How to Improve your SAT Critical Reading and Writing Scores

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Amanda D.

As a high school junior, I have grown to realize the importance of the SAT, and have searched for hours for ways to improve my scores. From my own experience, reading is ridiculously helpful in improving critical reading and writing scores, so I thought I would provide you guys with a list of books that are both rich in SAT vocab, and enjoyable to read.

1. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Fitzgerald is one of my favorite authors of all time. I love him because he writes about the 1920s, which is pretty much the most interesting era of all time, and his writing style is beautiful. The Great Gatsby is one of those rare books that I actually recommend reading after you see the movie, as it makes the plot much easier to understand and hey, looking at Leo DiCaprio for three hours isn’t all that bad either.

2. Lord of the Flies by William Golding: This was my favorite book that my class read during sophomore year. It’s a fictional expose on the concept of civilization and it is interesting and terrifying all at once. I definitely recommend this book if you are a fan of survival stories, adventure, or even horror.

3. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: This book was required reading for my sophomore year, but I would have read it even if it wasn’t required. Brave New World is a book that predicts how our future society will look, and also uncovers the startling faults in our own present-day society.

4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: I can sum up all the reasons I love this book in two words: Atticus Finch. Atticus is one of the main characters in the book and is pretty awesome. He is one of those silent-but-deadly literary heroes that are so hard to find in books nowadays, and that makes me love him even more.

5. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger: This book is amazing because it is written exactly the way I think: sarcastically, honestly, and caustically. (Like how I threw in an SAT vocab word?) Holden Caulfield is one of the most famous literary characters of all time, and you should definitely read the book to find out why.

6. Animal Farm by George Orwell: This book is a satire on the Russian Revolution, as different figures of Russian history are represented by farm animals. The great part about this book is that it will help you learn grammar and a little bit of history at the same time!

Other books that I haven’t read yet, but are rich in SAT vocab include: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte.

Have you guys read any of these books yet? What did you think of them? Are there any other books that helped you with your SAT studying? Reply in the comments and good luck on your SATs everyone!

-Amanda D., 11th grade

Genre Introduction: Paranormal Romance

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Kaelyn L.

Paranormal romance novels seem to be all the rage in the teenage reading world right now and, in this case, I am no exception to the norm. I mean, seriously, what isn’t awesome about paranormal romance? You get adventure, action, romance, fantasy, mystery, mythology, realistic fiction; pretty much all of the genres rolled into one! Some series of this genre that have joined my ever-growing bookshelf are Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls series) by C.C. Hunter, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, and City of Bones (Mortal Instruments series) by Cassandra Clare. All of these series are, as I like to refer to it, realistic fantasy.

Born at Midnight is the first novel in the Shadow Falls series. If you can look past all of the grammatical and spelling errors, (and there are A LOT – she should seriously fire her editor) this series is a gem. You’ll love the characters from the start and there definitely is a Team Edward, Team Jacob situation going on. In this case, Team Lucas, Team Derek is the ongoing debate. I consider these books to be a mix between The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan due to the supernatural camp setting and Twilight by Stephanie Meyer because of the romance triangle and similar paranormal creatures. If you enjoyed either of these books or any of the books listed above, I am betting you will appreciate this series.

Vampires. These supernatural beasts seem to be filling the shelves and theaters everywhere. From Twilight to Marked to Vampire Academy, vampires are everywhere. Vampire Academy is the first in a series of six novels, all centering around Rose Hathaway, a Dhampir who is training to be her Moroi best friend’s bodyguard. Dhampirs are half-vampire, half-human and walk the earth for one purpose; to protect the Moroi royalty from Strigoi and other evils. Moroi are full vampires who are living. Each Moroi develops their own form of an elemental magic while in their teens, with a few exceptions. Strigoi are the evil form of vampires. Dead, inhuman, impossible to kill, and willing to kill to survive, these vamps are made when a Strigoi drinks blood from a human, Dhampir, or Moroi and the human, Dhampir, or Moroi, in turn, drinks Strigoi blood. A Moroi can also turn by choice if he or she kills a victim while drinking their blood. These books take place at St. Vladimir’s Academy, a school for training young Moroi and their Dhampir counterparts.

