Unleashing Readers

Beauty in Life

“What Good is Beautiful” by Maya D., 8th grade

You’ve probably seen the cover of a book and thought “Wow. That’s ugly.” 

Then you read the summary on the back. The excerpt is nothing like the cover. 

Let’s say it’s piqued your interest. You read it. And it’s the most staggering story you’ve ever read, you have trouble getting your head on right after it’s whisked you away to a different world.

Maybe one day, you come across the book again. The cover is no sweeter, but it reminds you of how good it was. 

This same effect is true for human faces. Humans can perceive people as less or more attractive based on the quality of the person inside. 

“What is Good is Beautiful”

This is a cognitive bias where people considered individuals with desirable traits like intelligence, kindness, and honesty to be more physically attractive. (1) 

Julia Baum and Rasha Abdel Rahman from Oxford Academic conducted an experiment to investigate the effect; how moral character can affect attractiveness. 24 women with an average age of 23 were fed positive, negative and neutral information on male faces differing in attractiveness and presented in gray scale. (2)

(3)

Those with positive information were continuously rated higher on attractiveness compared to faces with negative information, who were rated lower on attractiveness. Negative information had a stronger effect than positive information when rating. (4)

This goes to show that humans attach identity to faces and features. I know. Surprising. But actions play a huge part in how someone perceives you, from your personality down to your physical body. 

This Effect in Romance

This effect is famous in love, and most times the driving force in a romantic relationship. For example, let’s take the movie Megamind by DreamWorks. The main character is an alien that is rejected by the people on earth because of how different he is. This rejection makes him bitter and he becomes a villain, causing trouble for everyone. He sees villainy as the only way to be recognized as a genius, even if it’s through fear.

One day he gets what he “wants.” The hero is dead. The villain won. The mad genius claims victory.

Megamind has defeated his rival. 

What does he do now? This leaves him without a purpose. So he’s off to find purpose. He disguises himself as Bernard, a normal looking human thanks to a machine. He meets up with Roxanne, a reporter he used to kidnap for his evil schemes. 

He can be himself. Roxanne and “Bernard” develop a relationship. 

There is trouble in paradise… Roxanne eventually finds out that Megamind was masquerading as Bernard. She feels betrayed and lied to. 

In the conclusion Megamind risks his life to save the people and Roxanne, proving his honesty and their relationship was real. Him and Roxanne start a relationship, even without his human disguise, instead accepting him as the big headed, blue skinned, big eye, alien he is.  

This Effect in Friendship

While it’s lesser known, it still has a role in friendships. Let’s take My Hero Academia by Kōhei Horikoshi.  

In a world where people can manifest quirks, also known as superpowers, there are two main sides. Heroes and villains. People can attend schools to become heroes, hence the Hero Academia many students attend. 

Our main character dreams to become a hero like his idol, All Might, the top hero. One small problem- he has no quirk. 

Let’s rewind further. Deku meets Bakugo and they quickly get along. They soon become childhood friends. All is well until Bakugo develops a quirk, in an immature fashion, he sees himself as better than Deku. He then goes on to bully Deku all through his childhood, however they still remain “friends” as Deku is not getting the message Bakugo is sending.

Bakugo sees Deku as weak, an embarrassment to have around and his determination to continue being his friend ticks him off. 

One day Deku sees someone in need, a mortal situation. He immediately risks his life to save them despite having no powers. All Might, the number one hero, with the strongest quirk sees this. He reveals to Deku he can pass his quirk from person to person. All Might passes on his quirk to Deku. Deku can achieve his lifelong dream. He trains under All Might to attend the Hero Academia, his determination through the strenuous training allows him to attend the school of his dreams. 

When he attends he finds out he is in the same class as his dear, dear “friend.” 

But he doesn’t get what he’s expecting. He still faces the same superior attitude from his fiery friend. But Deku has changed and grown, Bakugo doesn’t care to acknowledge that he is the student of the top hero. He still sees the same weakling likely due to his insecurity.

