The NVD faculty are incredibly well-read and have valuable, interesting, and entertaining book recommendations for students to read. These books can offer great value to students through lessons as well as entertainment. 

One history teacher at NVD, Carl Von Tobel, recommends the Killing Series books by Bill O’Reilly, which follow the stories of the assassinations of various political figures.

“For students that love history and the nuance of major events, Bill O’Reilly does a great job of mapping the day to day and hour and hour of the assassination, a great job of setting the scene and illustrating the background noise around particular historical events,” Von Tobel said.

In addition to that, he feels as though the books have many valuable details to them, and important lessons as well.

“[A valuable lesson is] that events in history aren’t linear – there are multiple dimensions at play. People think it’s a to b, but really it’s a to b to c all at once,” Von Tobel said.

He also likes the details presented by books, and feels it helps the reader get into the story better.

 “I [also] think books can get into the nuances, especially non-fiction events where TV shows are movies are bound by the 30-minute or 2-hour time frame, lots of stuff gets lost when they make a book into a movie,” Von Tobel said.

Another engineering and architecture teacher, Patricia Guarino, recently read The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom, and recommends it for students to read.

“The story is about a man named Eddie, an elderly maintenance man at an amusement park. On his 83rd birthday, he dies while trying to save a child from a falling ride,” Guarino said. 

However, something very interesting happens after his death.

“When he reaches heaven, he meets five people, one at a time. Each person explains something Eddie never understood about his life, his relationships, or the consequences of his actions,” Guarino said.

She also feels that the book gives us important insights into our lives.

“It emphasizes that everyone’s life has meaning, that we affect people in ways we may never know, and that heaven is a place of peace and understanding,” Guarino said.

She also thinks the book gives great insights into how all people are connected and affect each other in different ways. 

 “[It emphasizes] how every action, even small ones, can affect others in ways we don’t realize. … I think it’s important to realize that we don’t exist in a vacuum. We are all interconnected, whether we realize it or not,” Guarino said.

Another special education teacher, John Falduti, recently read Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay and loved it.

“The book is a coming-of-age story about a Filipino-American teenager named Jay who is preparing to graduate high school. He struggles with his lack of connection to his parents and siblings, [and] the academic expectations of high school,” Falduti said.

He added, though, that there is even more conflict in the story.

“However, these issues become meaningless when he learns his cousin from the Philippines died. When his family attempts to hide the cause of his cousin’s death, Jay decides to fly to the Philippines to find out the truth,” Falduti said. 

However, that is only the start of the main characters’ troubles.

“He faces a clash of cultures, difficulty navigating his family’s issues, all while trying to come to terms with his own guilt and make peace with his cousin’s death,” Falduti said.

Falduti enjoyed the book greatly, and it had many aspects that he liked.

“I loved how real the book felt. While it is fiction, it is told in a way where you would think this is a real scenario. It keeps you on your toes, wanting more, and hits every single emotion,” Falduti said. 

Falduti also thinks students would enjoy the book because it discusses things many students deal with.

“It touches on many relatable topics while also expanding on things in the world that many students may not be aware of.  It forces the reader to think outside their small town bubble,” Falduti said.

In general, Falduti thinks that not only is it a great idea for people to read this book, but he also feels as though students need to read in general.

“I think it is important to be exposed to different ideas on how people view the world (the real world or a world of fiction). It opens our eyes to the fact that anything is possible and challenges us to think beyond what is in front of us,” Falduti said.