Belleville West Readers Approach One Million Pages

The freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are all three-quarters of the way (or better) to one million pages for the 2013-2014 school year!  This year, the BW English Department challenged the class of 2014, the class of 2015, the class of 2016, and the class of 2017 to each read one million pages of pleasure reading. 

At the end of the fourth triad, the freshman class has read the most total pages, with 951,344 pages of pleasure reading—more than 95% of one million pages!  The freshmen read 244,395 pages in the fourth triad.  (That’s the highest number for any class this triad, but it represents a drop of about 30,000 pages from the freshman class’s second and third triad numbers.)  That’s an average of 401 pages per freshman during the fourth triad.

These freshman classes read the most pages per student during the fourth triad: 

Ms. Ursani, first hour:  879 pages per student
Ms. Ursani, second hour:  823 pages per student
Mrs. Hunter, fifth hour:  683 pages per student
Mr. Garland, fifth hour:  673 pages per student
Mrs. Thurnau, fifth hour:  662 pages per student
Mrs. Thurnau, sixth hour:  659 pages per student
Mrs. Thurnau, first hour:  572 pages per student
Mrs. Short, fourth hour:  569 pages per student
Mrs. Hunter, fourth hour:  549 pages per student

At the end of the fourth triad, the junior class has maintained a slight lead for second place, with 818,361 pages of pleasure reading—more than 80% of one million pages!  The juniors read 212,481 pages in the fourth triad (an impressive number, but a drop of about 20,000 pages from their third triad total).  That’s an average of 456 pages per junior during the fourth triad—the best per student average of any class.

These junior classes read the most pages per student during the fourth triad:

Mr. Brunner, first hour:  1048 pages per student
Mr. Brunner, sixth hour:  940 pages per student
Mr. Brunner, fifth hour:  920 pages per student
Ms. Sage, third hour:  695 pages per student
Mr. Brunner, second hour:  683 pages per student
Mrs. Story, fourth hour:  634 pages per student
Mr. Garland, third hour:  570 pages per student
Mr. Spriggs, third hour:  564 pages per student
Mr. Garland, first hour:  502 pages per student

At the end of the fourth triad, the sophomore class has climbed to third place with 816,287 pages of pleasure reading—that’s just 2,000 pages behind the junior class.  The sophomores read 235,038 pages in the fourth triad (their best number all year, with an increase of 22,000 pages over the third triad).  That’s an average of 401 pages per sophomore in the fourth triad.

These sophomore classes read the most pages per student during the fourth triad: 

Mrs. Spriggs, fifth hour:  1384 pages per student*
Mrs. Spriggs, second hour:  930 pages per student
Mr. Reidelberger, third hour:  775 pages per student
Mr. Johnson, fifth hour:  708 pages per student
Mr. Johnson, fourth hour:  590 pages per student
Mrs. Spriggs, sixth hour:  547 pages per student
Mrs. Short, sixth hour:  500 pages per student

*  This is the highest average per student for all four grades.  Outstanding!

At the end of the fourth triad, the senior class has slipped to fourth place, with 760,600 pages of pleasure reading.  The seniors read 174,357 pages in the fourth triad (a decrease of 64,000 pages from their third triad number).  The seniors read an average of 402 pages per senior in the fourth triad.

These senior classes read the most pages per student during the fourth triad:

Mr. Garland, second hour:  1364 pages per student
Mr. Lodle, sixth hour:  870 pages per student
Mrs. Thurnau, seventh hour:  697 pages per student
Mr. Brunner, third hour:  695 pages per student
Mr. Lodle, fifth hour:  623 pages per student
Mr. Johnson, first hour:  409 pages per student

During the fourth triad, the BW English teachers read 18,730 pages—their best triad yet, with an average of 937 pages per English teacher.

FRESHMEN, if you continue reading at the pace that you set during the first semester, you can read more pages than any class has ever read for the Million Page Challenge.  SENIORS, are you really going to let all of the other classes read more pages than you do?  Don’t let senioritis set in yet!

Vote for the Abe Lincoln Book Award

The deadline to vote for the 2013-2014 Abe Lincoln Book Award is next Friday, February 28.  Any student who has read at least four books from this year’s list is eligible to vote.  Students can vote for their favorite book in the BW Library.

2013-2014 ABE LINCOLN BOOKS

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Ashes by Ilsa Bick

Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Ready Player One by Cline Ernest

Room by Emma Donoghue

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

Five Flavors of Dumb by John Antony

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King

Every Day by David Levithan

Legend by Marie Lu

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco Stork

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

BW Book Club Picks April Selection

Members of the Belleville West Book Club have selected The Cove, a novel by Ron Rash, for their next meeting.  Discussion will be held at 5:00 p.m. at The Abbey on Wednesday, April 9.  Copies of The Cove will be available at the circulation desk of the BW Library at the end of January.

THE COVE by Ron Rash
Deep in the rugged Appalachians of North Carolina lies the cove—a dark, forbidding place where spirits wander and even light fears to travel.  Or so the townsfolk of Mars Hill believe—just as they know that Laurel Shelton, the lonely young woman who lives within its shadows, is a witch.  Then it happens—a stranger appears, carrying nothing but a silver flute and a note explaining that his name is Walter and he is mute—and Laurel experiences true companionship and happiness for the first time.  But Walter harbors a secret that could destroy everything.  In a time of uncertainty, when fear and danger reign, Laurel and Walter will discover that love alone may not be enough to protect them.