Reviewer's name: Brad A.
Role: student
Book title: Into the Wild
Author: Jon Krakauer
Category: non-fiction
Summary: Chris McCandless is a very intelligent individual that sold everything and gave his 25,000 dollar bank acount to a charity and then goes off on a journey across the country to live in the wild. He makes his way to the Alaskan wild after hitch-hiking his way from the east coast. He meets many people on his quest and develops relationships with almost everyone who gives him rides. He ends up in the wild in Alaska. It is known from the beginning of the book that Chris dies in Alaska but the book isn't about whether he makes it or not. It's about his journey along the way. McCandless kept a journal and Krakauer follows the path that Chris took and talks to the people whom he met. It is very intriguing what Chris went through and how he lived "on the road."
Personal response: I would recommend this book to everyone. It is amazing to see how Chris lived his life as he traveled across the country. It's an amazing book. Krakauer does an incredible job of tracing every step of Chris' and its so much fun to read.

Reviewer's name: Brad A.
Role: student
Grade: 12
Book title: Into Thin Air
Author: Jon Krakauer
Category: non-fiction
Summary: Jon Krakauer takes a trip climbing Mount Everest to write an article in Outsider's Magazine. He describes his journey up the mountain and all the relationships he develops with the other climbers. The most important part of his trip is the journey up the mountain, not just getting to the peak. It is an intense book that helps the reader learn to be more thankful and grateful for what one has and also more thankful for the people in one's life.
Personal response: I would recommend this book because it helps to show the importance of life and to value every stage in life you are in. It goes off topic a little bit and some parts are kind of slow but overall it's a very good book.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Erin P.
Role: Student
Grade: 12
Book title: The Bluest Eye
Author: Toni Morrison
Category: fiction
Summary: Pecola Breedlove is an 11 year old black girl who yearns for the perfect life. She lives in Ohio with her family that has no love for her or each other. Pecola sees a blue eyed girl and idealizes how great her life must be, and she looks to the bluest eyes for hope. Pecola deals with the daily struggles of living in a world full of hatred, desperation, and worst of all, no love.
Personal response: I would really recommend this book to many different people. This book makes you realize how lucky you are to live where you do. I truly feel that this book captivates the hardships that many people have to go through and how blessed we are to have such loving and caring family and friends.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Erin P.
Role: student
Grade: 12
Book title: Beloved
Author: Toni Morrison
Category: fiction
Summary: The story takes place in Cincinatti, Ohio, where an ex-slave family resides. Sethe (an ex-slave) goes to live with her mother in an old beat up house. She brings along her littlest daughter Denver. Once living in the house they begin to notice an apparation appear of Sethe's dead daughter who was killed earlier. Beloved (the apparation) "haunts" the house and makes Sethe realize she needs to go out and forget about her past and move on. Denver is an inspiration to Sethe and serves as a symbol of hope for all of the community.
Personal response: I would greatly recommend this book to everyone that loves to read literature. This book is a perfect example of how hard some people's lives are and how lucky we are to live in a loving home. This book impacts the way I think about many different events and is truly a great piece of literature.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Steven L.
Role: student
Grade: 12
Book title: A Painted House
Author: John Girsham
Category: fiction
Summary: Luke Chandler is a seven year old boy living on a cotton picking farm with his parents and grandparents in Arkansas, who is about to experience the adventure of his life. This story involves friendship, suspense, and murders, and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last sentence.
Personal response: I would highly recommend this book because of the simple writing style and personal involvment of the reader. John Grisham has become one of my all-time favorite writers and by reading this book, I think you will feel the same way. This book involves suspense, family values, and finding a place in life. This book may not sound as interesting as you may like, but believe me after the first paragraph you will not be able to put it down. Remember don't judge a book by its cover!
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Steven L.
Role: student
Grade: 12
Book title: The Testament
Author: John Grisham
Category: fiction
Summary: The main character's life in 'The Testament' involves many different kinds of experiences; a trip to the Amazon, a battle with alcoholism, and a legal battle over a eleven billion dollar fortune. One person will decide who gets the fortune, except one problem, she lives as a missionary in the Amazon, segregated from everyone.
Personal response: Reading this book is a great suspenseful experience, that will leave you wondering what will happen next. If you'd like to travel around the world and visit different people, this book would be a great fit for you.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Taryn N.
Role: student - 12th grade
Book title: 100 Years of Solitude
Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Category: fiction
Summary: The mythical tale of the town of Macondo is told through the Buendia family. This founding family's presence in the town creates many amusing, magical, yet realistic stories. The story is noted for it being in the genre of magical-realism.
Personal response: This is an incredible book. This is a book that changes your perception on life. 100 Years of Solitude is now by far my favorite book. The story comes alive with the incredibly relatable characters. This book won't be put down until you have finished reading this. The profound message hidden with the pages of this novel should be read by everyone!
