2013-2014 Reading Challenge Begins

Belleville West students have recently started the school’s fourth annual Million Page Challenge.  This year, each of the four classes is being challenged to read at least one million pages of pleasure reading.  This year’s senior class participated in the inaugural Million Page Challenge in 2010-2011.  Over the past three years, that class (the class of 2014) has read 3,795,525 pages.  Start reading, Belleville West!

Book Club Announces First Choice of the Year

Members of the BW Book Club will gather for their first meeting on Wednesday, October 2, to discuss Slave: My True Story by Mende Nazer.  The group will meet at The Abbey on West Main Street from 5-6 p.m.  Members of all classes are welcome to participate.  Copies of the first book are now available in the BW Library.

SLAVE: MY TRUE STORY by Mende Nazer

Mende Nazer lost her childhood at age twelve, when she was sold into slavery.  On a horrific night in 1993, raiders swept through her Nuba village, murdering the adults and rounding up thirty-one children, including Mende.  She was sold to a wealthy family who lived in Sudan’s capital city, Khartoum.  She was subjected to appalling physical, sexual, and mental abuse.  She slept in a shed and ate the family leftovers like a dog.  She had no rights, no freedom, and no life of her own.  Seven years after she was seized and sold into slavery, she was sent to work for another master—a diplomat working in the United Kingdom.  In London, she managed to make contact with other Sudanese, who took pity on her.  Slave is a story almost beyond belief.  It depicts the strength and dignity of the Nuba tribe.  It recounts the savage way in which the Nuba and their ancient culture are being destroyed by a secret modern-day trade in slaves.  Most of all, it is a remarkable testimony to one young woman’s unbreakable spirit and tremendous courage.

BW Book Club Hosts First Meeting

Any student interested in the Belleville West Book Club is encouraged to attend a short informational meeting after school on Thursday, August 22, in room B323.  At the meeting, students can register for club membership, hear about the first book, and learn more about discussion meetings. 

The Book Club meets four times during the year (October, December, January, and April) to discuss books selected by the student readers.  Meetings are held at The Abbey on West Main Street.

Students in all grade levels are welcome to attend.

Class of 2016 Chooses Favorite Books

At the close of the 2012-2013 school year, members of the class of 2016 (the freshman class) selected their favorite books.  These are some of their top selections for pleasure reading:

Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Tyrell series by Coe Booth

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Graceling series by Kristin Cashore

The House of Night series by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

North of Beautiful by Justina Chen

City of Bones series by Cassandra Clare

Something like Fate by Susane Colasanti

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Matched series by Ally Condie

Carter’s Big Break by Brent Crawford

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

Ball Don’t Lie by Matt de la Pena

Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

Tears of a Tiger series by Sharon Draper

Perfect Chemistry series by Simone Elkeles

Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Looking for Alaska by John Green

Crank series by Ellen Hopkins

Breaking Through by Francisco Jimenez

The First Part Last series by Angela Johnson

Firelight series by Sophie Jordan

Under the Dome by Stephen King

Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer

The Giver series by Lois Lowry

Sold by Patricia McCormick

Wake series by Lisa McMann

The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Ashfall series by Mike Mullin

Sunrise over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

The Immortals series by Alyson Noel

No Easy Day by Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer

Inheritance series by Christopher Paolini

Maximum Ride series by James Patterson

A Child Called “It” by Dave Pelzer

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci

Across the Universe series by Beth Revis

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan

The Kane Chronicles series by Rick Riordan

Divergent series by Veronica Roth

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Cirque du Freak series by Darren Shan

Unwind series by Neal Shusterman

Hip Hop High School by Alan Lawrence Sitomer

Lockdown: Escape from Furnace series by Alexander Gordon Smith

The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah

Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Wish You were Dead series by Todd Strasses

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Nowhere Fast by Kevin Waltman

Life in Prison by Stanley Williams

The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancey

Summer is a Great Time to Read!

Looking for some good books this summer?  Check out the 2013-2014 Abraham Lincoln and Read for a Lifetime books.  Then sign up to participate in the Abe Lincoln and RFL programs in the BW Library when school starts in August.

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

2013-2014 READ FOR A LIFETIME BOOKS

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

Bomb by Steve Sheinkin

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Colin Fischer by Ashley Edward Miller and Zach Stentz

Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Discovering Wes Moore by Wes Moore

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Every Day by David Levithan

Flesh & Blood so Cheap by Albert Marrin

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

The List by Siobhan Vivian

Mythology for Teens by Zachary Hamby

Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis

Supergirls by Mike Madrid

Tiger Lily by Jodi Anderson

Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand