BOOKS – The Prowler

Desperate and ‘Dry’

The book “Dry” follows two siblings as they navigate through an intense drought in California that is declared as a national emergency. Despite being released in 2018, the novel is a great reminder of hope as the world works together during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

April 1, 2020

Following the fictional yet realistic scenario of a drought in California, the book “Dry” re-envisions the pre-existing droughts in California as drast...

“The Last Lecture” is an autobiography about the life of author Randy Pausch, a computer science and human-computer interaction and design professor at Carnegie Mellon University. When Pausch learns he only has months left to live, he takes to lecturing one last time, educating his students on how to make the most out of life with limited time.

Panther Reads

March 7, 2020

In this segment of “Panther Reads,” we feature math teacher Heather McNally, who shares her experience with her favorite book, “The Last Lecture,” b...

“3 Step Brothers” can be found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Starr’s Mill alumnae Sofia Quinones-Vilela wrote the book. This was her first published book, and she is currently working on a sequel.

Three’s a crowd

February 29, 2020

Sofia Quinones-Vilela captivates readers as she takes them through a journey of highs and lows. Written when she was only 13 years old, author and Starr's Mill ...

“The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath is a semi-autobiographical novel that explains the hardships young women face in the real world. The novel draws parallels between the main character, Esther Greenwood, and the author, reflecting the mental lapse Plath experienced while writing the novel.

Panther Reads

February 23, 2020

In this segment of Panther Reads, we feature science teacher Christie Jarret who recently read “The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath. “The Bell Jar” is a fictional novel with feminist i...

Economics and current issues teacher Walt Ellison talked about the first book he had ever fully read, “Hollywood Hulk Hogan.” With this autobiography of the famous wrestler Hulk Hogan, Ellison shows students and teachers alike that a person does not need a lengthy novel to become interested in reading.

Panther Reads

February 12, 2020

If a social studies teacher only read historical fiction novels or stayed in the history genre that would be rather stereotypical. Thankfully, economic and curren...

“A List of Cages,” a young adult fiction novel by Robin Roe, pushes boundaries in the literary world. The in-depth novel tackles heavy topics such as domestic abuse, mental illness, and the uphill battle of dealing with grief. Not for the faint of heart, this book exposes the harsh realities some people face in their day-to-day lives.

Ten million stars for ‘A List of Cages’

February 9, 2020

It has been a long time since I have had to put down a book due to the strong emotions and heavy topics covered, and I have read a lot of books in my ...

Panther Reads

Rachel Laposka, Staff Writer

January 25, 2020

In this segment of “Panther Reads,” we feature Starr’s Mill’s economic teacher Mark DeCourcy, who recently read “The Greatest Short Stories o...

History teacher Susan King discussed the book “Where the Crawdads Sing.” This murder mystery follows a girl named Kya as lives in the south in the 1950s when celebrity Chase Andrews is murdered.

Panther Reads

January 12, 2020

With holiday break ending and school starting again, some teachers are able to share with their students wonderful books they read while out. Social stu...

Panther Reads

December 7, 2019

The head coach of Starr’s Mill High School’s football team, Chad Phillips, talks about “Killing Patton” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard, a...