On Friday, November 13, a few of our Eagles Readers got to go to our sister school, Antioch Community High School, to meet Jay Asher, the author of Thirteen Reasons Why. Staff and students at ACHS had adapted the novel into a play, and it was performed as their fall play. Mr. Asher had been involved in the entire process, and he flew out to meet the students actors and view the performance. Luckily for us, Mr. Asher also spent some time during the day talking with students in the ACHS library.

The 5 girls that went to meet Mr. Asher are all avid readers and were excited to have the opportunity to meet an author!

Here are some of their reactions …

Nicole B. said …

I thought meeting Jay Asher was very interesting. He was a funny and outgoing person, and the fact that he wrote a book about a teen girl’s suicide was a twist. He stated that his whole life he wrote children’s books and this is the first young adult one he wrote. I believe that everyone should read this book, because teen suicide happens all around us and we are the ones who can help. The signs are there, we just have to notice them, and this book talks about not noticing them until it’s too late.

Kaitlin M. said …

I was really excited to get the opportunity to meet with an author, especially one who wrote such an amazing book. I was really surprised by how funny and down to earth he was. Jay (Mr. Asher?) was just talking to us, laughing at himself about how he became an author and all that he went through, which just made the whole experience that much more comfortable and enjoyable. Plus, he signed my book first, which was pretty awesome. As someone who likes to write stories, meeting with an actual published author and hearing what he has to say about his inspiration and journey to being published was just one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.

Thanks to our friends at ACHS for allowing us to participate in your exciting event!

Hate List by Jennifer Brown is the story of Valerie Leftman, a senior who is just returning to school 5 months after a deadly school shooting. Her boyfriend was the gunman, and he used their “hate list” to target his victims. Valerie, unaware of her boyfriend’s intentions, did everything she could to stop the shooting once it had started, including jumping in front of the bullet meant for someone else. Although Valerie was credited by some as a hero for stopping the shooting, others blamed her for her role in creating the list.

This novel is a must read! Valerie’s journey toward redemption is not easy, but it shows us the importance of forgiveness – for yourself and for others.

The Lakes Library has 2 copies of this compelling book. Check it out!

Click here to watch a book trailer on YouTube.