A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen

Henrick Ibsen’s book, A Doll’s House, is a work of fiction and drama. If anyone is interested in drama or plays then this is the right book for them.

Nora is married to her husband, Torvald, who has become manager in the business where he works. Krogstad is one of Torvalds’s workers and he has told him he is going to fire him. In order for Krogstad not to lose his job he uses a secret from Nora to blackmail her. She has been keeping this secret from her husband. A long time ago Nora borrowed money from Krogstad to save her husband’s life when he was sick. Nora never wanted to tell her husband anything about borrowing the money from Krogstad so she lied to him and said she borrowed the money from her dad. Krogstad told Nora to make her husband not fire him because if she didn’t he was going to tell him the whole truth. Nora tells one of her friends named Linde about her problem and she asks her to help her out.

After Nora tried to convince her husband not to fire Krogstad, he never listened to her and he still ended up firing him. Krogstad sent a letter to Torvald telling him the whole truth about Nora and now she is trying to find a way to get that letter back.

This book is like a play or a drama and it shows how women back in the day had to follow society’s rules about how women should act. Nora tries to be the best house wife she can but there are many things she wishes to do instead of being a house wife. If you want to know what happens next in the story then read the book and find out.


Jessica R.

The Elephant Man by Christine Sparks

One of the reasons I liked this book was because the plot line was really interesting and the characters were intriguing. Once you start reading this book you won't want to stop reading it. It's not your typical read as every chapter takes you more into the life of John Merrick, the elephant man, and the rest of the characters who enter his life and help him gain confidence.

Sonia R.

A Promise for Ellie by Lauraine Snelling

A Promise for Ellie

Based on reality in the 1900s, A Promise for Ellie is an inspiration for any young couple ready for marriage who are going through hardships with either bills, wedding plans or other marital problems.

Ellie Wold, the main character, along with Andrew Bjorklund, have been planning ever since grade school to get married after harvest season. When the time finally comes, they announce their engagement. Andrew promises Ellie the life she’s always wanted but with his stubbornness, he always ends up angry with another character named Toby, who has always been on Andrew’s tail.

This story takes you to another level. Throughout the story, both of them are tested for their love for one another, for their faith and for their hardships. To keep their love alive and strong, they write letters to each other. While Andrew is building their new home in Blessing, North Dakota, Ellie is at home preparing for her new life as being the new Mrs. Bjorklund. When tragedy strikes, it’s up to the two of them to work together to keep their love strong and alive.

Alina K.

All About Jennifer Donnelly

Want to find out more information about Jennifer Donnelly?

Check out her official website. 

School Library Journal did an interview with Jennfer Donnelly in  August.

The New York Times article that inspired the novel Revolution.

Here is a reader's guide to Donnelly's first novel A Northern Light.

Jennifer Donnelly @ WEGO on October 18

Author Jennifer Donnellly will be coming to our school October 18, 9th hour in the auditorium. She will be talking about her new book Revolution. More information about attending the event and how to buy a copy of Revolution and her other novel for teens, A Northern Light, will be up on our website soon.*



Sample Chapter from Revolution.
Reader's Guide to Revolution.

This appearance is sponsored by Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville. Donnelly will be doing a reading and book signing at Anderson's at 7:00 pm on the 18th as well.

*A Northern Light is available for checkout in the LRC. Revolution will also be available sometime next week.

Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose

I love reading about WWII. I decided to read this book because I saw the HBO television series, Band of Brothers. It is about the 101st Airborne Division and how they become brothers throughout the war. Each chapter is about a different soldier's story during the war. The book is full of action, including different historical battles and events of WWII. I think other students will enjoy reading this book because it connects you with the characters and makes you care what happens to the soldiers.

AJ R.

My Antonia by Willa Cather

I really liked "My Antonia" because it was so descriptive and you got a sense of what life was like in the late 1800's. You learn of the hard times people went through living on farms and the struggles that foreign families went through. Later in the book Jim tells you how people's lives turned out for better or for worse. You see that after traveling the world Jim will also miss the farm and wish he was back on the prairie.

