Ella Svenson is a Grade 9 student at RSS in the Late French Immersion program.
She skis for the Black Jack cross-country ski team, and in her spare time she enjoys cross-country and downhill skiing, woodworking, art, and running.
What book do you like to give as a gift?
If I had the opportunity to give a book to somebody, I would give them the Hunger Games novels by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games are so much fun to read, and I love talking about them to others. They are quite popular novels, so if you want to discuss them with somebody, most people will know what you are talking about. You can have some pretty fun debates about characters, and it is thick with details and gore. The Hunger Games novels are super, but I would recommend that you give them to an older kid, because some of the things in the Hunger Games might not be the best choice for somebody younger.
Name a book you’ve pretended to have read.
I pretended to have read The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien, because it is so popular, and I feel as though I should have read it. I tried reading it last year, but I found it boring. It didn’t really have a good beginning, and I didn’t feel super hooked. Also, adventure novels aren’t my first pick, so this novel was not my preference.
Name one book everyone should read.
I think everyone should read Ramona and Beezus by Beverly Cleary, because there are lots of relatable moments. They are so funny, and even though they are an older book series, I think that a lot of the events that are featured in this series are relevant to life today.
Suggest an interesting pairing of characters in literature.
In Harry Potter, I would pair Dobby and Hagrid together as friends, because they both have similar experiences of being the underdogs. For example, Hagrid was mistreated by many generations of Hogwarts children, and Dobby was mistreated by the Malfoy family and friends. I think that Dobby and Hagrid would make excellent friends because they can discuss together their experiences about inequality and mistreatment.
Name one classic you’re embarrassed to say you’ve never read.
I have never read Black Beauty, and I am embarrassed to say this because it is literally sitting on our bookshelf right now.
I have never read it because I am not really into horses, and animal books are not really my favourite. I did read Heidi, which is also sitting on our bookshelf, and I enjoyed it because it gave off a playful and country feeling.