The Hinsdale Central library will have its first guest author on Thursday, Oct. 17 during seventh and eighth period.  The featured author will be Joelle Charbonneau, and she will talk about her book The Testing.

This book is a mix of Divergent and The Hunger Games and features a utopian society in the future. After an monstrous civil war, the people of United Commonwealth are challenged to rebuild their country.  When Cia Vale and her childhood friend Tomas are chosen for the Testing, they must survive the challenges they face. This book is an adventurous ride about truth and love.

Joelle Charbonneau will be in the library giving a rundown about the book and talking about her experiences as a writer. Students will also have an opportunity to ask questions and get a copy of their book signed.

The library is also offering a special activity for students to get involved with the book called The Passing. The Passing is an activity in which the library encourages students to check out the book and share it with their peers.  Students just need to check out the The Testing and inform a librarian that they will be participating in The Passing. From there on, after completing the book students are challenged to pass on the book to a friend and then on to another.

Librarian Kathy Krepps said, “We hope this will create a community of readers and be fun for students who like to read with a friend.”

Often times students read for their English classes and analyze the texts, but it will be a completely different experience to ask the writer first hand about writing choices. Many students are looking forward to having an opportunity to speak to Charbonneau.

 “I participated in The Passing and am so excited for the author to come,” said Heather DeBoer, senior.

So, Red Devil readers should mark their calendar for this exciting event.