Watching movies, going out with friends, and attending parties are things that come to most teenagers’ minds when asked what they want to do in their free time. We rarely hear them say that they would enjoy losing themselves in a good book.

Indeed, according to the website article “The Decline of the American Book Lover”, posted on the website for The Atlantic <www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/the-decline-of-the-american-book-lover/283222/>, the number of non-book readers has nearly tripled since 1978.

Although many students like a night out with their closest friends, there are some who actually favor staying at home with a book to keep them company. Senior Maria Maldonado enjoys reading because her electronics can become boring and watching movies may get repetitive. Diego Reyes, a 12^th grader, reads because it’s a distraction from reality. “Reading makes me more calm,” he said.

On a regular basis, many students are assigned homework that consists of reading a certain amount of pages from a book and by doing so, they are improving many different skills. Anamary Diaz, a 12^th grader, said that reading boosts up her vocabulary and diction.

Many kids at Miami Senior High are also impacted by reading- not only because it improves their brains’ performance, but also because many stories are teaching great life-lessons.

Estefania Tellez, a JROTC senior, said that The Book Thief by Markus Zusak changed her in many ways. “This book affected me a lot because it was a very emotional book. I was also able to learn a little bit of German culture and about places in Germany,” she said.

Camilo Alvarez, an 11^th grader, enjoyed reading City of Bones by Cassandra Claire because it showed him that reading could be really engaging and fun.

If you are having trouble finding a good book that is of your own personal interest, fear no more! Are you in the mood for a life-changing book? Estefania Tellez recommends Night by Ellie Wiesel. “It’s a true story based on a Holocaust survivor,” she said.

If you’re interested in reading a fun book, William Villalta, also a 12^th grader, recommends Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson which is about a bad boy who gets his life flipped upside down when he gets caught vandalizing the school. He recommends this book because the content of the book is very rich and he believes it’s a book that everyone would enjoy. It’s also very funny.

Although books can be great and life-changing, not all people agree about which ones are good. Senior Mark Granados says that The Great Gatsby isn’t as “Great” as is claims to be. “The difficult language may intimidate many readers, causing them to give up on the book before they get to the middle,” he said.

Laura Palomino a 12^th grader and founder of the new club She’s the First, says that Twilight isn’t worth all the hype it gets. “The series tells the typical story of a girl who can’t decide who she loves more, which bored me to death,” she said. “There was nothing exciting about it. [They’re] just a bunch of clichés.”

Readers or not, the students at Miami High all put their skills to the test when it’s test taking time. Second Captain of the softball team, senior Noemi Martinez, says that she feels both prepared and unprepared when taking big tests such as the ACT, SAT, PERT, etc. “Yes, because it’s what teachers prepare us for, but no because I don’t read enough on my own—which I think would help more.”

Camilo Alvarez, on the other hand, feels he could pass these tests with his eyes closed! “I usually feel more than ready for standardized tests,” he said. His passion for reading has boosted his scores tremendously, and when it’s test-taking time, he feels it’s a piece of cake.