Amador Valley English Teachers are always looking for a new adventure in a book. With the many genres of fiction and nonfiction, students can learn new knowledge and have fun in the process.

Teachers’ Picks

“The genres I usually like to read outside of class are historical fiction books. I end up reading a lot of World War II novels. They’re usually really sad and horrible, but I feel like I learn a lot about history through them. The Four Winds and The Nightingale are two of my favorites,”  said Freshman English Teacher Stephanie Kamali. 

Students know that teachers read the books they teach, but many never know their favorite parts about the books, or why they teach them year after year to new students to share the joy they bring. 

“The book I love to teach most is Beloved by Toni Morrison just because it’s so deep, so rich. Every time I read it and we have discussions, there’s something that pops up. I think that’s the mark of good art and good literature… Regardless of how many times you read it, there’ll always be something new or a different perspective that you didn’t see before,” said English Teacher Darren Pagtakhan.

Students also often have trouble finding a book that suits them. We asked many teachers on campus what books they like teaching and reading in their free time. Hopefully, they are interesting enough to get students out of a reading slump and on track to learning something new. 

A Library of Recommendations

There is always a book for everyone, and just because you can’t find one doesn’t mean there aren’t any for you. We saw what kind of books the students read the most and from what authors. 

“I would say that fantasy and romance are checked out quite a bit, [as well as] historical fiction,” said Librarian Erik Scherer. “Books that are checked out quite a bit by students are Unwind by Neal Shusterman, Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, The Outsiders by S.E. Hilton, [and] To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han.”