A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen
One of the best-known, most frequently performed of modern plays, A Doll's House richly displays the genius with which Henrik Ibsen pioneered modern, realistic prose drama. In the central character of Nora, Ibsen epitomized the human struggle against the humiliating constraints of social conformity.
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Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Ms. Nitasha Rajoo joined Collingwood in September and is participating for the first time in our Summer Reading book club program. As a former Drama teacher, she has a strong background in theatre, hence her selection of this classic play.
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Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Huxley's profoundly important 'classic of world literature, Brave New World is a searching vision of an unequal, technologically-advanced future where humans are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively uphold an authoritarian ruling order–all at the cost of our freedom, full humanity, and perhaps also our souls.
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Socials teacher, Mr. Andrew Cantarutti coaches soccer. Of his free time, Mr. Cantarutti says: "Can you have too many hobbies? Probably, because I think I might. I'm an avid cyclist, runner, and swimmer (yes, that's triathlon, smarty pants). I play soccer, ski, and will generally say yes to any athletic activity. I'm always trying to improve my photography skills, I read whenever I get the chance, and sometimes that inspires me to write a few of my own creative words on a blank page. But beyond all else, my primary muse is travel."
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The Princess Bride by William Goldman
A classic swashbuckling romance retells the tale of a drunken swordsman and a gentle giant who come to the aid of Westley, a handsome farm boy, and Buttercup, a princess in dire need of rescue from the evil schemers surrounding her.
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Mr. Eric Waters is "in charge of ExL, Explore, and Global Ed...so all the fun stuff!" Mr. Waters is a weekend warrior and dabbles in every outdoor sport you can think of. He also enjoys cooking and of course, reading: "I read a lot of non-fiction, biography, history and adventure books; however, I do love the occasional classic fiction tale - hence my choice this year."
So why should students read this book: "This is the book that inspired one of the greatest cult-classic movies of all time and the book is EVEN BETTER! It is a FUN READ, really light yet full of depth and relevance. Readers of this book will have an absolute blast recounting favourite passages. I wanted a book that would make for the most fun and entertaining book club meeting of all time. INCONCEIVABLE!" |
The Secret Garden by William Goldman
Ten-year-old orphan Mary Lennox comes to live in a lonely house on the Yorkshire moors and discovers an invalid cousin and the mysteries of a locked garden.
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Ms. Bethan Haston teaches Humanities 9 and AP Human Geography. She coaches volleyball and sponsors the Geography Club. In her free time, she likes to adventure outdoors, eat good food, and spend time with her dog and her garden.
Why did she chose this book to sponsor: "A student recommended this one to me. I loved the film growing up (1993 version) but I don't think I ever actually read the book. There's something so magical about a garden, and even more so a secret one. The story is about childhood, friendship and hope in what is sometimes a difficult world. It also has a great heroine who is flawed and complex, and pushes through her own adversities." |