Both continue the school year as rivals. This rivalry eventually ignites a spark in Deku and in a heated confrontation both boys have an all out fight. Deku can now measure up to Bakugo and the fight ends in a tie. 

The hero life is not all Deku thought it would be. He suffers loss after loss, eventually running away and fighting crime on his own thinking it’s the only way to protect his friends. He’s in terrible shape and his friends are not letting him continue on his own. After a long fight Bakugo confesses to Deku that he bullied all these years because he was jealous of his determination and resilience. And this is where the most (dare I say) prideful character in the show apologies to Deku. In his weakest moment Bakugo comes to accept Deku as his equal.

Deku is still the timid friend from Bakugo’s childhood, he’s a face he knows very well. But overtime, that face comes to represent a different person, the person Deku is now. (5)

Mind, Body, Soul

This all goes to show that moral character (personality) is a vital part to likeability.

So no, attractiveness is not set the day you’re born. The features you’re born with are just markers of identity. People will see the lips that smiled at them. The hands that generously gave. The legs that ran with them. The arms that held them. The eyes that listened to them. The shoulders that shared burdens. The eyebrows that rose or fell with theirs. 

So hold confidence that you are not just a face, a body, you are a person too- and that’s why it’s important to nurture your “person” and show colors like kindness and compassion.

“Nature and its Interpretations” by Samanta F., 8th grade

For centuries nature has been by our side, and has been able to carry different meanings and bring people together during various time periods. Literature, plastic arts, and cinematic formats have often shown the many ways in which we can all use nature to communicate feelings like love, respect or even anger. Nature is often found in figurative language or fairy tales to give a foreshadowing effect or as symbolism. 

Floriography

Floriography or the Victorian “language of flowers” is common in young-adult fiction to symbolize character growth, romance or a sense of anticipation before the climax. For example: in The Hate U Give and Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas, the roses growing from the concrete are used to portray resilience since they managed to grow even in unlikely conditions and  with characters growing and blooming beautifully despite the harsh environment they are in. Another example could be the author Dhonielle Clayton, in The Belles and The Everlasting Rose (series)  flowers were heavily used to symbolize the characters social standing, power and the nature of their artificial and unrealistic perfection, the roses served as a way to mask the hidden decay and cruelty the Belles were going through . Roses, tulips and different colors of chrysanthemums are commonly seen in poems and fiction to show passion, friendship and elegance . 

Animal symbolism

We are often faced with animal symbolism in multiple art formats, it’s commonly used as a metaphor to compare the animal’s characteristics like a dog’s loyalty or a lion’s strength to the characters loyalty or strength. There’s a ton of books that use animals to express different things like Maus by Art Spiegelman uses animals as a metaphor by illustrating Jews as mice being pursued by German cats referencing the hunting instincts of cats like in tom and jerry. In Katherine Applegate’s Odder  the main character symbolises curiosity, resilience and plays an important role demonstrating the importance of survival. In Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White, animals were used to symbolize themes like the cycle of life and friendship. Charlotte the spider represents self-less wisdom while Wilbur embodies innocence and Templeton the rat is more selfish and centered on survival by using personification E.B. White was able to make the characters more understandable,  relatable and engaging to young audiences  , and finally, the web serves as a symbol of connection. The cow Zora in Moo by Sharon Creech, is used to symbolize healing and transition after Reena, the protagonist, moves to a new city, Zora makes it so Reena is motivated and gets used to her new surroundings more comfortably. Last but not least, Animal Farm by George Orwell could be a very clear example of a book full of symbolism in the characters since each represents political figures, forces or social classes, in this book animals are used to simplify the situation and serve as a parody of the Russian revolution of 1917.

