JH Nonfiction:
- The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John Hendrix---this book should be in the Graphic books category, since it is illustrated but the gatekeepers felt it was so text dense that we should get it. I am glad they did. It is very well done and very enlightening.
- Chasing King's Killer: The Hunt for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Killer by James Swanson---this book reads like the best thriller novel yet the juxtaposition of King's life and that of his killer couldn't be sharper.
- Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court by Kareem Abdul-Jabar---I had no idea what an inspirational guy this famous basketball player is. He encourages everyone to pay attention to their coaches and to be their best selves.
- Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam by Elizabeth Partridge---this book doesn't just chronicle the awful war, it looks at the events through the eyes of participants and victims. It is so well done.
- The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements (Young Readers Edition) by Sam Keen---Oh my goodness, this book is so interesting. Can you tell from the title?
- My Family Divided: One Girl's Journey of Home, Loss, and Hope by Diane Guerrero with Erica Moroz---This actress's life is a personal story involving undocumented parents being deported and the tragedy that ensued. Though her story happened several years ago, it is a very important and current story for teens to read about today.
- For my 7th choice I can't decide between:
1. D-Day: The World War II Invasion That Changed the World by Deborah Hopkinson;
2. Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America by Gail Jarrows;
3. Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction by Nancy Castaldo;
4. Apollo 8: The Mission That Changed Everything by Martin Sandler;
5. Facing Frederick: The Life of Frederick Douglass, a Monumental American Man by Tonya Bolden....
I have a few hours until I absolutely have to decide. I wonder if I should be strategic and list books I think no one else will nominate and remove books from my list books I'm sure others will? It could backfire on me. What to do, what to do?
- 1968: Today's Authors Explore a Year of Rebellion, Revolution, and Change from Candlewick Press---each of the authors took a different point of view about the events of 1968 and found it fascinating and illuminating.
- Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults) by Bryan Stevenson---I read the adult version of this book several years a go. I am so glad the author reworked it for young teens.
- The Grand Escape: The Greatest Prison Breakout of the 20th Century by .Neal Bascomb---wow, wow, wow with adventure meet the truth.
- Votes for Women!: American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot by Winifred Conkling---I thought I knew something about the suffragist's movement. After reading this book I can safely say, now I do.
- We Say #NeverAgain: Reporting by the Parkland Student Journalist---this books is so NOW and so important. It may not be the best in terms of writing, but it's message is so important.
- Now I am thinking of a new way to be sneaky. I don't have as many SH books on my list as JH books. So, can you hear me rubbing my hands together, why don't I suggest that some of the books listed in the JH category be moved to the SH books so I can list them here? I think I'll spend a moment with each one and see if any of them can be moved realistically. Also I have two more books I want to cram before this evening: I Have the Right To by Chessy Prout and My Shot: Balancing It All and Standing Tall by Elena Delle Donne
I'm off to do more reading and scheming. Bye!
