Summer Reads

The Summer Reads series includes books recommended by students, staff and faculty from Avonworth Middle and High Schools. This week we feature A Prayer for Owen Meany, recommended by Ms. DeSimone, GATE teacher at Avonworth Middle School and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. 

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving 

Just when you think you have Owen figured out, John Irving reminds you that you don't. This coming-of-age story is about two eleven-year-old boys whose lives are intertwined thanks to a terrible and freak accident on a Little League field. Irving's compelling tale follows the boys through adolescence and the many trials and tribulations that come with it. The characters are wonderfully vivid, and the story stays unexpected throughout its telling. 

Thanks to Ms. DeSimone for the recommendation!!

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonsson

Major Ernest Pettigrew lives in the small village of Edgecombe St. Mary in the south of England. His current life is as bound by custom and regimen as it's ever been, and that's comfortable for him until he properly meets Mrs. Ali. As he begins to get to know her, he realizes that although they come from different cultures and backgrounds, she possesses the qualities he most admires in a person. She is intelligent, and kind, and holds tightly onto her beliefs. Helen Simonson's Major Pettigrew is wonderful. The way she explains his reactions to uncomfortable situations helps the reader to understand just a bit of the British proclivity to politeness and decorum above all, and the way he blossoms as he gets to know Mrs. Ali is heartwarming.