English teacher Jordan Ruppert says:

“James Joyce’s ‘A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man’ [is a] book about a young person finding their own way. The book is mostly autobiographical about his alter ego… As good a novel about this subject as I’ve read. It can be a bit of work at times, but worth every second.”

“Wallace Stegner’s ‘Wolf Willow’…is all about the place he most called home. His family moved around a lot in his youth, so he [thought] about what it [is] to be from somewhere. It’s part history, part reflection, and part fiction, and… a way of thinking about one’s position on the planet.”

English teacher Krissy Rasmussen says:

“I think ‘Dreamland’ by Sarah Dessen is a great book for high schoolers. It deals with the power balances in relationships, so as a young adult, it’s a very powerful book. Its told from a female perspective, but it’s very good at representing a partner perspective.”

“‘Harry Potter’, actually, is a great series. It has everything in it: loss, hardship, growing up, I think a lot of students can find inspiration in Harry. He’s the chosen one, but isn’t treated better because of it. I think there’s a lot to learn there.”