You can stop your countdown! The first winter break is here, and it is ready to give students a well-deserved (and needed) holiday break. With this newfound seven hours a day, you may be lost on what you should do to keep busy. Senior Rebecca Sun states, “I do not really have any holiday books that I know about.” If you need help finding a holiday book or “beating the winter blues,” there is a new book display in the IHS library that focuses on holiday and winter classics with diverse blue covers, that has that very name. While some students at IHS may believe that our school’s students are not the fondest of reading, it is mostly a problem with time. Kate Murray, Book Club advisor and school librarian, believes that this is “due to students being pulled with athletics and academics its hard to find time.” Sophomore Lauren Turner expands on this stating, “I have more time over break then during school.” Most students get home and then must do homework for one to four hours a night! After all that work many students feel overworked and do not want to have to do something like reading that they have been required to do for what feels like their whole day. Sophomore Enzo Xaudaro says, “I do not want to read a random book after I have been reading my English book.”
IHS library’s teacher assistants provided new information on what they notice happening during the winter season from the library. Junior TA Audrey Short noted that “there are more people coming in this year than I remember coming last year.” While this might be because of advertising, break, or books needed for classes, it still promotes an increase in reading at IHS. Required reading is one of students’ largest time consumer. Freshman Anthony Dubovitsky says, “I probably will read more once I am done with Persepolis.” Finding an interesting and engaging book can be hard for students. Freshman Delany Warren recommends “going to the KCLS library this break to find a holiday book!” Junior Ethan Trenary adds on to this by stating, “I think that reading during winter is common because it brings a holiday feeling.”
A winter holiday book can be any type of book that reminds the reader of how they feel during the holidays, shares an interesting theme that reminds them of a certain memory or just takes place during winter. Short shares an interesting take on this, saying, “My favorite winter book is ‘Salt to the Sea.’ the way the describe the cold is just so visceral and intense.” This book is not set during winter; however, it is a historical fiction book with breathtaking descriptions of cold, ice water. This book is not on the IHS library display but there are copies in the library. Others might be craving a different type of winter feeling like Junior TA Kaila McKinnon, McKinnon states, “over the holidays I like to reread old children’s series that I used to read because it makes me feel very nostalgic and warm.” Rereading is very common during the holiday, so much so that Kate Murray rereads a book every holiday season! The title of the books is called, “Nancy and Plum.” Sadly, this book is not in our school’s library.
2024 is coming up soon! Many students are beginning to plan out their new year’s resolutions, and some involve reading or academics. Senior Jake Terao says, “Last year I had a new year’s resolution to read more in 2023 I do not feel like I fully accomplished that so I will probably do it again in 2024.” The average number of books students have read outside of school this year ranges from five to 25. If you would like a way to track the number of books you read in 2024 and achieve your reading goals, junior Sena Pittman suggests using Goodreads. Goodreads is an app where you can track what page you are on in a book and find books that are suggested for you. Another alternative is to keep a journal of all your books and your thoughts on the book. This is what McKinnon does.
Before these two weeks off, the IHS library encourages students to pick up a book to get lost in this holiday season. The “Beat the Winter Blues” displays not only has very upbeat and warm stories about the holidays, they also have books that can help students or make them learn something new. One book in particular that is on the display is called “One Way or Another” and focuses on a young high schooler who deals with anxiety and difficulty making a hard decision. If you would like to read a book like that, visit the IHS library. Happy Holidays IHS!
