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2009 Outstanding Books for the College Bound and Lifelong Learners
A YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) committee of public, secondary school, and academic librarians selected the 2009 list in collaboration with the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL). Revised every five years, this list is intended as a tool for several audiences: students preparing for college, parents, educators, and librarians.
ARTS & HUMANITIES
Bernier-Grand, Carmen. Frida: Viva la Vida! Long Live Life! 2007. Marshall Cavendish.
In twenty-six original, free-verse poems the author depicts the thoughts, feelings, and life events of Mexican self-portraitist Frida Kahlo. The poems are accompanied by twenty-four full-color reproductions of Kahlo’s paintings. Substantial background materials include a biographical sketch, chronology, and glossary.
Blumenthal, Karen. Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America. 2005. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum.
This nonfiction work looks at Title IX, the 1972 legislation mandating that schools receiving federal funds could not discriminate on the basis of gender, ensuring equal treatment and opportunity for girls in sports and education. Included are period photos, a time line, "then and now" commentary, extensive source notes, and suggested resources for further reading.
Bowker, John. World Religions: The Great Faiths Explored and Explained. 2006. DK.
This comprehensive work introduces the reader to faiths of the world through religious artifacts, paintings, architecture, and annotations of sacred texts. It includes a time line comparing significant events and people.
Bryson, Bill. Shakespeare: The World as Stage. 2007. HarperCollins.
Bryson hits the mark with his characteristic wit as he explores the world of Shakespeare and the mystery surrounding the man and his plays.
Campbell, Joseph and Bill Moyers. The Power of Myth. 1988. Broadway Books/Doubleday.
A companion to the six part television documentary originally broadcast on PBS, this book covers such subjects as the role of mythology in the modern world, the journey inward, the hero's adventure, and tales of love and marriage.
Diamant, Anita. The Red Tent: A Novel. 1998. Picador.
This novel recreates the biblical life of Dinah, daughter of Leah and Jacob, from her birth in Mesopotamia through her death in Egypt.
D’Orso, Michael. Eagle Blue: A Team, a Tribe, and a High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska. 2006. Bloomsbury.
This true story explores the tiny village of Fort Yukon, Alaska, its vanishing cultural heritage, and its relationship with mainstream American culture through its high school basketball team.
Engle, Margarita. The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano. 2006. Henry Holt.
Written in verse, this is a Pura Belpre Award winning portrait of Juan Francisco Manzano, the poet who was born a slave in Cuba in 1797.
Follett, Ken. Pillars of the Earth. 2007. Penguin.
This best-selling epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the canvas of twelfth-century England depicts fascinating characters and provides a spellbinding introduction to medieval religion, architecture, politics, and daily life.
Freedman, Russell. The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. 2004. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Clarion.
A Newbery Honor book that accounts the life and musical career of the great African American vocalist, Marion Anderson, in the context of the history of civil rights in the United States.
Greenberg, Jan. Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art. 2001. Harry N. Abrams.
Can a painting speak? This collection of lyrical responses to famous American works of art provides answers.
Gruen, Sara. Water for Elephants: A Novel. 2007. Algonquin Books.
Gruen creates a story full of enchanting circus lore, mystery, trains, romance, and danger with no-holds-barred.
Hemphill, Stephanie. Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath. 2007. Random House/Alfred A. Knopf.
Hemphill creates a chronological biography in verse format from the viewpoint of others in Plath’s life. This is a worthy homage to Plath as her legend lives on.
Howe, Peter. Shooting Under Fire: The World of the War Photographer. 2002. Artisan.
Ten leading combat photographers share their experiences of horror, humor, bravery, and daring while reporting from war-torn locations such as Vietnam, Haiti, Chechnya, El Salvador, Sarajevo, and Afghanistan. Over 150 black-and-white and color photographs provide a powerful and moving look at war and those who risk everything to document it.
Jacobs, A.J. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible. 2007. Simon & Schuster.
A non-judgmental and humorous look at the twelve months Jacobs lived as closely as he could to literal compliance with biblical rules.
King, Melissa. She’s Got Next: A Story of Getting In, Staying Open, and Taking a Shot. 2005. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Mariner Books.