The Mortal Instruments series is one of my absolute favorites. I have read all of the books four times and am psyched that they are making a movie out of it (though I’m not so sure about Lily Collins as Clary. I mean, COME ON, she is supposed to have flaming read hair! Not black). The first book takes place in New York and at the Institute, an old, dilapidated church that was converted, to the oblivion of the mundanes (humans), to a Shadowhunter stomping ground. Shadowhunters, also called Nephilim, are half-human, half-angel and are, like their name hints at, demon hunters. They still bleed and die like humans, so they use a stele to draw runes on their bodies. Runes are markings, some temporary, some permanent, that are somewhat similar to tattoos and give powers based off of the rune that was drawn. This series centers around Clary Fray who was hidden from the Shadowhunter world by her mother and, until she has to get her mother back, knows nothing about supernatural creatures or demons. When her mother disappears and she is attacked by a Ravener demon, Clary is thrust into the world of the Nephilium where she finds she should have been all along. With the help of Jace Wayland, Isabella and Alec Lightwood, and Simon Lewis, she begins to study the Shadowhunter ways and searches for her mother, all while encountering what her life could have been like, as well as some romance along the way.

-Kaelyn L., 10th grade

Really Good Books About Real Life

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Kaelyn L.

Stephen Chbosky. Ned Vizzini. Sarah Dessen. John Green. What do all of these have in common, you ask? Aside from being some of the best Young Adult book authors of all time, these four authors all write novels that deal with real teen lives. I personally love books that deal with real life. At the top of my teen novel list are The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, which is now a movie, It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, also a movie, all Sarah Dessen books, three of which were adapted into a movie called How to Deal, and The Fault in Our Stars by John Green- the movie version comes out this June.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is officially my favorite book and movie. I may be a bit biased because of this, but, I am telling you, anyone who reads this book will fall in love. Extremely well written, containing characters you feel connected to, and ending with a surprising plot twist, I recommend this book a thousand times over to anyone who will listen.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story is an excellent showcase of problems teens face everyday that really should be pointed out. I watched the movie before realized there was a book (I know, shame on me) and, surprisingly, the movie does the book justice. I know this is rarely the case with all of the “artistic” changes that take place when a movie is made that is based off of a book, but, with this cast, I don’t think anyone can complain. Anyways, this book perfectly showcases the ups and downs of a teens life. The downs include depression, suicide, and mental wards while love and friendship fill the ups.

Every single Sarah Dessen book I have read has left me wanting to read another. Unlike some authors, Dessen does not write series, but single books that stand by themselves. And, for a little fun fact, there is always at least one small detail that connects one of the books with another. For example, she often has a main character run into a minor character from a different book or includes a location that is the main setting of another book, but is just a shop that is passed by and commented on by the character in your book. It may just be me, but whenever I realize she is connecting her books, it makes me feel like an ultra-fan for noticing. Some of my favorite books by her are Keeping the Moon, This Lullaby, The Truth About Forever, Just Listen, Lock and Key, Along for the Ride, and What Happened to Goodbye.

And finally, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. This is the only John Green book I have read so far, though I want to read more. Once again, stupid library-goers are hogging books. Anyways, this book is definitely a tear-jerker. I was sobbing alone in my room when I finished this book. Now that I have warned you, I can get to describing the amazingness of the novel. First of all, it is the most well-written book I have ever read. Green seems to seamlessly weave together teenage “language” (if it can even be considered a language) and eloquent phrases. Second, you begin to love the characters the moment you meet them. Lastly, who doesn’t love a good romance? Overall, this is one of my favorite teen romance novels to date.

I don’t mean Hollywood “real life.” I mean REAL life problems that are not glorified or made unrealistic because they become too nitty-gritty. That could be the reasoning behind why I enjoy these books so much. I feel like too many authors make a happy ending just so they don’t have to go too deep. But that is what makes these so great. You can connect with these characters because they are going through the same things you may be experiencing. Besides, life isn’t always a happy ending, so why should books always have to have one?

– Kaelyn L., 10th grade

What Would Katniss Everdeen Read?

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Leila S.

In Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy, Katniss’ life seems very busy. But in the times that she is not spending as the star of the books, what does she do with her extra time, other than hunting, of course? Here are a few books that might catch Katniss’ attention.

1. The Giver, by Lois Lowry
The Giver is about a young boy named Jonas, who becomes trained by the elderly Giver, to eventually learn about the world outside of the controlled dystopian society. Katniss would enjoy this book because she could relate to Jonas’s frustration that there was no possible escape from the dystopian society. She would also relate to Jonas when he was learning about emotions and color, since before she went on her Victory Tour, she knew nothing about the other districts. However, both characters then developed a deeper understanding about the world around them because of their unique experiences.