Water and Trees

Bodies of water are often portrayed as life, destruction, or obstacles. In The Girl From The Sea by Lee Knox Ostertag it was used to show transformation and also as a way to show the hidden feelings that Morgan, the main character, had been feeling.  In Jennifer L. Holm’s Turtle in Paradise water represents unpredictable realities like survival, treasure and community after a hurricane had affected key west   . Some trees are used to symbolise romance, longevity and balance. Katherine Applegate’s Wishtree uses a red oak tree to symbolize hope, peace and community since its branches were holding everyone’s wishes. It was also used to express friendship and inclusion in a diverse neighborhood like the one portrayed in the book.

In our daily lives we often come across nature and its different stages. Overlooked by many but loved by the caring, nature has been interpreted by multiple generations and has been often used to convey our own stages and feelings. Sunsets, animals and flowers are very often seen in multiple forms of art but frequently go unnoticed due to the disconnection with nature produced by the frequent urbanization of green areas. I hope these examples have helped you learn a tiny bit about nature in literature and maybe help you find a new book. 

Thank you so much to my student voices today and their look at beauty in both person and nature!

Finding Your Book

“Should Teenagers Get to Decide What They Read?” by Raegen B., 8th grade

Reading in 2026 isn’t the most common thing that you see teens doing. Some are out playing soccer or volleyball. Maybe even doom scrolling on TikTok. But reading? It’s like pulling teeth to get some teenagers to even pick up a Diary of Wimpy Kid book! But what about those few? The ones in the corner of the lunchroom with their nose always buried in a book who finish almost 150 books every year? The ones who fly through books like they’re just walking? Should they get to make the decision on what they can or cannot read?

Giving teenagers and kids the option to pick what they want to read gives them freedom to read about what interests them. Assigning kids books that don’t interest them, may not push as many kids to want to read as you want. The McLoyd, in 1979 study proves this big time. The study gave kids 10 books to choose from, and they got to rank it based on what they found interesting, and what they didn’t find interesting. Then, give half the kids their top choices, and the other half their lowest choice. And of course as a result, the kids who got their top choice read much longer than those who got their last choice. This proves the fact that kids and teenagers are more likely to read books if they’re about what interests them. I mean, who wants to read a boring book for fun? Isn’t reading supposed to be fun and indulging the reader? Pressuring, and forcing kids to read isn’t going to make them want to read; it’s going to make them not like it and maybe even start hating it. Controlling what kids read can come off as being too pushy, and controlling so giving them the freedom to read and choose what books they like is the better approach to take.

Now, giving kids the freedom to choose what they read doesn’t mean to let them read books WAY above their age and reading level. I mean, you’re not going to give a 12-year old Stephen King, right? But at the same time, you’re not going to give them books like Pete the Cat. The approach that teenagers and kids should take when they find a book that they want to read is to ask and talk to their parents about it first. Going to your school’s librarian is also a great option since they’ve probably read a good chunk of the books in your school’s library and have a plethora of recommendations across many different genres that are age appropriate. Librarians are one of the most trustworthy resources regarding books and any recommendations that they have will most likely be amazing! Now teenagers should not only get recommendations from their librarian, but they (being both the teenagers and parents) should do research on the book. Doing research will allow for parents to set clear boundaries to what they’re comfortable with their kids reading. Some parents may not be comfortable with their kids reading books with more mature themes like abuse, death, and more gory injuries. Now, there is the case that some parents may not care what their kids read, but they should at least be aware of the fact that their own kids may be reading books with much more mature and adult themes.

The limit to what kids and teenagers should and shouldn’t be able to read should be something right in the middle; The books should be at a level that is in range of their age and maturity level, but not to low where they’re reading 4th grade level books, but not too high where they’re reading adult books. Even if teenagers are reading books like manga and graphic novels, that’s OKAY! Either way, they’re reading! There is nothing wrong with wanting to read Dog Man, Big Nate, or The Babysitters Club! Some people want to pick up  a book with pictures and color every once in a while since looking at a page full of just words can be overwhelming after a long day at school or work. Even audiobooks work; I LOVE listening to a good audiobook before I go to bed. Now, even though it may not be ideal, there is the case that some teenagers can, and have the ability to read above their age and maturity level and I’m not saying that this isn’t okay! This is great, considering they can read way beyond what society labels them as only being able to read. In fact, especially with younger kids, being able to read at a higher reading level promotes them to work independently more often, with higher knowledge and vocabulary. 