Through pick-up basketball games and the people she meets on the streets of Chicago, the author learns valuable life lessons.
Landis, Deborah Nadoolman. Dressed: A Century of Hollywood Costume Design. 2007. HarperCollins.
Landis showcases 100 years of Hollywood’s most memorable costumes and the characters they helped bring to life as she reveals a behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of the costume designer’s art.
Martin, Steve. Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life. 2008. Simon & Schuster/Scribner.
In a memoir full of humor and candor, Martin shares his personal itinerary as he negotiates the maze of honing his profession and the pitfalls he avoided.
McGreevey, Tom and Joanne Yeck. Our Movie Heritage. 1997. Rutgers University Press.
This work provides over one hundred beautiful pictures of top stars, directors, and others in the film industry, but the focus is on film preservation and the race against time to salvage what is left of the large number of films that are currently deteriorating in our nation’s vaults, theaters, and private collections.
Partridge, Elizabeth. John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth. 2005. Penguin/Viking.
Partridge provides a wide-open view into the work and life of one of the most influential and complicated persons from the world’s musical heritage.
Partridge, Elizabeth. This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie. 2002. Penguin/Viking.
Guthrie was a humbling figure, while at the same time a major catalyst of social change. This work provides insight into one of our most prolific and talented musicians, as well as the creation of his music.
Polly, Matthew. American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China. 2007. Penguin/Gotham Books.
The author reflects on the childhood dream that led him, as an adult, to take a break from Princeton and travel to China’s famed Shaolin Temple to study martial arts for two years.
Sandler, Martin. Photography: An Illustrated History. 2002. Oxford University Press.
This work looks at photography as it evolved from daguerreotypes in the 1800’s to the respected art form that it is today. Numerous compelling black-and-white and color photographs document technological developments, the contributions of pioneers in the field, as well as the impact photography has had upon all aspects of society.
Strickland, Carol. The Annotated Mona Lisa: A Crash Course in Art History from Prehistoric to Post-Modern. 2007. Andrews McMeel Publishing.
In an accessible format, this unique work provides a basic working knowledge of art and art history through short essays, sidebars, and photographs.
Weller, Sheila. Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon—And the Journey of a Generation. 2008. Simon & Schuster/Atria.
In three interwoven biographies, Weller chronicles the life and times of three tradition-breaking women singer-songwriters who came of age in the late 1960s.
HISTORY AND CULTURES
Ahmad, Dohra, ed. Rotten English: A Literary Anthology. 2007. W.W. Norton.
Language is power and for the dizzying array of writers collected here, displaying an authentic voice is a means to reclaim what has been stolen, oppressed, or colonized.Rotten Englishcollects the poetry, essays, short stories, and novels of the best in global vernacular writing from Mark Twain to Junot Diaz.
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. 2007. Little, Brown.
Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, was born an outsider with water on his brain, lopsided eyes, and an IQ oppressed by extreme poverty and a mediocre reservation education. After switching to an all-white high school he realizes that though he'll never easily fit in, self-determination and a solid personal identity will give him the chance to both succeed and transcend.
Bagdasarian, Adam. Forgotten Fire: A Novel. 2002. Random House/Laurel Leaf.
“Who will remember the Armenians?” Hitler asked, referencing the Armenian genocide as his inspiration for the final solution. This brutal hidden chapter of history is seen through the eyes of 12-year-old survivor Vahan Kendarian, whose world was shattered within a matter of days.
Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone. 2007. Knopf/Vintage.
A journalist explores the pristine "Emerald City," the American government's enclave inthe middle of war-torn Baghdad.
Chang, Iris. The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II. 1998. Penguin.
Barely a postscript in official Japanese history, the horrific torture and murder of hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens took place over the course of just seven weeks.
Chotjewitz, David. Doris Orgel (Translator). Daniel Half-Human: And the Good Nazi. 2004. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum.
From Hitler Youth to hunted “mischling,” Daniel's world unravels when he discovers his mother's hidden history “taints” him with Jewish blood and marks him for extermination.
Delisle, Guy. Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea. 2007. Drawn and Quarterly.
The secretive world of Communist North Korea remains a mystery to French-Canadian cartoonist Delisle, even after spending two months inside its borders.
