The school library is a sanctuary for readers, but finding something to read is always a big decision. Find suggestions from students and teachers here!
By: Arina Tuboltseva
Have you ever gone to the library hoping to read something new and intriguing but finding it impossible to choose? Are you ever unsure of which book you’ll actually enjoy because there are so many books there? You’d best read this article if you have that issue. I compiled a list of the most popular books for each grade and asked for recommendations from those who have read many books over their lives. I have also written descriptions of the books for you to see which of them catches your interest.
Here are the top 5 most popular books among High School Students:
1. The Maze Runner (Book 1) – a series of dystopian science fiction novels by James Dashner. A teenager wakes up in a huge maze with no memory of his past and finds himself among boys who have built a village in the glade. Every morning two of the strongest runners are sent into the maze to find a way out. Will they manage to get out and survive?
2. The Hunger Games – a series of dystopian novels by Suzanne Collins. One boy and one girl, ages 12 to 18, are chosen by lottery from each of the twelve districts around the Capitol to compete in a televised battle royale to the death as entertainment. If you haven’t already read the series, it should definitely be on your to-read list!
3. The Scorch Trials – the second book in The Maze Runner series by James Dashner. If you have read the first book and liked it, you should definitely read this one to see what happens next.
4. One of us is lying – a mystery/suspense novel by Karen M. McManus. Five high school students are sent to detention, where one of them dies in mysterious circumstances and an investigation ensues. All of the characters’ stories are engaging and mysterious, after all, ‘Everybody’s got secrets,’ ‘Right?’ .
(The second part of the book in the library is called: One of us is next.)
5. Percy Jackson and The Sea of Monsters (Book 2) – fantasy/adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan. A second book in the series, where Percy Jackson, a thirteen year old demigod goes on an adventure where he and his friends save a satyr friend from the Cyclops Polyphemus and prevent a Titan attack on Camp Half-Blood (Make sure to read the first book before this one though!)
Here are the top 5 most popular books in middle school:
1. Smile – a comic book about the author’s life and school by Raina Telgemeier. Raina is enjoying being a sixth grader when an accident severely damages her front teeth. Thereby, a never-ending cycle of dental appointments and bullying in school begins.
2. Гравити Фолз. Дневник 3 – Have you watched Gravity Falls? Do you want to know exactly what was in the third diary? Then you should definitely check this one out! It is a comedy, adventure, mystery, detective, and fantasy By Rob Renzetti. What happens when Dipper and his sister Mabel are sent to spend their summer with their great-uncle in a mysterious town full of supernatural creatures?
3. Drama – a comic book about middle school and theatre by Raina Telgemeier. The story of Callie, a middle school student, and theatre-lover who works in her school’s drama production crew.
4. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban. Book 3 by J.K.Rowling – One of the highest rated books of all time (According to Goodreads), where Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, except there is a mass murderer on the loose! One of the most
Make sure you start from book 1.
5. Harry Potter And The Chamber of Secrets. Book 2 by J.K.Rowling – Second book in the series, where the golden trio get caught up in another mystery: Someone is turning students into stone. This is the second book in the series, so make sure to start from the beginning.
Top 5 most popular books in primary school:
1. Amulet (book 1) – An adventure, science fiction, and horror comic book by Kazu Kibuishi. A story about the adventures of a young girl who finds a magical amulet in her old great-grandfather’s house that is sentient and autonomous. Gorgeous illustrations full of magic will surely take you on a unique adventure.
2. Diary of a Wimpy Kid – an illustrated book about a boy that writes about his school life in his journal. Written by Jeff Kiney, it’s a relatable, easy to read story.
3. The BFG – Sophie gets captured by the nicest giant. He’s sweet and gentle. Magical things happen to Sophie. Written by one of the best children’s book authors, Roald Dahl, it’s a heartwarming story of friendship and companionship.
4. The Nameless City – an adventurous novel about a girl and a boy that want to save their city from war. By Faith Erin Hicks.
5. Tom Gates. Top of the class – a novel about friendship, bullying, school, and family By L.Pichon. Similar to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
New additions (books) to our school library:
Hogwarts Library (Harry Potter) by J. K. Rowling (for middle school).
Pete the Cat Book Set [15-item set] – a story about a cat that steps in different places and his shoes become dirty. By James Dean (for primary school).
The Wild Robot – a book about a shipwrecked robot who learns to survive by observing and befriending the animals native to her new island. By Peter Brown (for middle school).
Men Without Women: Stories by Haruki Murakami – a book about men who have lost women in their lives, usually to other men or death (for high school).
The Folk of the Air (3-book series) – a story about the journey of a mortal girl and faerie prince as they navigate the world of hate, betrayal, and contempt along with feelings for each other. By Holly Black (for high school).
Slaughterhouse-Five: A Novel – a book about a boy’s life before and after World War II. By Kurt Vonnegut (for middle school – high school).
Gravity Falls: Lost Legends: 4 All-New Adventures! By Alex Hirsch (for primary school – middle school).
The Great Dune Trilogy – a book about a young intelligent boy, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people by Frank Herbert (for middle school – high school).
Everything I Never Told You – a book about family, history, and the meaning of home. Shows divisions between cultures, by Celeste Ng. (for middle school – high school).
Skulduggery Pleasant Series – a series of dark fantasy novels about the adventures of a detective and her friends and how they struggle to stop evil from threatening the world. (Books 1-14) by Derek Landy (for middle school – high school). Caution: violence.
Toradora by Yuyuko Takemia – manga about a boy that was put with his best friend and his crush on his second high school year class rearangement. (For high school).
But what do our teachers recommend for us to read
- Ms. Rabia recommends:
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, where young girl in Harlem discovers slam poetry as a way to understand the religion of her mother and her place in the world. A poetry and romance, this book is sure to be of interest for middle school students.
For high school, Ms. Rabia recommends Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. Old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, but a custody battle begins that divides the town. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena wants to uncover the secrets of Mia’s past.
Our teachers also wanted to recommend a few works!
- Mr. Jan recommends:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (all series) by Jeff Kinney and The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey, where Captain Underpants, a superhero from one of the boys’ homemade comic books, accidentally becomes real when the two boys hypnotize their bossy principal.
For middle school, Mr. Jan recommends Harry Potter (books 1-4) and Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer. A twelve-year-old criminal mastermind has discovered a world below ground of armed, dangerous, and extremely high-tech fairies.
For high school he wants us to read: Harry Potter (books 5-7), Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Philip K. Dick. Of mice and men is a book about Two displaced migrant ranch workers move from place to place in California in search of new job opportunities during the Great Depression, while DADOES questions what makes a human. It is set in the far future, where a bounty hunter stalks almost-human androids in a nuclear fallout-clouded, partially deserted San Francisco.
I recommend:
The Astonishing Color of After – a story about a girl whose mother had committed suicide and turned into a bird and she is trying to figure out what all those boxes her mom sent her mean. (Don’t worry, that wasn’t a spoiler). Genres: Fantasy, magical realism. By Emily X.R. Pan (for middle school – high school)
Looking for Alaska by John Green. A high school junior divides his life into time before and time after a life-changing event that the reader will not discover until later in the novel. (for middle school – high school)
Crime and punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. A poor ex-student in Saint Petersburg plans to kill an old woman who stores money and valuable objects in her flat. (for middle school – high school)
The school library is a haven for any reader, whether you’re interested in fantasy, non-fiction, biographies or any other genre, the school library is sure to have something for you!