Eragon by Christopher Paolini
"When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.
Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands. " |
Math and Design and Tech teacher, Mr. Paul Rogers, sponsors Robotics and coaches Cross Country. In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking, biking, sailing, and long walks on the beach in the moonlight.
Mr. Roger's favourite genres are Fantasy and Sci Fi. He chose this particular novel because: "It was written by a 16 year old. It is awesome." |
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Conor has the same dream every night, ever since his mother first fell ill, ever since she started the treatments that don't quite seem to be working. But tonight is different. Tonight, when he wakes, there's a visitor at his window. It's ancient, elemental, a force of nature. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth.
Patrick Ness takes the final idea of the late, award-winning writer Siobhan Dowd and weaves an extraordinary and heartbreaking tale of mischief, healing and above all, the courage it takes to survive. |
PE teacher Ms. Allison Mulock.
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Sabriel by Garth Nix
"Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him.
With Sabriel, the first installment in the Abhorsen series, Garth Nix exploded onto the fantasy scene as a rising star, in a novel that takes readers to a world where the line between the living and the dead isn't always clear—and sometimes disappears altogether." |
Chemistry teacher, Ms. Ying Gu, sponsors
Bouldering Club and Reach for the Top. She enjoys anime and cooking good food. Ms. Gu is open to any genre as long as there is a juicy plot. So why this novel? "This is one of my all time favourite books while growing up. The author creates a brilliant alternate world that is very believable. The plot is amazing and there is just so much creativity in all the little details." Why should others read it? "It is very easy to read and keeps you hooked, which are the two most important characteristics for a good summer read. A good summer read has to entice you to choose it over the sunny outdoors." 
Ms. Ainsley Harrison-Weiss teachers Science and Math and sponsors: Reach for the Top, Junior science club, Streamkeepers, Junior karaoke, an D&D club. She enjoys Kickboxing, TV/movie binging, reading, and hiking with her dogs.
Of her selection she says: "It is the first book in one of my favourite fantasy series. I reread it every year." But warns: "It can get pretty dark so you'll want to read it on a bright, sunny day." |
Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin
"In 1967, physics professor Ye Zhetai is killed after he refuses to denounce the theory of relativity. His daughter, Ye Wenjie, witnesses his gruesome death.
Shortly after, she’s falsely charged with sedition for promoting the works of environmentalist Rachel Carson, and told she can avoid punishment by working at a defense research facility involved with the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. More than 40 years later, Ye’s work becomes linked to a string of physicist suicides and a complex role-playing game involving the classic physics problem of the title." |
Band teacher, Mr. Corey Smith, sponsors Drum Corps (pronounced Core). In his free time he plays music, does wood working, and read sci fi.
Of this novel: "This trilogy changed the way I look at Sci-Fi. Not only did it have a satisfying ending, it put forth new ideas and concepts that haven't yet been explored in the genre." But he warns: "This is a tough read because it's a translation, but worth getting through for the concepts discussed in the second and third book." |