At first Clay thought it wouldn't be right. After Clay thought about it, he decided to send the tapes to the next person. He figured if Hannah really didn't want people to know what happened then she wouldn't have made the tapes. So Clay sent the tapes to the next person wondering if the next person would feel the same way he felt after listening to the tapes. After reading this book, I have realized calling people names may not affect you but it sure is affecting the other person. Even though you might have meant the comment in a joking way, the person you said it to just might take it very seriously. My opinion is always to think before you speak, because you never know how someone else is going to take what you say.

Kelly R.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ernest Cline's book, Ready Player One, is an awesome fiction novel. If you're into sci-fi gaming and 80s culture you will love this book. Ready Player One is about a boy named Wade Watts, a motherless and fatherless kid living with his druggy aunt and her boyfriend. In the year 2044 people don't live in the real world anymore; they live inside a virtual reality called the OASIS. The OASIS was created by a man named James Halliday. James Halliday is one of the greatest videogame creators who ever lived. He was a mysterious man who left an Easter egg in the OASIS after he died. The Easter egg was a game; the winner of the game would win all of his money and be the owner of the OASIS. In order to get to the Easter egg it is necessary to decipher three clues. But nobody has figured out these clues in the past ten years. Wade Watts is a gunter and is the first one in the whole OASIS to decipher the first clue. When he does that the whole world is after him. Bad people tried to assassinate him outside the OASIS. He is an expert on James Halliday so he knows everything about him. He uses all that knowledge to advance in the hunt for the Easter egg. But there are many more problems to come. If you want to know more about Wade Watts and how the hunt goes make sure you read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.

Eduardo O.

Perfect Chemistry By Simone Elkeles

Simone Elkeles’ book, Perfect Chemistry, is a work of fiction. The book introduces us to two different types of society, the high class and the low class and this society prohibits the people to interact. This book tells about how this society affected two people’s lives, a girl named Brittany and a guy named Alex. They go to the same school and they are about to graduate. They hate each other mostly for their different social status because Brittany is rich and Alex is poor and this caused them to have a bad experience accepting each other when they first met. The incident that happened when they met was bad because Brittany was going to run over Alex’s motorcycle with him on it and his ex-girlfriend too. Their problems started when they had the same chemistry class and the teacher sat them next to each other and assigned them a project together. Because of the incident they had they did not have a good relationship and Brittany could not accept being friends with a guy like Alex. In spite of their differences, however, they made a really interesting relationship even though they had too many problems. In the end they proved their love was strong enough to overcome their differences and they put their future together and their lives together and lived happily.

Mayra G.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles is a book I recommend other people read because it is a romantic story about two senior high school students who fall in love. This story is amazing because it shows an example of how two people who are so different and who hate each other can fall in love. Brittany and Alex are the main characters of this book. Brittany is a rich girl who is the leader of the cheerleading team. Alex is a poor gang member. The story starts when their chemistry teacher assigns them as chemistry partners for all year and ends when they became a couple and they start college. I also recommend this book because when I read it, it made me connect to the story. Every time I finished a chapter I wanted to start reading the other chapter right away because it is so interesting you are going to want to read the whole book in one day. I also liked this book because it is different from other books I have read because the author of the book divides the book into two. For example, one chapter is about Brittany and the other is about Alex. I am sure if you read this book you would like it.

Buenaventura A.

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Ellen Hopkins’ book, Impulse, is a book about three troubled teens whose troubled lives have landed them in a hospital where they are attending therapy to deal with their close encounters with death and harming themselves. The book tells the main stories of three of the patients. Tony tries to forget about his painful childhood and being a gay guy who tried to commit suicide. Vanessa keeps a secret from the group and her own family that keeps her going back to cutting herself to try and forget. Conner, the perfect boy, seems to have the perfect life but hides his struggles with his parents, his friends, himself and his obsession with a young girl that led him to try and pull the trigger. These three teens try to deal with their issues and try to let go of all their bad and dangerous habits. This helps them deal with trying to forget their painful lives and save themselves. Here in the hospital they are given a second chance to start over and learn how to cope and deal with their issues and go back to the real world and start living their lives once again in a healthier way. If you’re interested in finding out more in detail what led these teens to go to such extremes just to end their lives then read the book Impulse.

