N the Red 13
Arts & Culture
Popular reads
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Books that address current issues circulate most around building Grace Mossing
mossigra000@hsestudents.org
W
ith 3,500 students, some books shine brighter than others. Subjects like injustice, growing up and love can be found in the pages of these books, which are the most checked out amongst students according to librarian Renee Isom. 5. “The Female of the Species” This classic published in 1987 by Mandy McGinnis has remained relevant through time as it examines rape culture through alternating perspectives. It confronts the issues of both the morality and immorality of revenge as the main character Alex Craft goes on a killing spree to avenge the life of her murdered sister. “It’s relevant because that sort of thing [rape and murder] does happen, but you can’t let yourself spiral like Alex,” sophomore Hailey Chapman said. “Her motivations were there, but her actions were not a moral response.” 4. “Saving Red” Written in verse, author Sonya Sones weaves a story of an unlikely friendship between two girls in desperate need of companionship. Each struggling with internal battles of their own, they give one another a new view on what family, forgiveness and friendship truly mean. “It seems like it has to do with mental health and people trying to get involved in activism, so I think it would be interesting to read as it keeps up with current events,” junior Elizabeth Durbin said. 3. “Dear Martin” John Green says the book is “A powerful, wrenching and compulsively readable story that lays bare the history, and the present, of racism in America” on BookTable. Written by Nic Stone, “Dear Martin” shows the issues and truth of racism in America in the past and today and dives into a raw view of American race relations. Looking for inspiration in the works and words of Martin Luther King
Jr., main character Justyce McAllister battles racist prejudices while being at the top of his class ready for the Ivy Leagues. 2. “The Crossover” The novel’s main character Josh Bell is a star basketball player at his school at age twelve and loves creating his own art through verse and songs. He and his twin Jordan go through the trepidations of life together on and off the court as they grow up. In 2015, this children’s novel by Kwame Alexander won the John Newbery Medal. Alexander wrote it entirely in verse. “I would be interested in this book because reading in verse would be engaging,” Durbin said. “It would be different from the normal paragraphs, and it would certainly be a switch from the standard teaching we have from the English classes offered at this school.” 1. “The Hate U Give” Author Angie Thomas takes the current issue of racist police brutality head on through her book. In one year, 1.5 million copies of the book were sold, according to Publishers Weekly. “Even though it is a fiction book, it’s still really relevant, and it has a lot of great information that a lot of people don’t know about,” sophomore Ella Hart said. Thomas was inspired by real life events to write her book. It portrays the life of Starr Carter who lives in two polar worlds of her poor neighborhood she grew up in and the lavish suburban prep school she attends. When one of her good friends is shot by a police officer, her life comes crashing down. The book shows the behind-the-scenes of what happens to the people who are victims of police brutality. “My biggest takeaway was don’t take life for granted,” Hart said. “The boy who is killed [Manny] had plans for the next day, plans for the next week, and it was just all taken away in a single second.”
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These novels present themes of growing up, fi hti s cia i stices a d fi di their p ace in the world to student readers. Photos by Grace Mossing.