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Taryn N.
Role: student - 12th grade
Book title: Love in the Time of Cholera
Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Category: fiction
Summary: The tale of star crossed lovers has never been this realistic. When both Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza are in their adolescents, they fall in love. Fermina chooses the life of high-class parties and wealth by marrying a famous doctor. Florentino quixotic nature causes him to wait fifty-one years, nine months, and four days until Fermina's husband dies to once again declares his undying love. During the years he rose to the stop of his business he spends his time in six hundred and twenty-two affairs but never giving his heart to anyone knowing it belonged to Fermina. So on the day of Fermina's husband's funeral, Florentino purposefully attends having a goal in mind.
Personal response: If there was ever a "true" love story this is most definitely it. This book warms the heart to see this tale of unrequited love that truly is not stopped by any obstacle. This too, should be required reading for the human race. The magical-realism also can be found in this story as well. I would most definitely recommend this book to literally anyone. This book gives new meaning to the overly used "love." And although it never is exactly conventional it can be found in nearly every aspect of the book. If you read this you should read 100 Years of Solitude because they seem to fit together.

Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Mr. Winter
Role: teacher
Book title: Illustrated Man
Author: Ray Bradbury
Category: science fiction
Summary: This is a series of short stories about the illustrations tattooed on a man. Each of the illustrations is a story set in the future or with some science fiction elements. The text can be enjoyed on many levels -- just for the stories or for the deeper meanings related to the environment, family, and democracy.
Personal response: I read this book as a teenager many years ago and decided to read it again. It was one of my favorite books back then and stimulated my own writing with the thought provoking stories of where we are headed.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Ms. Kehoe Ramsey
Role: teacher
Book title: The Odyssey
Author: Homer; Robert Fagles, translator
Category: poetry
Summary: The classic tale of the hero's struggle to return home after the Trojan War -- just when it seems that all the gods and most humans are against him, will he succeed in his quest? This story has it all: storms, shipwrecks, feasting, the cyclops, the sea monsters, the princess, the faithful wife, the treacherous enemies, and lots of blood and destruction.
Personal response: I couldn't put this book down! This translator has really made an ancient story easy and exciting to read.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Lori Buechner
Role: Secondary Librarian
Book title: Dances with Wolves
Author: Michael Blake
Category: historical fiction
Summary: This book was made into a movie a few years back, with Kevin Costner depicting Lieutenant John Dunbar, but don't let seeing the movie re-played on American Movie Channel hundreds of times stop you from reading this fascinating story! Blake does a fabulous job of weaving the story lines together, and drawing you into the characters' thoughts and lives. I loved being able to 'hear' what was going on inside the Commanche's minds as they tried to cross the language barrier with the 'Loo Ten Nant'. Lt. Dunbar's relationship with his horse and 'Two Socks' the wolf, is especially endearing to animal lovers. Blake's depiction of the American west contains some difficult themes of destruction and cruelty to be sure, but it is still definitely worth reading!
Personal response: Absolutely! Interesting perspectives on how the different Native American tribes may have viewed and interacted with one another. Irresistably sweet love story, too! Some violent/mature content - this was the 'wild west' after all!
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Ms. Kehoe Ramsey
Role: teacher
Book title: The Kite Runner
Author: Khaled Hosseini
Category: fiction
Summary: This is the story of a boyhood in Afganistan at the dawn of the Taliban regime. It is also a story of friendship, growing up, immigration, fathers and sons, and the struggle for identity and presevation of culture in a foreign land.
Personal response: This was an eye-opening story about a culture that I have only limited experience with. I learned a ton, but it also really made me think as it raised complicated issues of morality and conscience. Definitely memorable, and also not for young readers.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Joan Larson
Role: staff
Summary: The story takes place in modern day Afghanistan. It is about a young boy growing up trying to please his father and the relationship between the boy and his servant. Mistakes are made and regrets formed, however, over the course of his life, the boy, now a man, is able to redeem himself and his relationships. The story moves from Afghanistan to America and back.
Personal response: I would highly recommend this book. It will make you cry and some of the modern historical events come to life as you find yourself living in a war-torn country with the author.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Lori Buechner
Book title: Marley & Me
Author: John Grogan
Category: humor
Summary: Author John Grogan and his wife get more than they bargain for when they adopt a yellow lab, 'Marley', into their lives. This book has you laughing out loud one page and then dabbing at the corners of your eyes the next. Anyone who has ever owned a less-than-obedient dog HAS to read this book. My friend Lynn let me borrow her copy and I've already purchased multiple other copies to give as gifts to fellow dog lovers. We'll see if Lynn ever gets her copy back...
