Four Books for your Reading List this Spring Break!

It’s no secret to students that attaining a balance between school-work and extra-curricular responsibilities can get difficult, and often results in the prioritization of tasks and the sacrifice of certain recreational activities. Speaking for myself, I can say that I’ve found myself sacrificing my personal reading time when life gets too hectic -- a component in my day which I value greatly. Upon asking around, several other Sentinel students can also relate to the fact that they’ve had to replace reading their own desired books with that of required reading for class.

Fortunately though, Spring Break is only a week away! In the midst of resting and regenerating over this two-week break, we can also utilize this given time to reconnect with recreational reading; as students, let’s catch up on our anticipated books we’ve been putting off and allow ourselves the wonderful gift of falling back into the swing of reading!

If you are unsure of what your next read is going to be, here is a brief list of four captivating books that have been recommended by Sentinel’s own student body:

1. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz

This is a book that I personally got a chance to read back in January. I found it to be a beautiful coming of age story, narrated through the perspectives of two teenage characters: Aristotle and Dante. The story depicts the harsh realities of dealing with self-identification, stereotypes, race, sexuality and familial conflicts in adolescence. This fictional novel is a quick read, but it tackles many harsh topics (for being in the YA genre) and forces one to truly think and digest the content; a factor that I find to distinguish a good book from a great book. I believe this story to be one that can touch everyone’s hearts in one aspect, if not many.

2. Letters to a Young Poet - Rainer Maria Rilke

With just 80 pages, this book has become a highly acclaimed piece of literature and the favourites of many! The story takes place in 1903, when a military academy student, Franz Kappus, decides to send some of his verses to a well-known Austrian poet, inquiring for feedback. This short novel is written in the style of the letters that are being sent back to Kappus over the course of five years. Grade 11 student, Flora, says that she found the story to be very “self-affirming”. She elaborates on how she found it endearing and fascinating how a “super accomplished and acclaimed poet had so much respect and humility talking to a student”.

3. All the Bright Places - Jennifer Niven

This Young Adult novel, recently adapted into a motion picture, follows the story of two very dissimilar high school students: Violet and Theodore. We follow their journey as they come to learn from each other’s differences and re-discover the world’s “natural wonder” in a captivating and emotional story. This novel speaks to the topics of depression and mental health and allows its readers to think about the issues at a larger given context. Erin, grade 11, mentions how “reading about these difficult issues within a structured story let me learn more about the topics, while still being able to enjoy the book”.

4. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

Recommended to us by one of our own Sentinel Sun writers, Mimi, grade 11, states how she found “the abstract philosophical ideas and how well they’re presented” in this book compelling! This globally renowned novel, published in 1890 and known as one of Oscar Wilde’s most popular work, tackles the moral dilemma of a man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. The complexities of the themes and messages communicated in this book are those for each reader to uncover and interpret on their own, in this roller coaster (and popularly stated as controversial) novel. Although it may not be the easiest read, this book is a great candidate to get you thinking and discussing with a friend this spring break!

Reflecting back on these recommendations, as well as the words of a few students, we can see that books have the capability to show us our complex world through different perspectives, expose us to discussion concerning important topics and push us out of our comfort zones -- all while giving us the pure joy of reading a story! This spring break, we encourage Sentinel students to take advantage of their newly found free time and indulge themselves in a new book, as well as re-discover for themselves the joy of reading.