by Marah Bengel

At Atlantic High School, thirty-nine students filled out a three question survey about books. The questions were, “What book are you reading?”, “What is your favorite book you’ve read in the past year?”, and “Is there a book you wish the library would buy?”

Out of the thirty-nine student responses, only four answered that they are currently reading nothing. Some of the popular answers of books read were “To Kill a Mocking Bird,” “The Hobbit,” “Wicked,” and “The Fault in Our Stars.”

Three students said they are reading “To Kill a Mockingbird.” English teacher Marcus Upchurch’s English 2 and English 2 Honors classes are digging deep into this book this semester.

There are two people reading “The Hobbit” and “Wicked.”

Five student responses for their favorite book was “The Fault in Our Stars.” This book is very emotional and romantic. Hazel Grace, who has cancer, meets Augustus Waters, who is a cancer survivor.

“The Sacred Acre” was the second book most people answered as their favorite. This is a sports book about the Iowa football coach named Ed Thomas.  Thomas’s story is about all of his state championships, and about the students who made it to the NFL. After a destructive tornado went through the town of Parkersburg, a former student went up to him and shot him. The question is, does he survive the bullet, or not?

“If I Stay” was the third most popular book. Seventeen year old Mia has the life she has always dreamt of.  She has a famous boyfriend named Adam, and has made it into Juilliard for her incredible cello playing talent. One snowy morning, after they hear school cancelled, and after Mia realizes she left her cello at school, her family drives to her grandparents. On the way, there is a collision. Mia, having an out of body experience, runs toward her dead parents, then to the ditch to find another body, hers. She wasn’t expecting to look down at herself in the ditch. Will she choose to wake up from her coma, or will she choose to join her family in heaven?