Personal response: Yes! A great book to read aloud with your spouse or older children. Some 'adult' humor and mature content, but otherwise appropriate for teens and adults alike.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Richard Da Silva
Role: teacher
Book title: Cell
Author: Stephen King
Category: horror
Summary: Someone has found a new way to disable the United States on a level never before expected or anticipated. By using the Nations of technology and more directly the love of cell phones, this unknown person or persons have disabled the greatest nation on the planet, possibly having disabled the entire world. At a predetirmined time a "pulse is sent to every cell phone in the U.S., anyone either talking on the phone at this time or answering the phone undergoes a dramatic change. This event causes all those on a cell phone or answering this call, is transformed to mankinds most basic instinct, kill or be killed. Parents turn on children, children on friends it becomes a battle for survival between the "phone crazies" and the "normies", people who were not on a cell phone. Who will control the United States from here on out, which of your friends and family are still alive and how to find them in this new time in the U.S., are all issues presented in this book. Most importantly who is actually directing the phone crazies. The story takes places primarily on the East Coast, but could happen anywhere and is based on that expectation. The main character had bought his 12 year old son a cell phone, with no way to call his son, or check on him, speculation runs wild as to what has happened to various loved ones of all the characters in this book. Also what people will do to survive, including turning on each other.
Personal response: I am a huge Stephen King fan and do think this is a good book by the author. However I would say it is for mature reading audiences only, there is graphic details of violence and suggestive language with a large amount of profanity. It did in my case cause me to ask people what they would do, and was shocked to discover how many "phone crazies" would be people I knew and helped raise, and caused me to question if I could do what would be required for my own survival.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Ms. Kehoe Ramsey
Role: teacher
Book title: Sweetwater Creek
Author: Anne Rivers Siddons
Category: fiction
Summary: This is one year in the life of Emily, a southern girl struggling to come to terms with the secrets of her family, the expectations of her father, what it means to be a friend, and what it means to be yourself. Emily lives on a small plantation and helps her father raise Boykin spaniels, so if you love dogs, this is the book for you.
Personal response: This is an endearing story -- sweet, sensitive, true-to-life. It made me want a spaniel. I thought Emily's resistance to growing up was a powerful and true concept, and the story was easy to read and enjoyable.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Ms. Kehoe Ramsey
Role: teacher
Book title: Christ the Lord
Author: Anne Rice
Category: fiction
Summary: Wait, isn't Anne Rice the one that writes all those vampire books? Yes, and this book born out of a total personal transformation for her. This is the story of one year in the childhood of Jesus of Nazareth, as told by Jesus himself. This book tells the story of his daily life, his parents, his siblings, his hopes and dreams, and the little trials of life we all face -- and one big realization that none of us face!
Personal response: This book is startling and thought-provoking. It is sweet and realistic. It is plausible, and it is interesting to consider. It is NOT sacreligious; Rice treats her subject with the utmost respect. If you are skeptical about reading this book, read the Epilogue first -- she'll convince you she's for real.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Andy Bilisoly
Role: student - 12th grade
Book title: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Author: Sherman Alexie
Category: non-fiction
Summary: This book is composed of a series of short stories that paint a picture of what life is really like on an Indian Reservation in Spokane, Washington. Alexie depicts life on the reservation as being characterized mainly by alcohol, basketball, and laziness all which contribute to the grim picture created by the book. Alexie also cleverly weaves in irony and fantasy to paint an absurd and unbelievable picture of life on the reservation that can really leave the reader scratching his/her head!
Personal response: This is a one of kind book in the way that it gives such a close up and in depth look at a matter that few people probably ever consider. I was really impressed by its contents and would recommend it to anyone who hasn't read a book like this that gives such great incite into a people's culture. There are many intriguing stories within this book's covers that will leave you at times laughing and at others scratching your head and feeling sorry for the pathetic situation that characters in the book find themselves in.
Paw print rating:

Reviewer's name: Andy Bilisoly
Role: student:
Book title: Reservation Blues
Author: Sherman Alexie
Category: fiction
Summary: This is a novel starring main characters Thomas-Builds-the Fire, Victor Joseph, and Junior Polatkin from the book The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, who put together a Catholic Rock-and-Roll band called Coyote Springs. They begin gaining popularity and seem destined for success, that is, until they go to New York to do their first recording in front of a big wig. Absolutely everything goes wrong and they end up going back home to the reservation very dejected. Alexie seems to play on this event to emphasize the fact that everyone on the reservation is pretty much doomed to failure and that they have gotten the "rotten" lot in life.
Personal response: This is another book that would be great for someone to read if he/she had never read something like this before. It really makes you think about the hardships of others and how great our lot in life really is. It really made an impression on me and I think that others who have not read this type of work should do so to really understand where others are coming from and the history that plays into their culture resulting in who they are as human beings.
Paw print rating: