Paragraphs Bookstore

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson An American girl, Rory, arrives at a boarding school in London. . .in fact in Whitechapel. And soon a series of gruesome murders occur mimicking the deeds of Jack the Ripper. There are no witnesses, but Rory insists that she has seen someone. But why didn't her roommate who was standing beside her see the stranger? This is a great ghost story; a great story about London; just a great story.

My Name is Not Easy by Debby Edwardson Inspired by real stories from numerous boarding schools which once operated throughout Alaska, this book follows "Luke", a native Alaskan, in his four years at Sacred Heart School. Here are the first few lines from the book: "When I go off to Sacred Heart School, they're gonna call me Luke because my Inupiaq name is too hard. Nobody has to tell me this. I already know. I already know because when teachers try to say our names, the sounds always get caught in their throats, like crackers. . . My name is not easy." This coming-of-age narrative is told by several different narrators although the story is essentially Luke's. Set in a parochial school in the 1960's where the students are forbidden to use their native language and expected to adapt, this book, a finalist for the National Book Award, is perfect to the 12 -15 year old.