Reading Is Cool: Books To Prove It

By ISABELA RZEZNIK, GB Youth Board

Published: December 18, 2003

ATLANTA—I know what half of you are thinking. Reading?

I’d much rather be doing something else. Well, despite popular belief, reading is indeed an enjoyable pastime. The following books are awesome, and will provide anyone, from avid reader to hardly-ever reader, with hours of enjoyment.

“A Separate Peace” - John Knowles

Most likely, you have heard of this book as either a school assignment or the dreaded summer reading. Many people I asked did not enjoy it, most likely because they were forced to read it. However, I certainly did enjoy it. John Knowles made the competitive world of an all-boys prep school come alive, while choosing his words carefully. The story is believable, yet unique, and I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to explore the human conscience.

“Takeoffs and Landings” - Margaret Peterson Haddix

This book is a great book for anyone struggling with family problems. The book follows two teenagers whose mother, after the untimely death of their father eight years earlier, has been touring the country as a motivational speaker. The brother and sister, who have not gotten along since their father died, are on another, more personal journey, and at the end they discover what being a family means.

“Jackaroo,” “On Fortune’s Wheel,” “Elske” - Cynthia Voigt

This series of books by renowned author Cynthia Voigt are excellent for anyone who is looking for medieval adventure and romance. The books follow three different girls, soon to be women, who despite being from different generations, all have a similar yet unique story. Each one is a hidden pearl in a sea of bestsellers, and all should be read and appreciated.

“What’s in a Name” - Ellen Wittlinger

A small town has always been a popular setting for a book, but this book plays the “middle of nowhere” card very well. The town, inhabited by a variety of teenagers whose lives dominate this book, is thinking of changing its name. Some people are against the name change and some are for it. The opinions of the teens are sometimes heard yet many times not, but in the end, everyone seems to come home happy.

“Many Waters” - Madeleine L’Engle

When a set of mischievous teenage twin boys wander into their mother’s laboratory, they end up sending themselves into the ancient past—to a time when angels walked the earth, and people thought 100 years old was young. In fact, Noah is still around, along with his large family, no ark in sight. The twins soon find themselves involved in the conflicts of the day, and both fall in love--with the same girl. Both boys grow in the past, and come back to the future smarter and ready to take on the world.

“Paperquake: A Puzzle” - Kathryn Reiss

Violet has always been the weak third triplet, protected, quiet and shy. Desperate for her popular sisters to notice her, she tries to change herself, but one thing does not change: her terrifying fear of earthquakes. When San Francisco is rocked with more earthquakes then normal, Violet begins to find letters from the past that sound suspiciously familiar. Slowly she and her sisters find a trail of letters, which may be predicting a disaster: the biggest earthquake San Francisco has seen since 1906.

Isabela Rzeznik is a sophomore at Blessed Trinity High School, Roswell, and belongs to St. Ann’s Church, Marietta.