Diamond, Jared. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. 2005. Penguin.
What do the lack of Icelandic fisherman, the 2008 Chinese Olympics, and Easter Island tree cutters all have in common? Much more than you might think. Collapseexplores the political, technological, and ecological decisions which merge in order to sustain or destroy societies.
Diaz, Junot. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. 2007. Penguin/Riverhead.
“Ghetto nerd,” outcast, and anime-loving Oscar Wao is the latest in a long line of doomed generations to suffer the dreaded fuku curse of his native Dominican Republic. With humor and talent as his weapons, he perseveres, knowing “you can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in."
Egan, Timothy. The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl. 2005. Houghton Mifflin.
Award winningNew York Timesreporter Egan tackles the great dust bowl phenomenon of the 1930's and 40's in this multi-tiered account. He shares incredible eye-witness accounts as well as the overwhelming convergences of failed agricultural practices, ill-fated government policies, and the costs of "get rich quick" schemes.
Eggers, Dave. What is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng: A Novel. 2007. Knopf/Vintage.
As a young boy Valentino witnessed Arab militia men destroy his village, hid from hungry lions, wandered through wasted, desert landscapes, and narrowly escaped fatal disease, capture, starvation, and enlistment. The will to survive displayed here is almost as miraculous as this Sudanese "Lost Boy's" ability to recount the harrowing genocide of home and people with such thoughtfulness and grace.
Fadiman, Anne. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures. 1998. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
A Hmong refugee family in California clashes with the American medical system when they attribute their daughter's grand mal seizures to a spiritual rather than physical problem.
Fleming, Anne Marie. The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam. 2007. Penguin/Riverhead.
In his day, Long Tack Sam was an acrobat, a magician, an entrepreneur, a world traveler, a celebrity, a father, a ladies man, and a husband. This graphic collage biography pairs narrative writing, handbills, photographs, and news clippings along with interviews, comics, and commentary to convey the inevitable effects of cultural shifts and global politics on individual lives.
Jones, Edward P. The Known World. 2003. HarperCollins/Amistad.
In this Pulitzer Prize winning novel Jones approaches a little explored chapter in antebellum history, that of African American slave owners. Set several decades before the beginning of the Civil War, this title skillfully weaves plot, time, and perspective amongst a diverse and powerful cast of characters in order to explore the moral complexities inherent to human freedom (or the lack thereof).
Horwitz, Tony. A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World. 2008. Henry Holt.
Pulitzer prizing winning journalist Horwitz uses humor and candor to literally follow in the footsteps of the first American explorers—from the Vikings and French utopians to America’s first African-American trailblazer—whose discoveries took place hundreds of years before the mythical landing on Plymouth Rock.
Larson, Erik.The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America. 2004. Knopf/Vintage.
The 1893 Chicago World's Fair captured the imagination of the whole world, and also provided a playground for a cunning serial killer.
Maltman, Thomas. The Night Birds: A Novel. 2008. Soho Press.
Three generations of settlers and native Dakota weave a dark tale of family secrets and brutal injustice in Civil War era America.
Roberts, Gene and Hank Klibanoff. The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation. 2007. Knopf/Vintage.
When Harry Reasoner thrust a microphone at an angry mob, and yelled "I don't care what you're going to do to me, but the whole world is going to know it!" he spoke for all the reporters and photographers, black and white, north and south, who played a critical role in bringing the reality of the Civil Rights movement into the living rooms and consciousness of the American public.
Saenz, Benjamin Alire. Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood. 2004. Cinco Puntos Press.
This Hollywood is a barrio in 1968 New Mexico, where the students at Las Cruces High School struggle through heartbreak, loss, and an entrenched racial divide to find their place in the world.
Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. 2007. Knopf/Pantheon.
Marjane Satrapi's memoir of her childhood in Iran during the Islamic Revolution is beautifully rendered in this graphic novel series.
Spiegelman, Art. The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale. 1996. Knopf/Pantheon.
A man struggles to come to terms with his parents' brutal past at Auschwitz in this seminal graphic novel.
Ung, Loung. First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. 2006. HarperCollins.
The perils of life under the brutal Pol Pot regime change a young woman’s life forever, as she and her family find themselves fugitives of war, without even their names to remind them of what they lost.
Weiner, Tim. Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA. 2008. Knopf/Anchor.
With considerable research and extensive interviews, Tim Weinershowsthe grave miscalculations that have plagued the Central Intelligence Agency since its inception.
Williams, David. Bitterly Divided: The South’s Inner Civil War. 2008. The New Press.
The Civil War was lost long before the first shot was ever fired, thanks to deep and violent divisions of class and political allegiance that resulted in “a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight.”
Wolf, Allan. New Found Land: Lewis and Clark’s Voyage of Discovery. 2007. Candlewick.
The epic journey of Lewis and Clark comes alive as each member of the expedition tells an intimately personal story of struggle and discovery in this sweeping poetic rendition.
LITERATURE & LANGUAGE ARTS
Allison, Dorothy. Bastard Out of Carolina. 1993. Penguin/Plume.
Bone confronts illegitimacy, poverty, the troubled marriage of her mother and stepfather, and the stigma of being considered “white trash” as she comes of age in South Carolina.
Anderson, M.T. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. 1: The Pox Party. 2006. Candlewick.
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol. II: The Kingdom on the Waves. 2008. Candlewick.
Set during the American Revolution, Octavian is raised as a pampered African prince by a society of Enlightenment philosophers who view him as an experiment. Realizing that his freedom is an illusion, Octavian sets off on a journey to find freedom and a place in the world. These books will challenge everything you have ever learned about the Revolutionary War.
Bond, Jenny and Chris Sheedy. Who the Hell is Pansy O’Hara?: The Fascinating Stories Behind 50 of the World’s Best-Loved Books. 2008. Penguin.
Did you ever wonder what an author was thinking when they wrote their book? Explore the quirky back-stories of some of the world’s most famous 50 books.
Cameron, Peter. Someday This Pain Will be Useful to You. 2007. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
James hates everyone except his grandmother. Take a look at life through this brilliant and mischievous New York teen’s eyes as he tries to figure out life and his place in it.
Cisneros, Sandra. Caramelo. 2003. Knopf/Vintage.
LaLa learns the stories of her Awful Grandmother and weaves them into a colorful family history. The “caramelo,” a striped shawl begun by her Great-Grandmother, symbolizes their traditions.
Dunn, Mark. Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters. 2002. Knopf/Anchor.
The people of Nollop are good citizens, but as the use of more and more letters in the alphabet is outlawed, how will its residents communicate?
Foer, Jonathan Safran. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. 2006. Houghton Mifflin.
Oskar Schell, a gifted 9-year old, explores the mystery of his father’s death during the 9/11 attack.
Gaines, Ernest. A Lesson Before Dying. 1997. Knopf/Vintage.
When Jefferson's attorney states, "I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this," disillusioned teacher Grant Wiggins is sent into the penitentiary to help Jefferson gain a sense of dignity and self-esteem before his execution.
Green, John. Looking for Alaska. 2005. Penguin.
Join Miles Halter, who is intrigued by famous last words, as he heads off to boarding school in search of the “Great Perhaps.” What he finds is a beautiful but troubled girl named Alaska.
Haddon, Mark. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. 2004. Knopf/Vintage.
Christopher has two mysteries to solve: who killed Wellington the dog and what happened to his mother. But Christopher, who has Asperger Syndrome, a form of autism, approaches these mysteries and the world itself in a unique and special way.
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. 2004. Penguin/Riverhead.
Years after he flees Afghanistan, Amir, now an American citizen, returns to his native land and attempts to atone for the betrayal of his best friend before he fled Kabul and the Taliban.
Ishiguro, Kazuo. Never Let Me Go. 2005. Knopf.
Only special students are chosen to attend Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school tucked away in the English countryside. The chilling truth of their special nature slowly unfolds as we follow the stories of three former students.
Jones, Lloyd. Mister Pip. 2008. Dell Publishing/Dial Press.
Matilda’s Pacific Island village has been torn apart by civil war. Against this harsh backdrop, Mr. Watts, a lonely British expatriate, maintains calm by reading Dicken’s Great Expectations aloud to the village children, transforming their lives.