So, should kids decide what they can and cannot read? It depends, but overall, YES. However, teenagers and parents should both do research on the kinds of books that teens may be interested in reading and should set clear boundaries and guidelines. Setting boundaries will allow for kids to read books appropriate for their age level and not more or less. Overall, boundaries are key!

Sources:

• https://www.readingrockets.org/blogs/shanahan-on-literacy/should-kids-pick-their-own-reading-texts#:~:text=according%20to%20a%20blog%20post%2c%20there%20is,reading%20motivation**%20*%20**reading%20achievement%20of%201.20
• https://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/blog/what-do-we-do-with-above-grade-readers#:~:text=An%20important%20thing%20to%20remember,additional%20planning%20time%2C%20however)
• And me 🙂

“Finding Love for Reading” by Palin S., 8th grade

How I personally got into reading

Most kids find reading boring and think that’s not going to help them in life. It’s actually the opposite, when you discover books you find interesting, it can become compelling. When you think of reading you may think of it as like a chore, something that schools make you do, for me finding that one genre that suits my interests made me feel like I’m watching a movie. I used to hate reading, then in early 7th grade my friend started talking to me about books that sounded interesting to me, it was similar to movies I watched or were inspired by movies I watched. I started reading graphic novels at first, then got into text-only books. Now I’m in a student literacy class and enjoy reading.

The uprise of books and why people are finding more interest in it

Have you ever seen “booktok”? There’s many posts that inspire people to read on tiktok, as long as you find kid-friendly books if you’re at a younger age than it also can be helpful. If you’re in your teenage years and you enjoy rom-coms and etc. they also have many recommendations. Social media has built a base that many book readers use to find books that suit them, even for people that aren’t so much into books can find many books that could interest them.

Books that guided me to actually enjoy books

Restart by Gordon Korman: this was one of the only books that interested me while I was in around 4 or 5th grade that my class read all together. It had so much climax and overall so much endorsement. Even though I didn’t read as much, I still remember that book being one of my favorites. To look at a viewpoint of having to restart your entire life, and remember how it was before he fell off the roof.

At 10 reading that book was like watching a movie.

New Kid by Jerry Craft: I read this book in 6th grade when the author, Jerry Craft, came to our school as an author visit. That was the best author visit I’ve ever seen at my middle school. He was inspiring, fun, and I love his books. His books had such good concepts to them and especially New kid, that is what started it all. I will say Class Act is also one of the best books I’ve ever read. I don’t move a lot so I don’t know so much about being a new kid in a school but I do remember the transition to middle school and now  I’m about to make it to high school, knowing that’s another hard transition. This book helps very well with that and the other series do too with other concepts. I love the diversity and the way this book can inspire.

Now as I got older I wanted to get into books that i found interest in similar to movies or shows I watch, I personally like Rom-Coms so i found interest into similar books, i won’t go into full details and give exact books but I will say, finding books that feel like you would watch the movie or show version is how I really started loving books as I got older. It can be any genre as long as you love it! 

Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter : This a great starter book if you want to get into rom-coms, it was my second. I’m currently 14 and I read it in December. I recommend it if you’re around that age. I feel like in most rom-com books the main character always has a widowed parent or some situation at home and I feel like many people could relate to that. Many teenage girls want their life to be like the movies where you fall in love, in most cases scenarios it’s not like that and if there is it’s not that simple, i feel like this book along with other rom-coms give you that. A not so perfect love story. I’d love this book and hope to read many more from this author.

In conclusion, books are actually fun and interesting to read when you find the ones you like and suit your creative taste. You don’t want to be stuck reading a book you’re forced to read if you don’t actually like it. Many librarians in and out of school can help you find the one that you actually want to read. So don’t waste your time and actually enjoy reading.

Thank you so much to my student voices today and their look at finding the right book!