At Rosemont, students are required to read a certain number of books every year. Some of these books include “The Giver”, “Schooled”, and “Other Words for Home”. Some students really appreciate the school’s choice of books, but others do not.
One of the books, “The Giver” by Lois Lowry, is about a young boy named Jonas who is turning 12, which is a big event in his community because it is the day people receive their job for life and officially turn into an adult. However, Jonas receives an unusual assignment that he or anyone he knew was expecting him to get. The book takes you through an experience of Jonas attempting to finish his job training with the struggles that come with it and meeting his mysterious mentor. “It’s a good book because it’s interesting” said student Robert Basmadjyan. “The Giver was amazing” said 8th grader Elliot Deyto. “The Giver” generally is praised by eighth grade students.
“Schooled” is a novel that 7th graders have to read, and students have many different opinions on it. Some describe it a a great book while others call it horrible. Schooled is a book based on a teenage boy named Cap, who lives with his Grandma, Rain, at a farm commune. Rain is injured, so Cap no longer has a proper guardian and cannot be homeschooled by his grandmother anymore. As a result, Cap is forced to live a regular civilian life outside the commune and attend public school. Cap must face the challenges that lay ahead of him and adjust to being a regular kid. “I think in Schooled, the characters are poorly written and the ending was cringe.” said student Ben Ruddy. “Schooled was pretty good but pretty short,” said student Titus Park. Schooled is generally a bit more unpopular among students and sometimes negatively reviewed.
“Other Words For Home” is a book that 7th graders read about a young girl living in Syria named Jude. Syria is in a civil war and it is only getting worse. Then, Jude’s mother reveals that she is pregnant, and Syria is not a safe place to raise a baby due to the war, so they travel to America to live with their Uncle Mazin and his family in Cincinnati. Jude must adjust to living the life as an American and face the struggles with being an immigrant. “It’s different but it’s good to hear different people’s views on America,” said student Liam Shin. “It was an okay experience and I wouldn’t read it again” said student Phillip Bedrosian. Overall, people viewed “Other Words For Home” as unique and a decent book.