Jazmin A.

Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wisner

Spanking Shakespeare by Jake Wisner is a really good book to read if you like funny adventures and interesting events. Are you currently in high school and you don’t like many books because you think they are boring? Well you and I have much in common.  Spanking Shakespeare is a book about a teenager who has some problems in high school, like any normal teen does. He is not very popular and doesn’t have a lot of friends. This book has its ups and downs. For example, some of the chapters are really confusing and you need to pay attention in order to understand them. But the good thing is every chapter has something funny Shakespeare Shapiro, the main character of the book, has done or is going to do. I really recommend this book to all students because it’s fun to read and also it helps you solve some of the problems you might have during your high school career.

Antoy D.

Right Behind You by Gail Giles

Gail Giles’ book, Right Behind You, is a tragic story with a happy ending. It is a fictional book but I am sure this situation has happened before. What this book taught me was there is always another side to the story. Kip, the main character of the book, kills another child with fire. The book talks about his time in a mental hospital and fighting the reality of what he did. Once he does get past that, he decides to start fresh and get a new life. He then has the high school life many kids desire. He is the popular, good looking jock with the pretty girlfriend and popular friends. Yet Kip still has trouble getting beyond his past life. He feels he does not deserve this and that feeling is what I liked about the book. The author did give away his happy ending right there. She made the character really fight for his freedom and made him realize he deserved to be happy. One day he told everyone what he had done and his perfect life was gone. He then had to start again and believe what he did was in the past and it was a mistake. That made me really like this book. It is just like in the movies when you think the happy ending is coming and then something bad happens and you think everything is done. But then you see the light in the tunnel. The author took her time to show the hardships Kip’s family had and what he went through to get to that happy ending. Plus, the whole plot is great. It is a book about something we do not hear about often and it made me realize when things like this happen maybe we should be more understanding.

Elizabeth M.

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Kiersten White’s book, Supernaturally, is a work of fiction. Sixteen year old Evie has not lived an easy life. While she was at the International Paranormal Containment Agency she fell in love with a prisoner named Lend. Eventually the situation at IPCA started to get complicated and Evie and Lend left. Together with Lend’s family they begin living a normal life. Unfortunately, Evie’s Fairy ex-boyfriend comes back revealing things about her past. She soon is told there is a war going on between the Fairy courts and Evelyn is the only one who can prevent the chaos. Evie does not know from where she came and she has been told she was not born but rather, she was created by fairies.  After that she learns when she was born a Prophecy was also written. She thought she had left the International Paranormal Containment Agency and her own paranormal activities behind but she was wrong. This book has it all; from Vampires to Werewolves to Faeries to Shape Shifters and true love. Now she has to make a choice. She has to decide if she wants to stay in the normal world with the love of her life and eventually die or go back to the paranormal world and live. If you want to find out if the Prophecy comes true,  I recommend you read this book.

Jenny G.

Divergent by: Veronica Roth

I read the book Divergent and it is a dystopian fiction. If you have ever seen The Hunger Games movie then they are similar. This book is about Beatrice Prior who lives in the future city of Chicago and the town is divided into five factions; the honest, the brave, the selfless, the peaceful and the intelligent. At the age of 16 you must choose which faction in which to live. The story follows Beatrice who has to take a placement test to determine in which faction she can live. On testing day she learns she is known as something called divergent and that is something you do not want to be because it can get you killed. Beatrice chooses a new faction and we see all the trouble she goes through with leaving and moving her life somewhere else. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat and will keep you guessing at every turn. In every chapter there is something you will not expect. This book has politics, romance, mystery and action. Divergent is a book that talks a lot about choices and how these choices affect one’s future and you need to be careful with the choices you make. I think you should read this book; first, before the movie comes out and second, because readers will like the story because it has a little bit of everything. This is a good book that won’t take you long to read and will keep you guessing.

Tyler J.

