As our Grade 8 graduates wrap up this chapter of their school journey, we thought it’d be fun to take a look at the books that left a lasting impression on them. From Holocaust historical fiction to thought-provoking classics, their favorite reads offer a glimpse into the stories that shaped their personalities and perspectives. Whether you’re looking for a great recommendation or just curious about what this year’s grads have been reading, check out their top picks below!

 

Matthew – Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Of Mice and Men is a great book because it tells a powerful story in a simple way. It follows two friends, George and Lennie, who dream of a better life while working on a ranch. The book shows important themes like friendship, loneliness, and hope. The writing is easy to understand, but the story is meaningful, and will resonate with you. It’s a short book that makes you think about unfair treatment toward some minorities.

 

Raz – The climber (Kokou no hito) by Shinichi Sakamoto

The climber by Shinichi Sakamoto was a life changing manga series for me. It changed my perspective on life and my thoughts about many things. At first It was pretty boring but then one of the people working on it quit, which left Sakamoto to draw and create the story as well which made the manga change from a teenager pursuing his dreams to questions about philosophy and the purpose for human existence. The story is terrific and the art is absolutely perfect. The character development is truly amazing and inspirational .It is, truly, a book that words cannot describe, and to understand it you really need to read it.

 

Tehila – Bubby Miriam’s Memory Book for my Granddaughter by Tehila Tova Yehudit

I discovered this book recently on a saturday when looking for something to read in my living room. It was soon revealed my Bubby Miriam made this book for me when I was little so that I could learn about my family. More specifically my bubby and zaidy from my dad’s side of the family going back to my bubby’s grandparents. It speaks about my great-great relatives and their various journeys from my bubby’s perspective. It also mentions my bubby’s experience of living in Toronto in the 1960s, her experience raising my dad and about being my grandparent. Overall it was short but influential, showing me the amazing people I came from and how lucky I am today.

 

Noa Tili – When The World Was Ours by Liz Kessler

This book is about three young friends, Leo, Elsa and Max, and their childhood during the Holocaust. I read this book in Grade 5 on my own time, however it impacted me heavily. I think the fact that stuck with me the most is that it’s based on true events. I enjoy reading books on topics such as the Holocaust because I think they are important and very interesting stories. My favorite part was the big plot twist at the end. I wasn’t expecting it but it really improved the plot in my opinion. I recommend this book for people in grade 6 and over just because I think the topic is very heavy and there are some graphic scenes.

 

Micah – Holes by Louis Sachar

The book Holes was very influential for me because it reminded me not to take anything for granted. In the novel, A boy named Stanley Yelnats is wrongly accused of a crime and sent to a camp called Camp Green Lake where boys are told to dig holes to find treasure. This is very tiring and the boys don’t get a reward as they are fed very little. It is almost survival at the camp. This really shows how lucky we are to have food, water, and a house. Even some boys in the novel have that, but staying in this terrible camp doesn’t allow it.

 

Zohar – Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck

Although I don’t read that many books, Of Mice And Men was one I enjoyed very much. The whole theme of friendship between Lennie and George really touched me even though what happened at the book’s ending. I read this book together with my classmates and I think we all enjoyed it equally.

 

 

Rachel – All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

This is my favourite book of all time because the characters, the theme, and the plot have just stuck with me. It’s been over a year since I read it and it’s still very important to me. The book is pretty dark with themes relating to mental health and suicide which is actually why it’s important to me. A summary of the book is there’s a girl named Violet who’s sister died and so she’s just counting down the days until graduation. There’s a boy named Finch who’s fascinated with death and also has bipolar disorder. The two meet, and change each other’s worlds in ways they’d never imagined. The ending is sad, but the book is powerful and the message has really stuck with me.

 

Ido – Wings Of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland

The book Wings Of Fire influenced me because it describes the most familiar traits of humans in the way of a dragon, along with the amplification of those traits.

 

 

 

Aviv – Percy Jackson & the Olympians – Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

The book taught me a lot about Greek mythology and influenced my perspective. Of all the books in the series, this book is the one that opened up Greek mythology to me.

 

 

 

Erel – The Trial by Franz Kafka

“The Trial” impacted my perspective on bureaucratic systems and personal freedom. The novel showed me how unfair and confusing official systems can be. Through  Franz Kafka’s story, I gained insight into how seemingly rational systems can become absurd and oppressive. Most importantly, it taught me about the dangers of fighting systems that may be fundamentally unchangeable, showing how single-minded determination can sometimes trap you rather than liberate you.

 

Noa – The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders has had a profound impact on me. First, it is an interesting book, and second, it gave me a different perspective on the world. What I found the most inspiring was that the main character Pony Boy went through so many horrible things but still stayed strong.

 

 

Jeremy – Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This book was important to me because it is showcasing the racism in the past and taught me to see underlying racism in our society.

 

 

 

 

Ariel – Moon rising (wings of fire series) by Tui T. Sutherland

This book is for younger kids and it is a series about dragons. This particular story is about a young dragon named Moon, who has the power to read minds. After a tragedy in her home kingdom, her mother snuck out of the area and gave birth to Moon in the rainforest. After a while, the Nightwing Kingdom (where Moon’s mother was born) burst into flames. Everyone hated Moon because she had the chance to live a life away from the horrors of their homeland. 

But since she was born under the moons of the rainforest, she gained special powers that none of the other dragons had, because they where born under the toxic air of their kingdom. Every other dragon species hated her kind, because of the lies her people told. And Moon was constantly exposed to this hate beacuse she was granted the power of mind reading. Her mother was always overprotective, but she finally agrees to let her go to school with the other dragons. The story shows that people can still have a rough life even if they never experienced the same trauma other people went through.