City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau 

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"Many hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to contain everything needed for human survival. It worked…but now the storerooms are almost out of food, crops are blighted, corruption is spreading through the city and worst of all—the lights are failing. Soon Ember could be engulfed by darkness…

But when two children, Lina and Doon, discover fragments of an ancient parchment, they begin to wonder if there could be a way out of Ember. Can they decipher the words from long ago and find a new future for everyone? Will the people of Ember listen to them?"

Additional City of Ember

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Teacher-Librarian, Ms. Stephanie Vande Kraats, teaches English 12 and sponsors the Book Club. She’s a sucker for podcasts and public radio, but reads her books in print—and always writes in the margin. After she finally read City of Ember, she said, “So that’s why everyone loves this story! Though it might have particular appeal to middle school readers, the story is a timeless search for something more—thematically, the ideas are deep, universal, and bound to resonate with anyone. I never intended to finish the whole series, but I couldn’t help myself—there’s much to reward a reader to sees a world where the rules don’t exactly make sense and figures there must be another way. Can’t say more. Watch out for spoilers, the surprises in this book absolutely deliver!
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Key teacher, Ms. Bethan Haston, teaches Social Studies, Math and Science. She likes to be outside when she can: skiing, biking, hiking, and swimming.

Ms. Haston usually reads non-fiction: "I'm not sure why really, I just have always been more drawn to it." However, she was drawn to this novel because: "I liked the idea of it and it was well recommended."
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Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness​ with Ms. Duteau

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​"Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is."
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English teacher, Ms. Maureen Duteau, sponsors Model UN. She enjoys cycling, reading, and travelling and reading simply 'good literature'.
Of this selection she says: "I am a big fan of this author. He is original and compelling. I especially love how he integrates real world issues in a dystopic setting in his CHAOS WALKING series.
I recommend this novel because it is unexpected and fresh. The protagonist has a unique voice and we empathize with his struggles to survive in a very challenging world. I also find the theme of privacy an intriguing one given our penchant for social media. Why do we need to share our thoughts with others at all times? What does it say about our ability to think for ourselves?"