Teen and Staff Reviews

Tradition, honor, discipline, and excellence are the four pillars that Welton Academy lives and dies by. Well, most of the people at Welton Academy at least. The dead poets society is formed when the school begins its new year, and with this come new students and a magnificent new teacher. This eccentric new teacher, Mr. Keating teaches the boys how to be their own person, not just a student. Keating teaches like no other, telling the boys to rip out the pages of their textbooks and go outside and play football.

The movie Race follows the story of Jesse Owens in his life and athletics, leading up to the 1936 Olympics. Jesse starts out in his home state of Alabama with his family, girlfriend, and daughter. People know how great of an athlete he is, but his full potential is realized when he gets the opportunity to go to college at Ohio State University to participate in track. He becomes a star, beating world records and making it look easy.

Check & Mate, by Ali Hazelwood, is a witty and sweet read about rival chess players. Mallory Greenleaf has quit chess, and instead works as a mechanic to care for her mother and sisters. However, when given an opportunity to return to chess, Mallory finds herself matched up against world champion Nolan Sawyer in a charity chess tournament. When Mallory beats Nolan, she finds herself roped back into chess and has to deal with the complicated emotions she has for the game and her growing feelings for Nolan.

Summary: Forget Me by Kim Harrington is a gripping young adult mystery novel that revolves around the life of Morgan, a teenager with the unique ability to witness memories by touching objects. When Morgan touches a blood-stained scarf, she becomes entangled in a dangerous mystery involving a missing girl and a potential murder. As she navigates through the twists and turns of the investigation, Morgan must confront her own past and the secrets surrounding her abilities.

Silent Alarm by Jennifer Banash is a dark novel which follows the story of Alys, whose world shifts dramatically when her brother decides to shoot up her school, killing fifteen, including her boyfriend’s younger sister. The story paints a dramatic landscape of the aftermath, as her family and community struggle to move on from the incident. As Alys only wants things to be normal again, everyone in her life turns on her.

Lu is a track-related book written by Jason Reynolds. In the final book of a four-book series, Lu is the co-captain of the Defenders, his track team. Lu is a leader and shows that with his friends Ghost, Patina, and Sunny. His only weakness is that he can sometimes let his ego take over. But when he must do hurdles on and off the track, he wonders if he can handle it. Unexpected twists do happen, causing Lu to rethink some things, but in the biggest stage, the most unanticipated difficulty occurs.

A Winter’s Promise features Animist Ophelia, a young girl who has the power to travel through mirrors and to see an object’s past upon touching it. However, she is soon forced into a marriage with Thorn, a stern and apathetic man from the faraway world of the Pole. As she accompanies her fiancé to the floating city of Citaceleste, she discovers rival clans and powerful families.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is about 11-year-old Harry Potter who discovers something magical. He’s a wizard. The book follows Harry through his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This book really keeps you on your toes because there are so many good plot twists. I thought the theme of teamwork in this book was great. My favorite part is when Harry first learns he’s a wizard and my favorite characters are Hermione Granger and Hagrid. This is my favorite book of all time.

The Land of Stories follows Alex and Conner Bailey as they travel through the fairy tale world after they unexpectedly arrive there. They must work together to find their way out before it’s too late. This book is really great because it’s full of adventure and great characters. I really like how this book plays into some classic fairy tales like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. My favorite part is when they first enter the fairy tale world and my favorite character is Froggy.

Genre- Romantic Thriller