It’s that time of the year, when the tastiest hot chocolates are made, the warmest fires are lit, and the most intriguing novels for teens are put on display at SCHS’s Teen Read Week.    

During the second week of January, classes throughout campus attend book talks held in the library, where students hear about the latest books from classmates, teachers, administrators and parents.  This year’s TRW gets underway tomorrow with more than 35 speakers scheduled, including teachers Marlene Spector and Maichen Liu-Grossman, and students Jasmine Nguyen and Marisol Ramirez.  

“The people doing book talks bring in a different perspective and share their own experiences while reading the book,” Shelby said.   

After the book talks, students have an opportunity to browse this year’s popular young adult titles and check them out.

With her budget of a few thousand dollars, and funding from the School Site Council, Shelby is able to buy the books put on display for TRW. This year she purchased 40 books and 4 to 12 copies of each book.

Months before Teen Read Week, Shelby reads dozens of young adult books so that she can decide what to purchase.  She also looks to SCHS Bruin Book Club members, such as the club president, senior Emmaline Harris, and secretary, senior Nancy Recinos, for recommendations.

Shelby looks for books that are diverse and appealing to the readers on campus. Among the books that will be on display this year are, “Denton’s Little Death Date” by Lance Rubin, “Written in Red” by Anne Bishop and “Dumplin’” by Julie Murphy.

Last year, during the month of TRW the number of books checked out increased by almost 900 over a normal month, according to library reports.

“Teen Read Week has definitely helped me start reading more because it has introduced me to a lot of interesting books,” senior Bariul Chowdhury said.

Chowdhury gets motivated to read by seeing all the displayed books at TRW and listening to book talks. A book talk from last year about the book “Dorothy Must Die” by Danielle Paige encouraged him to expand his reading to the fantasy genre.    

This year TRW will also host a debut author, Claudia Meléndez Salinas.

On Tuesday, Salinas, a reporter at the Monterey Herald, will be doing book talks about her debut novel “A Fighting Chance.” Salinas wrote a fictional take on a true story about the dilemma of an aspiring boxer in one of the Latino community’s poorest barrios.  She will be speaking in the library study room from periods one to six.

Recinos, who has been doing book talks since her sophomore year, is looking forward to this year’s TRW.   

“If it’s one of your friends talking about a book they’ve read, then I’m more willing and excited to read the book,” Recinos said.

In addition to Salinas, author Emmi Itäranta will be visiting SCHS to talk about her book, “Memory of Water” on Feb. 23.