Eragon by Christopher Paolini

The book I read was Eragon by Christopher Paolini and I thought it was really good. I loved this book because it was descriptive and I could follow it well. The author, Paolini, did have a lot of big words in it but it was still an easy read for people at an 8th grade level.

It's a fantasy with dragons and magic. There was always something going on in the book; it kept your mind busy. It did have some down points though, like it switched scenes between main characters like in movie format. Some people like that but other than that it was a great book. If you like violence and suspense than you might like it too. So I highly recommend this book.

Reviewed by BHS student Isaac N.

How To Be Creative by Jonah Lehrer

Creativity is not inherited, it's a skill. In this Wall Street Journal article, How To Be Creative by author Jonah Lehrer, he summarizes his findings on who is creative and becoming creative. The article is a prelude to his soon to be published book, Imagine: How Creativity Works.

Some quick tips I've learned from this article:

1. Work with others outside your field or expertise.

2. Relaxation will improve your creativity so take a warm bath, relaxing walk, even daydream.

3. Don't give up. Creativity requires hard work.

4. Forget about the work if you sense you've hit a wall. Come back to it later when you feel you might be getting close. Give your brain cells time to work.

5. Have a diverse group of friends, those who may think differently than you. An insight from them may just be the connection you need for creativity.

You'll find Mr. Lehrer's article and video of the WSJ interview here. Watch for his book to arrive in the BHS media center after it's published. I think we'll all want to take a moment to become more creative.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Reading Fiction Helps Your Career by Gini Dietrich

If you read fiction, you learn to be more empathetic. You fine tune your social skills. You become more open to new experiences. Need more proof? Scientific American researcher, Keith Oatley, outlines his findings in the November 2011 issue. Here's a brief cover on the story: Gini Dietrich's Reading Fiction Helps Your Career.

I do read fiction and non-fiction tending toward more fiction when I want something to 'take me away' from days of too much brain work. I find that this research matches my experiences. See what you think - follow the link above.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm