By Averi and Marina Halbert
Have you, like us, ever lain awake at night, wishing for sleep that seems to constantly evade you because of one pressing question on your mind? Was that question, as it is for us, what is Andy Evans’ favorite book? If so, you’re in the right place. In a highly confidential survey, we asked the English teachers of Westmont what their favorite books are, and why. Hopefully these literary lists will grant new insight into the mind of your teacher, help you appreciate the passion they put into teaching, and encourage you to add a few new books to your “to-be-read” pile.
A teacher of freshmen, Sherri Frietas’ favorite book to teach is To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.
Supporting the minds of sophomores and seniors, the best softball coach at Westmont had a few things to say about his favorite book. Regarding Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, Bryce Hadley said that “the characters are awesome and it’s highly theatrical. Huxley is a hilarious genius, and his work comments simultaneously on both his society and present day society. It deals with the important issues of the commoditization of love and tyranny of the majority; it reflects and refracts the hideousness of the modern world.”
Meanwhile, Evans (we know you’ve all been waiting for his answer) answered our survey with a more creative (correct) choice. “The Prisoner of Azkaban,” he responded, citing “such characters, such plot, such allusions and so much fun” as a few of his reasons. He went on to say “scary dementors! The Lupin and Sirius relationship! The Patronus Charm! Grim and Scabbers! Time-turning Hermione! Buckbeak to the rescue! The climax at the Shrieking Shack is epic! Dumbledore with a great line: ‘You know Harry, in a way you did see your father last night… You found him inside yourself!’”
The fabulous Chris Hasket, who works with Juniors and Seniors, answered with a well known shakespeare book: Hamlet. Stating “Shakespeare’s Hamlet has fascinated scholars and actors and audiences for over 400 years! There’s so much in the text to analyze and to perform, the best of both worlds! Proclaims Haley Chu, “Hamlet slays!””
Another teacher with a book they would love to teach, Joseph Flores told us The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho and his second choice being On The Road by Jack Kerouac.
Seth Graydon, teacher of freshmen and sophomores, shared that “Catcher in Rye is a fave…i’d like to teach the things they carried.” He explained further that “because despite it’s antiquity, it is still a staple of the teen ‘voice and uncertainty for life’s trajectory’…as well as illuminating the majority of superficiality and materialism that we as a culture seem to revere.”
Taylor Wakefield had a lot to say on the subject; the freshman teacher told us she loves to teach Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Her reason? “Of Mice and Men was the only book my father read while he was in high school, and I looked forward to reading the text that he found interesting. So I was captivated with the story even before I encountered it my freshman year. I love the structure of the novella. It’s reminiscent of a play, where each chapter begins with a description of the setting followed by dialogue. I just think it flows well. Besides the structure, I love teaching the idioms. I think language is fascinating, so it’s fun for me to talk about the idioms and idiomatic expressions used in the 1930s compared to the phrases used today. And while it is my favorite book to teach, sometimes I hate teaching it, simply because there is a huge spoiler at the end (which I won’t mention in case there are some readers who haven’t yet read Of Mice and Men) and I’m always disappointed when students tell me someone else spoiled the book for them. I think it significanlty influences the reader’s feelings about the story when they already know the ending. That being said, it is still one of my favorite books to teach.”
Last, but certainly not least, Ashleigh Tighe demonstrated her love for reading by sharing her favorite book. A teacher of all grade levels but seniors, Tighe picked Macbeth, by Shakespeare, although she also shared that it was a stiff competition (“but I love them all – it is difficult to pick – like choosing your favorite child”). When asked why, Mrs. Tighe told us “I absolutely love Shakespeare! I love teaching Shakespeare because so many students worry that the language is difficult, but once they get into the play(s), it becomes easier for them. Macbeth contains so many layers and can be interpreted differently by each reader and/or director. The complexities of the characters provides for interesting studies of how people behave and how they can manipulate one another for their own means. Let’s not forget all the lore around the play which adds even more drama to this noteworthy play.”
Clearly, the teachers of Westmont High School have a lot to say when it comes to their favorite books. Hopefully their passion inspires you to pick up a new novel or, at the very least, actually do your reading before class starts.