A Break from Studies

Sadie Oldenka20130929-CDS_5239mp is the Youth Services supervisor at the John F. Kennedy Library in Muncie. She was a library director in Petersburg, Indiana, for a year before moving to Muncie in January. A recent college graduate herself, Oldenkamp compiles lists for students interested in recreational reading.

One of her lists, entitled “Ugh, Midterms and Finals are Here and I Need Brain Candy,” suggests book to read when students need a break from schoolwork.

The first book on this list is “The Maze Runner,” by James Dashner. The book is the first in a “good old-fashioned post-apocalyptic sort of series,” Oldenkamp says.

“The Maze Runner” follows a young boy who wakes up in an elevator with no memory of anything except his name. He is brought to the Glade, a community surrounded by a maze. The boys living in the Glade are all unsure of how or why they got there. When the first girl is brought to the community, she brings a message that could change the future of the Glade.

“It’s very complex, high action. It’s like watching a big blow-up 80s movie,” Oldenkamp said. “ There’s always something going on. You can read a chapter, put it down and pick it up right where you left off.”