Keillor, Garrison, ed. Good Poems. 2003. Penguin.
An essential and accessible anthology of some of the best contemporary and classic poetry.
Kidd, Sue Monk. Secret Life of Bees. 2008. Penguin.
Searching for the truth about her mother’s life and death, a grieving Lily finds the answers, love, and acceptance where she least expects it.
Kyle, Aryn. The God of Animals. 2007. Simon & Schuster/Scribner.
Twelve-year old Alice must face issues beyond her years. Her sister has run off, her mother won’t get out of bed, and the family horse farm is failing. Can she keep the family from falling apart?
Maguire, Gregory. Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. 2007. HarperCollins.
The Wizard of Oz retold from the point of view of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. You’ll never think of Oz the same way again.
McCarthy, Cormac. The Road. 2008. Knopf/Vintage.
After an apocalyptic catastrophe, a father and his young son embark on a grim and perilous quest following the road to the sea.
Murakami, Haruki. Kafka on the Shore. 2006. Knopf/Vintage.
Reality and fantasy converge in this story of a Japanese runaway’s quest to find his long-lost sister and mother.
Myers, Walter Dean. Sunrise Over Fallujah. 2008. Scholastic.
Robin believes in his country and volunteers to fight in Iraq; but when he arrives he realizes that fighting for freedom is not always black and white.
Roth, Philip. The Plot Against America. 2005. Knopf/Vintage.
This is a fascinating alternate history that takes a hard look at one of America’s legendary heroes, Charles Lindbergh, and at how bigotry and fear can shape politics.
Sebold, Alice. Lucky: A Memoir. 2002. Little Brown/Back Bay.
“You save yourself or you remain unsaved.” With these words, Sebold recounts the brutal rape that she was “lucky” to survive. Tragedy and hope combine as she makes her way through a survivor’s maze of emotions.
Stoppard, Tom. Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead. 1994. Grove Press
Two bit players from Shakespeare's Hamlet are thrust into a terrifying and surreal new situation.
Thompson, Craig. Blankets. 2003. Top Shelf Productions.
A young man questions his faith and experiences bittersweet first love in this autobiographical and groundbreaking graphic novel.
Zusak, Marcus. The Book Thief. 2006. Random House/Knopf.
Living in Nazi Germany, young Liesel and her family choose to lie and steal to protect a Jewish refugee hiding in their basement. Narrated by Death, this is not your typical World War II story.
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays with Morrie: an Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson. 2002. Broadway Books.
Meet one-of-a-kind college professor Morrie Schwartz, who teaches us all to live fully as he lies dying, and his former student Mitch Albom, who gets a chance to rediscover life through the death of his mentor and friend.
Beah, Ishmael. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. 2008. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
A Long Way Gone is the riveting, firsthand account of Ishmael Beah, a 12-year-old child soldier, hopped up on drugs and wielding an AK-47, who gets swept up in the horrors of civil war in his African homeland.
Bolles, Richard Nelson. What Color Is Your Parachute? 2009: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers. 2008. Ten Speed Press.
With a proven track record of more than thirty years in publication, this top-selling career guide has been updated and revised to help first-time job seekers discover and get the right work for them.
Casnocha, Ben. My Start-Up Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey through Silicon Valley. 2007. John Wiley & Sons.
Casnocha, a 19-year-old entrepreneur, tells his own story about the ups and downs of making a business idea work and inspires readers to find their own way to make a difference.
George, Mary W. The Elements of Library Research: What Every Student Needs to Know. 2008. Princeton University Press.
Succinct and practical, this guide provides students with the tactics, tools and confidence they need to successfully conduct college level research.
Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. 2002. Little Brown/Back Bay.
Through entertaining anecdotes Gladwell explains the phenomena of fads, or how little actions can ripple outward until a “tipping point” is reached which results in a dramatic change.
Juette, Melvin and Ronald J. Berger. Wheelchair Warrior: Gangs, Disability, and Basketball. 2008. Temple University Press.
This inspiring story follows the transformation of a 16-year-old African American from gang member destined for prison or death to wheelchair athlete playing for the U.S. National Wheelchair Basketball Team.
Keen, Lisa. Out Law: What LGBT Youth Should Know About Their Legal Rights. 2007. Beacon Press.
