Starting off, Jeanne Jarvis, CHS ninth grade English teacher, shared her opinions on books read in the class curriculum. A book that stood out to her is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
“Every time I teach it, I learn something new about the nuance and the beauty of the language,” Jarvis said.
Jarvis also provided many personal book recommendations. such as the memoir The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls and Educated by Tara Westover.
“They’re both very interesting and they’re about messed up childhood,” Jarvis said. “It’s about empathy and trying to understand relationships and humanity.”
Next, Sam Greene, CHS 10th grade English teacher, contributed his opinions on class curriculum books.
“I’m a big proponent of using stuff that is going to generate good discussions in the classroom and help you to build skills,” Greene said. “So with that in mind, I think you can approach it from a pretty open perspective.”
One of Greene’s favorite stories that is included in his class is Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare.
“I feel like it’s a little bit of cultural relevance that also ties in well with the stuff going on in our world today with power struggles,” Greene said.
Another one of Greene’s favorites is Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.
“I think that a coming of age story for people who are in high school is really important to understand that other people struggle too with how to be who they are and knowing what family is,” Greene said.
Greene also provided some book recommendations that aren’t a part of his class curriculum. One of these recommendations is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.
“It’s just a beautiful story of somebody who does something terrible to a friend when they’re growing up and, later on, has a chance to work towards making that right,” Greene said. “I think these are timeless themes that everybody can relate to. Regret and then having a chance to atone for those later on.”
Greene’s passion for reading has led him to provide helpful advice on the importance of reading books.
“Reading is an activity that has many benefits and it also helps you practice that long form attention,” Greene said.
Kristie Stevens, CHS 11th and 12th grade English teacher, also chimed in to share her thoughts and recommendations on the topic of reading.
“I think any book can be valuable to students,” Stevens said. “I think it depends on how you teach them because I think any book can be valuable if you help people understand why it might be valuable or make it fun to engage with.”
A book that stood out to Stevens in her 11th grade English curriculum was The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
“Gatsby can be a little bit threatening because the language is a little esoteric and weird but in terms of communication about the American dream, I think it is really worthwhile,” Stevens said.
Along with this, Stevens also has a few personal book recommendations. One of which includes A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.
“I think it is a pretty good juvenile version of looking at the American dream and assimilation of different cultural groups and things like that,” Stevens said. “Plus, I find it a very touching book.”
Another book that Stevens believes holds value is The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.
“I actually read this when I was a Sophomore at Camas [CHS], but now it is something that sometimes gets taught in AP Literature classes, and I think that is one of the most beautiful books,” Stevens said. “I have a big imagination and I think that reading is something that improves your imagination, which makes it easier to think about all the things happening in the world around you and have different ways of responding.”
Lastly, CHS 12th grade English teacher Stewart Morgan spoke about his opinions on literature. One of his favorite books is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig, which discusses the idea of quality.
“The subtitle is an inquiry into values. Then, it also reconciles religion and science and just living a life,” Morgan said. “It gets into this philosophy about what it means to be educated.”
Morgan also discussed the importance of pulling value out of the books read in class. A book that holds a lot of value for him is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
“I struggled with Frankenstein and I understand how people continue to struggle with Frankenstein. But, the more I read it, the more I can take away from it,” Morgan said. “I love the opportunity I have to come back to it and learn different things.”
“Reading, specifically fiction, helps grow empathy and understanding. It helps me connect more deeply with the world around me,” Morgan said. “Some of the themes and things that we talk about and the discussions we have are impactful and help me grow as a person.”
Aside from the teachers, there are still many students that have a passion for reading. CHS senior Haylee Cole also provided her own personal opinion on The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
“It teaches you a new perspective,” Cole said. “It’s like seeing someone’s life.”
Overall, reading has remained immensely important in society and, while reading for fun may not be as popular as it used to be, many still maintain a deep passion for it.
“It helps you learn new things and helps with running human connections,” Cole said. “It helps teach empathy. You can interpret the stories differently based on who you are and you can pull different lessons.”