2. The Maximum Ride Series, by James Patterson
The Maximum Ride series is about genetically modified ‘bird-kids’ who are trying to protect each other from several wolf-human mutations, not to mention the lab which created them. Katniss would enjoy this book because Max, the main character in this series, is a lot like Katniss in that they both care about their family and others to extreme measures. Max treats the other ‘bird-kids’ that live with her as family, even though they are not the slightest bit related. Likewise, Katniss makes the ultimate sacrifices for her sister, Prim, as well as her ally in her first Games, Rue.

3. My Brother Sam is Dead, by Christopher Collier & James Lincoln Collier
My Brother Sam is Dead is about a boy whose older brother goes to fight in the Revolutionary War. Being the younger brother, he always looked up to and wanted to do everything his brother did, always believing that it was special or fun. In this book, he wanted desperately to fight in the war. Katniss felt this way when she was being filmed during the war against the Capitol, which caused her leave safety of her protectors and cameramen and fight on the front line with Gale.

Now you’ve heard what I think Katniss would read in her spare time, what do you think? Are there any other titles you can see Katniss pulling off the shelves to read? What do you think she would read in the solitude of the woods on a peaceful afternoon? Let me know in the comments section below.

– Leila S., 8th grade

2013: My Top Five Reads

Posted on January 9, 2014 by Sabrina C.

2013-reads Happy new year! I read some pretty interesting books last year. Some of them were not published in 2013, but I am going to write about them anyway.

These are my top five favorite books of 2013:

1. Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
I absolutely loved it because it’s a thriller about the paranormal. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an engaging book and a little scare. It is the first book of the Legion Series.

2. Divergent by Veronica Roth
I love this book because there are so many twists and unexpected scenes in the story. There is something for everyone: romance, action, and danger around every corner. This is the first book in its series, and after reading this one, I couldn’t wait to start the others.

3. The Raft by S.A. Bodeen
When I wrote my full review for this book, I said it is in my top ten favorites and it is. The Raft is a great book for people who love suspense. The book describes so much action and really brings the story to life.

4. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
It’s the second book of the Divergent series. Roth has a certain ability that makes the reader feel like they are in the story. When I read this book, it felt like I was in the story.

5. Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
This is the third book of the Beautiful Creatures series. The love story still continues between Ethan and Lena, but their relationship is tested. The ending is one that I never saw coming. This book is great for romance and suspense lovers.

-Sabrina C., 8th grade

Frozen Movie Review and Readalikes

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Nicole G.

Disney’s newest animated feature, Frozen, is about princesses Elsa and Anna. Elsa has the beautiful and dangerous power to create snow, but after hurting Anna when they were little, she tries to hide her ability. When her power is revealed, she runs away, leaving Anna more alone than ever, yet Anna is determined to go after her, restore summer, and just get her sister back.

Frozen is an amazing movie with laugh-out-loud moments along with the ones that make your heart shatter. Although it doesn’t really follow the plot line of Hans Christian Andersen’s original fairy tale, The Snow Queen, with Elsa being good and Anna’s sister for instance, it maintains a fairy tale quality while having a modern feel.

The animation is astonishing, the snow so realistic, you almost get shivers just seeing it. The music that is equally fantastic, one of my favorite song being “For the First Time in Forever” (second only to “Let it Go”) because, besides being beautiful, it is the duet between two sisters and the theme of the entire story. The sisters were well developed with Anna somewhat awkward (in a good way) and adventurous and Elsa very cool and collected. What I liked best was how sisters were more important than a love interest, though that element is still there.

It is one of the best Disney movies I have seen and I definitely recommend it to anyone who loves those “Disney classics” that seem timeless, because that is Frozen. In honor of this movie, here is a list of books with sisters inspired by fairy tales.

The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, sisters Sabrina and Daphne Grimm (descendants of the Brothers Grimm) are sent to live with their grandmother in Ferryport Landing, where every fairy tale character (they prefer to be called Everafters) lives. When their Grandmother is kidnapped, it is up to the Sisters Grimm to take up the family business of fairy tale detectives if they ever wish to see their family again.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Sisters Scarlet and Rosie were attacked by werewolves at their grandmother’s house when they were young. Now they are the ones who hunt the werewolves down. Scarlet won’t stop until every werewolf is dead, but Rosie doesn’t want to fight anymore. How do you explain that to the sister who saved your life? It follows a possibility of what could have happened after the little red riding hood tale.

The Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

Did you know Sleeping Beauty has a little sister? Her name is Annie and she is immune to magic. It’s the only reason she didn’t fall asleep with the rest of the castle. To save the kingdom, Annie adventures out to find her sister’s true love to break the spell, maybe finding her own along the way. A sweet retelling of Sleeping Beauty as well as a few other fairy tales mixed in.

-Nicole G., 10th grade

Jane Austen Spinoffs Worth The Read

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Becka O.

I’m reviewing these awesome books by Jenni James. They are called Pride & Popularity, Northanger Alibi, Persuaded, and Emmalee. They are all modern day parallels to Jane Austen books (suprise, suprise right? Any of you who have read my blogs before probably know I’m borderline obsessed). All these books are set with characters from the same town that interact a bit in all the books. For example, the mean girl in Pride & Popularity is the best friend in Persuaded.

These books, collectively known as The Jane Austen Diaries, are amazing. They have super-good plot development and are true to the original while still adding cool plot twists. I’m going to give you an overview and little summary of each of the four books:

Pride & Popularity is all about Chloe Elizabeth Hart, redheaded, four-wheeling, fun loving teenage girl. She is just as determined not to fall in love with Taylor Darcy Anderson as he is to get her to fall in love with him. She is not going to be added to his ever growing list of girlfriends, not going to be associated with all the drama that goes along with dating Taylor. But she starts to wonder if even she can resist his gorgeous smile (even if it is really annoying sometimes).

Northanger Alibi follows Chloe’s little sister Claire to Seattle, Washington where she dreams of finding her very own Edward. As she gets caught up in the world of Twilight she starts creating crossovers she thinks make perfect sense and decides that her (kind of) crush is a vampire and she is the Bella of her very own Stephenie Meyer novel. It’s a really good book even if you aren’t a Twilight fan (Harry Potter all the way!)

Persuaded is all about Taylor Anderson’s former girlfriend Kylie’s best friend. Amanda was in love with Greg Wentworth when her cheerleading friends told her to break up with him. That was eight years ago and Amanda still wonders what might have been. Then he shows up again, totally hot, and acting like he doesn’t even remember Amanda. To make things even worse, the same friends that discouraged Amanda eight years ago are now throwing themselves all over Greg (who can fly girls to dates in his private plane). Amanda thinks she has lost any chance with Greg when a huge tragedy draws them close. Close enough that he might even begun to forgive her for breaking his heart all those years ago.

Emmalee follows the little sister of Zach Bradford, Taylor Anderson’s best friend. She is really annoying at first, because she thinks she can get whatever she wants because she has money and a “Bradford” smile. But when something huge happens, she realizes that she needs to make some major life changes, which may or may not involve Taylor’s super hot older brother.

If you have any time over Christmas break pick these up and read them. I guarantee you won’t put them down!

-Becka O., 9th grade

Movie Review & Book List: Gravity, with Sandra Bullock & George Clooney

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Satej B.

Recently I watched the movie Gravity in which Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are the main characters. In the beginning Sandra and George are in a space station. They are just doing routine check ups on the ship until they get a warning. The warning says that a foreign satellite broke and pieces of it are moving rapidly across the atmosphere. It was going to hit them! Sure enough it hits the ship and SPOILER ALERT—- kills George and another guy on the ship. Sandra is the only survivor, but does she have the equipment to get home? Will she ever see her home again?

I personally thought that this movie wasn’t dynamic enough. Example, in the trailer it was full of action, but the movie was filled with action for 15 minutes. The rest of the movie after the ship wreck was very dull and boring. But many people older than me thought this movie was very engaging and fun. All I know is it didn’t appeal to me. I wouldn’t say don’t see it. But I would say do not waste your money to watch it in theater. Just wait for it to come on dvd. I think many people of my age group, 7-15 years, would find this movie to be boring, because most people my age like action. But is you are not the total-action type or the Avengers kind you might have an interest in watching this movie.

All in all I would rate this movie a 6.5/10. It lacked many things to my mind. Gravity disappointed me… but just in case you’re a fan and would like some book recommendations that pair well with this movie, I recommend the following:

Space, by Roger Reid
Fourteen-year-old Jason accompanies his father to the annual reunion of long-time science colleagues at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and finds himself involved in a dangerous and complicated mystery.
Geronimo Stilton #52: Mouse in Space!
When an evil professor begins threatening New Mouse City with terrible inventions, Geronimo Stilton is enlisted by local authorities to embark on a top-secret mission to outer space to thwart a nefarious plot.
Space Pilot Connor Grant, by Todd Templeman
In a future that embraces humanity’s desire to explore and exploit the Solar System, raiding pirates have managed to hide their enormous strange base somewhere inside it. Space Pilot Connor Grant is about to learn just how immense it can be out there.

