Mason Stewart

Book: Escape from Furnace: Solitary by Alexander Gordon Smith

“It was the first book that really introduced me to the idea that books could have a prolonged effect on me just as much as any other media,” junior Mason Stewart said. “The first book was great but I think Book 2 was even better in the way that it expanded on the themes of the first book and showed the consequences of the actions that were taken in it.

“The plot is hard to describe since it has lots of spoilers, but essentially, following the events of the first book, the main character is now stuck inside the solitary confinement within a massive prison complex built specifically for teenagers who’ve committed seriously heinous crimes. The main character isn’t a good person and neither are any of the people around him, but the people running the prison are for worse as they use the entire place as a lab to experiment on people and turn them into grotesque monsters.”

Ebin Bonghi

Book: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

“I like the story because it’s about survival. I like camping and hunting like in the book,” sophomore Ebin Bonghi said. “A guy, around 16, gets in a plane crash into a pond and survives. He survived two months and was rescued.”

Juliette Harper

Book: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

“It has a lot of good childhood memories,” sophomore Juliette Harper said. “It’s about a toy rabbit that gets lost from his previous owner and spends his life trying to get to her but meets more people.”

Agness Mbezi

Book: The Bible

“I would have to say my favorite book is The Bible,” sophomore Agness Mbezi said. “The Bible is my favorite book because you can find such encouraging thoughts and life lessons in it. It’s a book of wisdom, guidance and very beneficial when you apply yourself to it. The Bible is all about God’s kingdom, that will provide better conditions for mankind, and how to live a happy life.”