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Sold is a novel about a 13 year-old girl (Lakshmi) who is sold into prostitution. She faces many challenges and obstacles she has to overcome. Lakshmi is forced out of her comfort zone during almost the whole story. During this time, she grows not only in knowledge but as a person herself. She learns many different things about herself in this experience she was forced to endure. Lakshmi‘s story begins in a small rural town in the country. Her family is used to living in poverty to the point where they mix water and dirt in order to trick their minds into believing it is food. Lakshmi has always been able to endure the toughest of times. Things took a turn for the worst when her step father could no longer support their family and sold Lakshmi. Lakshmi had no say in this but was told she would be a house maid. She didn't seem frightened by the idea of being stripped away from her family because she knew it was for their own good. She would now be able to buy her family that tin roofed house about which they always dreamed. Lakshmi was sold for 10,000 rupees, which translates to a whopping 185.25 US Dollars…fair trade right? Lakshmi’s childhood, dreams and aspirations were changed all for under 200 dollars. Read the book to find out more about Laskima's story.

Erika M.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

As the man saw his child slowly disappear over the hill with his new care takers he began to fall asleep awaiting his death. The book, The Road, written by Cormac McCarthy is a story about a man and a boy’s journey across the American waste land. Throughout the story the man and the child faced multiple problems and issues. However, it seemed like they always found a way to deal with whatever problem faced them and kept trying to reach their goal. Rumor had it that on the west coast of the United States of America there was a human survival area after the entire world was destroyed by a massive fire. Knowing that, the man and the boy set out on their journey trying to reach the west coast in an attempt to find other people. The entire world is covered in inches of ash and food is scarce considering there is no animal or plant life left on the planet. About half way through the book the two main characters have a lot of ups and downs. For example, the man and the boy find a bunker loaded with food meant to last for months. Shortly after they left the bunker while they were bathing, someone stole their entire cart full of food and supplies leaving them with nothing. Luckily the man was able to track down the thief and take their belongings back or else they both would have died. As the story continues the two main characters make it into a small town where they could tell people had recently been around the area. As they were walking down the main street of the town the man is shot by a bow and arrow. The man and the boy managed to make it out of the town successfully but shortly after that the man drops and can’t continue on. As this was occurring, another surving family came along and helped the man and took care of the boy for the rest of the story. The theme of this book, from what I believe, is no matter how hard things get, never stop trying. The man and the boy faced several hardships along their attempted journey and they never gave up hope on making it to the west coast. Time and time again they ran into problems but every time they managed to find a solution to their problems. That is why I think this is the theme of this book.

Billy P.

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky, by Heidi W. Durrow, is a realistic fiction novel that tells about the life of Rachel. Rachel and her family fell from the rooftop of a Chicago apartment building but Rachel was the only survivor. She was sent away to live with her grandmother in a town much different than her own. She struggles to find herself after the incident and learns to not let the disaster define who she is. This novel discuses themes of coming of age, race and discrimination. I recommend this novel to people who like mysteries, adventures and love stories. This book can be categorized into many different genres and would appeal to a variety of people.

Sarah W.

Solitary by Alexander Gordon Smith

Alexander Smith’s book, Solitary, is a work of fiction. The book is a sequel to the first book, Lockdown, and this book also keeps you hooked. This book starts where the first book ends and it jumps you right back into the suspenseful and dark story. Alex and his good friend, Zee, made a plan to blow a hole in the cavern floor to finally escape the prison that is buried deeply underground. After fighting the rushing currents that lay below, they finally find an area where they can see light. But while walking toward it they realize it is not a natural light coming from outside but an illuminating light coming from a light bulb. Before they know it they come face to face with a black suit. Alex and Zee are punished by having to spend a whole month in the hole which is a black hole dug only six feet into the ground and about four feet wide. While spending time in the hole they finally have a break through. An unknown figure named Simon opens up Alex and Zee’s hatch to let them out. Simon tells them he needs their help to escape hell on earth. Alex agrees to help and the book goes on to tell of numerous events of them getting essential materials to benefit them in their escape. You stay in great suspense with this book along with the series that relates to it.

Colin W.