The Peachtree Literature Circles have been an after-school tradition for a number of years. The circles meet once a week after school in the high school library. The circles are divided by grade, and each group has two faculty advisers who meet every week with the students. Here's what our groups are reading now and what they've recently finished.

6th and 7th Grade Literature Circle

Current book being discussed:

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

• Author Katherine Applegate has created an entertaining adventure starring Ivan the gorilla and Ruby the baby elephant, who learn lessons about the power of art and friendship as they're kept on exhibit in a mall.

Recent books:

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

• The magical characters and plot in Inkheart capture readers quickly as they're engulfed in a fast-paced adventure involving magic, books, and mysterious disappearances.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

• In this book based on a true story, Karana is stranded on an island and faced with surviving amid wild dogs and natives. With tenacity and grit, Karana overcomes many obstacles as she adapts to life on the island.

8th and 9th Grade Literature Circle

Current book being discussed:

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

• When Esperanza moves into the house on Mango Street, she doesn't like it from the beginning. This novella follows Esperanza as she interacts with neighbors, endures traumatic experiences, and learns a lot about people and about life.

Recent books:

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different by Karen Blumenthal

• The life of Apple CEO Steve Jobs is chronicled in an engaging way that is both fascinating and motivating. Readers learn the story of Jobs from his childhood to his untimely death from cancer.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

• Christopher Johnson McCandless gave away everything he owned before embarking on an epic adventure in the wilderness of Alaska. Readers won't soon forget this unforgettable story of McCandless roaming unencumbered in the wilderness.

10th and 11th Grade Literature Circle

Current book being discussed:

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

• This modern-day fairy tale has all of the essential elements, including a princess, pirates, a giant, masked heroes, and mythical beasts. The adventures of Buttercup and Westley will capture readers from the first page.

Recent books:

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

• Brave New World explores a future world of genetically modified people with a strict social hierarchy who take a happiness-producing drug to tamp down their emotions.

Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

• On an island off the coast of Washington in 1954, a local fisherman is found dead, and Kabuo Miyamoto is charged with murder. The trial involves much more than just the fate of one man as the island residents come to grips with events and their own feelings after World War II.

12th Grade Literature Circle

Current book being discussed:

The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt

• Set before and during World War I in Europe, this book follows the family of a children's book author as they navigate their own personal struggles and those that unfolded in society during these tumultuous years.

Recent books:

Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

• An intense examination of fear and heroism, Going After Cacciato is the complex story of the search for a soldier who has gone AWOL during the Vietnam War.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

• Readers follow Santiago as he embarks on a treasure hunt to find unexpected riches. Along the way, Santiago learns valuable lessons about following his dreams, avoiding danger, and listening to his heart.