Must Reads For November
November 6, 2020
The Downstairs Girl: Stacey Lee
This book is for anyone who likes to read historical fiction mixed in with family drama.
The industrious streets of Atlanta in 1890, bustle with energy. Milners with their gray and black hair in a tight bun busy themselves from the crack of dawn, to the end of the day. A young, pale, and tall Chinese woman stands in the corner of the millinery shop, faking smiles for any nosy passersby. Jo Kuan attaches a bow to a hat while she frowns at the thought of her meager pay. She is used to live a quiet and private life and although she gets the usual looks of disdain, this will not hold her back.
Jo Kuan lives a double life. On the outside, she may seem like a young and poor Chinese immigrant, who is to be ignored and despised by society. At nightime, she is an industrious woman with great advice to share. While giving the best guidance to life on the most radical anonymous advice column of Atlanta, she tries to sort out problems of her own.
This book is so amazing because Stacey Lee tells the story of an intrepid young lady who deals with not being accepted by society in such an eloquent way. As a female, I can say that some of these issues are still relevant to society today, and I can feel that we can connect although we are in separate time periods.
The Astonishing Colour of After: Emily X.R. Pan
This book is for anyone who likes to read realistic fiction with a touch of fantasy.
When Leigh’s mom commits suicide and dies, Leigh is convinced that her mom came back to life as a red phoenix. Her father convinces her to step away from her life of drawing and stay with her maternal grandparents for the summer. Only one thing, her grandparents are in Taiwan. This is her first time meeting her grandparents and when she sees the red phoenix, she is determined to learn more about her mom.
In search to find her mom, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. While she tries to grieve over her dead mom, she also ponders over her feelings for her best friend, Axel.
The Ballad of Songbirds And Snakes: Suzanne Collins
This book is recommended for readers that enjoy reading about dystopian worlds, monopolizing leaders, character hardships and life changing decisions .
Coriolanus Snow’s one goal is to secure a scholarship at the University, so he can redeem his reputation and name, after it fell to pieces during the war. His motto, “Snow Lands On Top” is what drives him through many daunting, deadly, and life changing tasks. When he is chosen to be a mentor in the 10th Annual Hunger Games, he is assigned a tribute from District 12, Lucy Gray Baird. That is where his life embarks on a series of dangerous tasks, which will decide his future and standing at the Capitol. However the Games come with an unexpected twist, which leads to Coriolanus seeing his whole success-filled future disappear before his eyes. He soon finds himself stripped of everything he is, his reputation, his success, and being caught up in rebel affairs, so how will Snow possibly land on top?
This is a good book to read because it is about a character with complicated relationships, having to make decisions, finding who they truly are, and the role they want to play in society. If you liked this book, you may want to read: also by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay.
The Doldrums: Nicholas Gannon
This book is recommended for people that enjoy reading books with unexpected friendships and adventurous twists.
The Helmsley house is home to Archer B. Helmsley, a strange boy, longing for adventure. Ever since his grandparents unexpectedly disappeared on an iceberg, his mother has kept him confined to his house and isolated from much of the world. Over the years Archer has gotten very bored with his uneventful life, even with his house full of many oddities and peculiar things (collected over the years by Archer’s grandparents), that keep him company. Archer longs for adventure in his dull life, but he comes across a problem, how can he have an adventure if he can’t leave his house? When Archer makes two friends, Oliver Glub, his worrisome neighbor, and Adélaïde L. Belmont, who may or may not have had her leg bitten off by a crocodile, a plan forms, a plan that will get Archer out of the confines of his house, and out of his town entirely.
This is a great book to read because you come across many peculiar, dangerous, and thrilling scenes (including one with a group of escaped tigers, three inexperienced kids, and a life raft), which can keep you glued to the book.
Brooke Ehmann - Jones (she/her), an 8th grader at Glasgow MS has been a writer for the Panther Post since the 2020 school year. She has lived in Northern Virginia all of her life and plays on a soccer team, loves playing music on her saxophone and the piano, enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and painting, and loves spending time outdoors on the many hikes she and her family have been on. Brooke is also very passionate about the environment and enjoys learning about nature, and volunteering to protect it. She has two cats at home, and loves traveling to national parks with her family.
Misha Speede is an 8th grader in Glasgow Middle School. She is currently growing up in a very diverse and multicultural family; her mother is Chinese and she is African American. She can speak Cantonese and Mandarin, and she really enjoys eating all of the Chinese delicacies. Besides speaking three languages, she also enjoys writing, especially poetry and fantasy. She also really like reading, if she could live in a book fandom, she would live at Camp Half Blood. She is also in orchestra at Glasgow, and she plays the violin.