Keen introduces LGBT youth to their legal rights and provides examples of young people empowered to stand up for themselves.
Kohl, Jana. A Rare Breed of Love: The True Story of Baby and the Mission She Inspired to Help Dogs Everywhere. 2008. Simon & Schuster/Fireside.
The shocking cruelty of legal animal abuse is exposed through the story of Baby, a poodle who lost a leg after years of mistreatment at a puppy mill. Rescued by Jana Kohl, they now work together with celebrity friends and politicians to raise awareness about animal rights.
McCormick, Patricia. Sold. 2006. Hyperion.
When 13-year-old Lakshmi is sold into prostitution by her stepfather, she ends up in a brothel in the slums of Calcutta, where her life becomes a nightmare from which she cannot escape. Although a novel, this story reflects a situation that many girls around the world endure today.
Menzel, Peter and Faith D'Aluisio. Hungry Planet: What the World Eats. 2007. Ten Speed Press.
Hungry Planet is a photo-chronicle of families around the world, the food they eat, and how uncontrollable forces like poverty, conflict and globalization affect our most elemental human need – food.
Mortenson, Greg and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time. 2007. Penguin.
Lost and near death following an unsuccessful attempt to climb K2, Mortenson is sheltered and nursed in a remote mountain village. Out of gratitude, he vows to return to build schools throughout Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Picoult, Jodi. Nineteen Minutes. 2008. Simon & Schuster/Washington Square Press.
Seventeen-year-old Peter Houghton wakes up one day, loads his backpack with four guns, walks into the school cafeteria, and kills nine students and one teacher in the span of nineteen minutes. Why?
Pipher, Mary. The Middle of Everywhere: Helping Refugees Enter the American Community. 2003. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
They come from Laos, Bosnia, Northern Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, and the former Soviet Union. War-scarred refugees, searching for freedom, move into cities across the American heartland to face one more challenge -- adjusting to life in a strange new land.
Rogers, Elizabeth and Thomas Kostigen. The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time. 2007. Crown Publishing/Three Rivers Press.
Celebrities Ellen DeGeneres, Jennifer Aniston, Tim McGraw, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and others contribute suggestions of small changes you can make daily to have a positive impact on the health of our planet. Learn how you too can live green!
Sheff, David. Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey through His Son's Addiction. 2008. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
A father’s anguished account of his promising son’s meth addiction and its painful impact on the entire family is honest, raw, and full of information about the realities of drug addiction.
Sheff, Nic. Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines. 2009. Simon & Schuster/Atheneum.
Nic Sheff is destined for a rich life and career until he is derailed by drugs. This wrenchingly honest account of life as a meth addict is the companion book to Beautiful Boy.
Smith, Jodi R.R. From Clueless to Class Act: Manners for the Modern Man. 2006. Sterling.
From Clueless to Class Act: Manners for the Modern Woman. 2006. Sterling.
These unstuffy guides to good behavior will help young men and women develop the style and panache to make a good impression in social and professional circles.
Stern, Jessica. Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill. 2004. HarperCollins.
Seeking to understand how religious ardor leads to violence, Stern recounts her dramatic encounters with Christians and Muslims who use terrorism in the name of God.
Urrea, Luis Alberto. The Devil's Highway: A True Story. 2005. Little Brown/Back Bay Books.
Thousands of illegal immigrants yearly scramble across the U.S.-Mexican border and into an area of the Arizona desert known as the Devil’s Highway. Many do not make it out alive. This is the human story of illegal immigration told with facts, anger, and poetry.
Wallis, David, ed. Killed Cartoons: Casualties from the War on Free Expression. 2007. W. W. Norton.
Wallis’ book is full of political cartoons killed before publication. Each cartoon is accompanied by a brief narrative explaining why it was considered too controversial for publication.
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle: A Memoir. 2006. Simon & Schuster/Scribner.
This is Jeannette Walls’ memoir of growing up in chaos and poverty with a family that prized freedom and unconventionality over comfort and safety.
Wheelan, Charles. Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science. 2002. W. W. Norton.
This intriguing and approachable introduction to the field of economics is for all readers who have rejected the topic as tedious, boring and incomprehensible.
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