Every English teacher has a different style and choice of books for what they teach. Out of the millions of options, they must choose a few for the small amount of time they have with their students. But why do the English teachers choose the books they do? Do they have specific reasons for choosing them.
Mrs. Nicole Trubilla’s, is a ninth-grade English teacher and her favorite book to teach is one that she taught to 12th-grade students. Grendel, a book by John Gardner, is a retelling of the old English poem Beowulf from the perspective of the antagonist, Grendal, making him an anti-hero. Reading this novel allows students to question, “What makes a monster?”and to see the inner thinking of the said monster. The author has a creative and unique way of bringing the old text to life in modern times. Two other books that she loves to teach are Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, and Animal Farm, by George Orwell. Into the Wild allows the reader to have a good mystery of whether or not Chris will survive his exploration of the world only to end up dead on a bus in Alaska. The book goes back and forth before and after he dies so that the reader can find an explanation of what happened on his journey. Animal Farm tells the story of animals that revolt against their farmer. After the revolution, the pigs take over the other animals and the farm begins to fall apart.
Mrs. Stephanie Palerino’s is the 11th grade and AP Literature and Composition teacher, and favorite books to teach are Lord of the Flies by William Golding and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Lord of the Flies is a story about a group of British boys who are stranded on an island and their attempts to govern themselves. Of Mice and Men follows two migrant workers trying to find work in the Great Depression to find a home of their own. The main characters of the novel are fighting for survival throughout the entire novel. The biggest themes throughout both novels are survival, loneliness, and societal expectations.
Mrs. Mary Texter is the 11th grade and A.P. Language and Composition teacher and her favorite book to read is In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote. This book gives an insight to why criminals commit murder and the way that crime threatens the American Dream. The book follows real people even though Capote calls it a nonfiction novel. The author goes into detail about the murderers and their families, creating an aura of innocence to the murderers. Capote also wrote Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a novella about a contemporary writer who recalls his earlier days in New York City making an acquaintance with his neighbor. The author himself, Truman Capote, became a well-respected author known for his outlandish behavior and partying, eventually dying because of a drinking related illness.
The English teachers each expressed their favorite novel or novellas to teach and why. They look into the author, the book, the themes and more before choosing what to present to their students.
