The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell
"This is the story of the making of England in the 9th and 10th centuries, the years in which King Alfred the Great, his son and grandson defeated the Danish Vikings who had invaded and occupied three of England’s four kingdoms. The story is seen through the eyes of Uhtred, a dispossessed nobleman, who is captured as a child by the Danes and then raised by them so that, by the time the Northmen begin their assault on Wessex Uhtred almost thinks of himself as a Dane. He certainly has no love for Alfred, whom he considers a pious weakling and no match for Viking savagery, yet when Alfred unexpectedly defeats the Danes and the Danes themselves turn on Uhtred, he is finally forced to choose sides. By now he is a young man, in love, trained to fight and ready to take his place in the dreaded shield wall. Above all, though, he wishes to recover his father’s land, the enchanting fort of Bebbanburg by the wild northern sea."
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Head of STEM, Mr. Duncan Fraser, teaches Design and Tech and coaches Junior Girls Basketball.
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The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
"In April 1942, Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, is forcibly transported to the concentration camps at Auschwitz-Birkenau. When his captors discover that he speaks several languages, he is put to work as a Tätowierer (the German word for tattooist), tasked with permanently marking his fellow prisoners.
One day in July 1942, Lale, prisoner 32407, comforts a trembling young woman waiting in line to have the number 34902 tattooed onto her arm. Her name is Gita, and in that first encounter, Lale vows to somehow survive the camp and marry her." |
Head of Geer House, Mr. David Pool, teaches Career Ed and formerly Socials 9, and he coaches Cross-Country and is involved in the Encounter program.
Mr. Pool loves historical fiction: "I really enjoy novels that tell the stories of those who lived through WWII." Of this selection, he believes: "It's tragic and beautiful all at the same time!" |
War Outside by Monica Hess
"It's 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado--until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan.
Haruko and Margot meet at the high school in Crystal City, a "family internment camp" for those accused of colluding with the enemy. The teens discover that they are polar opposites in so many ways, except for one that seems to override all the others: the camp is changing them, day by day and piece by piece. Haruko finds herself consumed by fear for her soldier brother and distrust of her father, who she knows is keeping something from her. With everything around them falling apart, Margot and Haruko find solace in their growing, secret friendship. But in a prison the government has deemed full of spies, can they trust anyone--even each other?" |
Round Square sponsor, Ms. Katelyn Jmaeff, teaches English 8, 9 and 10, and sponsors Young Round Square. Her hobbies include: "...reading, yoga, running, and traveling... oh and eating, trying new foods, and cooking healthy, delicious recipes!"
A fan of historical fiction, Ms. Jmaeff selected this novel: "because I enjoyed reading Monica Hesse's riveting, heart-pounding The Girl in the Blue Coat for last year's summer reading. So why read this book? "The War Outside is a heart wrenching historical fiction that highlights betrayal and love in a WWII internment camp in America. The issues presented in this book are timely and relevant in our current political climate." |