-Satej B., 7th grade

Teen Read Week: Seek the Unknown with Paranormal Stories

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Sarah B.

Teen Read Week is from October 13th to the 19th and the theme is “Seek the Unknown.” Right in time for Halloween and the spooky season of autumn, I’m focusing specifically on the genre of the paranormal.

Paranormal is defined as anything beyond normal explanation. The genre of the paranormal involves creatures, ideas, and other horrors unexplainable by science or reason. It also addresses themes such as supernatural phenomena and superstition. Paranormal stories leave you with a sense of unease and endless questions of “what if.”

My favorite literary works from the paranormal genre are actually short stories and poems. I feel that short stories and poems capture the essence of the paranormal better than novels because they are as short lived as the paranormal experiences themselves. The poems and short stories of Edgar Allan Poe are among my favorites in the paranormal genre.

illustration by Aubrey Beardsley

“The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe is my favorite paranormal story.

Edgar Allan Poe is by far one of my most beloved poets. His dark themes and imagery make for the ideal paranormal story. In my opinion, “The Black Cat” is the most frightening piece I have ever read by Poe. The short story is centered around an unnamed narrator. The narrator has been fond of animals all his life. He and his wife own several pets, including a large black cat named Pluto. The narrator and Pluto get along amicably and they are very fond of one another. Everything is going well until the narrator becomes an alcoholic, and in a fit of rage and confusion, he gouges the eyes of his beloved pet. Pluto then becomes afraid of the narrator and in another fit of rage, the narrator hangs the cat from a tree. In the middle of the night, the narrator’s house burns down and he comes back the next day to collect his belongings, only to find a depiction of Pluto in a noose on the wall. He disregards this and moves on with his life. He later finds a cat like Pluto in a tavern, they are identical in every way but one: this cat has a white patch on his black fur. The narrator soon begins to resent the animal and also begins to notice that at times the white patch on the cat resembles the gallows. The cat and the narrator’s relationship goes from unpleasant to unmatched. The cat attempts to trip the narrator so he would fall down stairs so, the narrator attempts to kill the cat and the story only progresses even more paranormally from there!

-Sarah B., 12th grade

Book List: Books for a Roadtrip

Posted on September 20, 2013 by Maddie

photo by flickr user Tim Lucas

Most of us have been stuck in a car or a plane for an extended period of time. Maybe your family is driving to another state. Or maybe you want a good book to read by the pool. Either way, the books you choose to bring with you matter. Earlier this summer, I drove to Palm Desert with my family, and chose the following books to read on during the vacation.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle is a book I read when I was younger. I’d always liked the odd, sci-fi aspect of the story, but after rereading it, I fell in love all over again! As a diehard science fiction fan, A Wrinkle in Time is sci-fi gold. The main character is a girl named Meg whose father works for the government as a scientist. When he disappears, she and her siblings look into what their father was working on when he vanished. Meg finds that he was working on a project about something called a tesseraect (a geometric figure used for space and time travel that’s also been referenced in The Avengers). Meg, her youngest brother, and a misfit boy from Meg’s school travel through space and time to find Meg’s father.

Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke is targeted to have an older audience. It isn’t exactly young adult literature, but it is a phenomenal story about an alien invasion in the late 20^th century. The humans begin calling these creatures, which remain in their spaceships, overlords. The book itself has an odd format; it has three parts, no main character, and is written in third person omniscient. It’s an excellent book to read because you get to discover the mysteries of the overlords along with the rest of the human race.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld is about a fifteen year old girl named Tally Youngblood. It is set three hundred years in the future, and on your sixteenth birthday, you get an operation so that you can be pretty. Tally only wants to become a pretty and live where all of the beautiful people are. However, her friend decides she doesn’t want the operation and escapes to the wild. Tally is given an ultimatum: help a secret branch of government locate her friend and the rest of the runaways and bring them back or stay ugly forever. Tally embarks on a journey that changes her views of the world, and ultimately, her future.

Each of these books are considered science fiction, and even if you don’t care for sci-fi, these books are incredibly well written.

-Madison M., 12th grade

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