Shawna S.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

In my opinion, Jane Austen has worked Pride and Prejudice into a masterpiece. The story starts with a family who lives in Longbourn, the Bennets. There is news of a wealthy young gentleman, Charles Bingley, renting a manor in nearby Netherfield Park. This causes quite a stir in the town, especially at the Bennet household. The Bennets have five unmarried daughters—Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia—and Mrs. Bennet is desperate for them to get married. When a wealthy man visits town it causes quite a stir among the families wishing to get their daughters married, such as the Bennets. The plot of this book follows the daughters and their relationships with people such as Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Wickham. While reading this book, you follow them as their relationships grow, fall apart and overcome obstacles.

Kevin C.

Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse

I liked this book because it talks about a girl's experience when she comes to America. She had to endure a lot of obstacles to get to America and accomplish her dream. I think other students will like to read this book because it is good and illustrates the difficulties of an immigrant coming to America.

Anayeli G.

The Jester by James Patterson

This book is about an inn keeper named Hugh who loses his wife and goes on a quest to find her. He then becomes a jester to disguise himself. I thought this book had a lot of comedy and action. It also had some romance tossed around as well. I think other students will enjoy this book because it never really has a boring part in it. It is an action packed 400 plus pages.

Ethan W.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

Bud was sent to live in a Foster Home at the age of six, right after his mother died. He was constantly transferred from one Foster Home to another and was treated very poorly. By the age of ten, Bud decided he had enough and he wanted to "ride the rails" and go west to look for work. This plan didn't work out for Bud either. With no one left in Flint about whom Bud cared, he decided to hit the road and search for his father. During Bud's adventure to find his father he stumbles upon a lot more information about his family than he could ever even have dreamt. I felt this was a very suspenseful short book you don't want to put down until you are done reading it. I recommend it to anyone who likes to read about overcoming obstacles in life.

Melissa C.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norrell is a great novel for people who love to read fantasy novels. Set in the time of the Napoleonic wars, the purpose of Mr. Norrell was to bring the magic back to England. However, this was
not done until he had rounded up Jonathon Strange and the two appealed to the Parliament. From bringing the Lady Pole back from the dead to creating mischief on the battlefield, the novel is sure to please those who are indeed great magic lovers. Personally, this book managed to keep my attention with the constant references to England in the 1800's. However, the language in which it is written is of the same time period even though the book was published in 2004. If one can't bring themselves to read a book with over 1,000 pages or words
that are not in their present vocabulary, settle for Lord of the Rings instead. Clarke is more of a new breed of author and though her novel starts off fairly slow, it keeps the reader enthralled in the surreal world she has created until the very last page.

Shannon C.

Frenchtown Summer by Robert Cormier

"That summer in Frenchtown in the days when I knew my name but did not know who I was". This quote, from the beginning of Frenchtown, is important because the main character is saying he is in that town but nobody really seems to notice him. The character's name in this book is not mentioned because he is the narrator. He talks about what happens in the town in which he lives. The name of the town this young kid lives in is Frenchtown. He lives on the second floor of the three-decker on Fourth Street. At the beginning of this book the narrator talks about his family. He has a brother named Raymond who is popular and every body knows his name. The kid feels like a ghost next to his brother since everybody knows Raymond. His father is a hard working man and his mother is a house mother. Like most of the people in this world who have aunts and uncles, so does the narrator. In the middle of the book he talks about his aunt who lost a baby just as he is born. Also, his uncle is not really a caring person; he just kept going on with his life. The narrator talks about his crush on a beautiful Sister who taught him how to play the piano; that's how the narrator started liking her. Eventually, the Sister had to go back to the Convent. Another thing that happens to the narrator is when he got his first pair of glasses. I really recommend this book to people who like to read poems, mystery, adventure and suspense books. This book, for me, was kind of related to the book of Anne Frank. I think they are related because the two kids wrote about their every day lives and their adventures in the form of a diary. If you liked to read the book of Anne Frank I am pretty sure you will like A Summer in Frenchtown.

Belen C.

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

I liked this book because it was complex and very interesting. It told a story about a young woman who got murdered while also including fiction and non fiction in the book about another young girl's life and how she came to find out how the woman got murdered. If you are into murder mysteries, true and made up books, this would be a great book to read. It has a lot of surprises in it you wouldn't expect when you first start reading the book.

Michelle M.