NONFICTION CHOICES FOR GRADES 6-8

This year the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for English Language Arts is emphasizing the informational text, (literary nonfiction) across the grades. Below is a short list compiled of possible choices to meet the recent requests from middle school students visiting the library seeking a "nonfiction chapter book."  (Remember, nonfiction includes biographies.)
If you click on a title in the list below it will take you to our Library's online catalog, where you will be able to place a hold, or find other books on the same subject.  If you need help, send me an email, stop by the library, or click here to: search the online catalog. 

Click here to: Visit the NoveList Plus database for more nonfiction lists:

1) Enter your library barcode number to access this database.
2) Click on NoveList Plus.
3) Click on Advanced Search.
4) Type "narrative nonfiction" in search box, and select "Genre" in drop down search field box.
5) Check the teens box for Audience.  Click Search.
You will receive about 213 results, that may then be narrowed according to your preference.
NoveList Plus also has many recommended nonfiction lists for teens by subject area/interests.  Look for these lists on the NoveList Plus home page in the left hand column; select teens and nonfiction.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, by Tanya Lee Stone, 2008.  Presents the story of the 13 women connected with NASA's Mercury 13 space mission, who braved prejudice & jealousy to make their mark & open the door for the female pilots & space commanders that would soon follow.

Blizzard: The Storm That Changed America, by Jim Murphy, 2000.  Presents a history, based on personal accounts and newspaper articles, of the massive snow storm that hit the Northeast in 1888, focusing on the events in New York City.

Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Hilariously Wrong, Jen Yates, 2009.  From the creator of the blog CakeWrecks.com, here are the worst cakes ever, with witty commentary & behind-the-scenes tidbits. (Ask your teacher if this is okay, -make the argument that it is about reading & interpretation.)  

The Dark Game: True Spy Stories, by Paul B. Janeczko, 2010.  From clothesline codes to surveillance satellites and cyber espionage, Janeczko uncovers two centuries' worth of true spy stories in U.S. history.

The Duel: The Parallel Lives of Alexander Hamilton & Aaron Burr, by Judith St. George, 2009.  Examines the events that led up to the deadly duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr by reviewing both their lives and the similarities that they shared.

Game Day: Meet the People Who Make it Happen, Kevin Sylvester, 2010.  Sylvester tells the stories of 19 talented and dedicated behind-the-scenes stars of the sports world.

The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie: A Doll's History and Her Impact On Us, by Tanya Lee Stone, 2010.  Learn about Mattel Toys and the background behind Barbie's concept and development, how it was a solution for girls who wanted to imagine adult roles rather than just play mother, and details about inventor Ruth Handler

Grayson, by Lynne Cox, 2006.  One morning while the 17-year-old author was training for a long-distance swim, she became aware that something was swimming with her--a baby gray whale that had become separated from its mother. This is the tale of how Cox miraculously reunited mother and baby.

The Greatest: Muhammad Ali, by Walter Dean Myers, 2001.  A portrait of one of the world's greatest boxers chronicles his childhood, his rise as a champion, his politics, and his battle against Parkinsons' disease.

The Hive Detectives: Chronicle of a Honey Bee Catastrophe, by Loree Griffin Burns, 2010.  Apiarist Dave Hackenberg's bees have a busy travel schedule, pollinating around the United States from February to July.  So when Dave inspected 400 of his hives and found that the bees had simply vanished, a team of bee scientists got to work.

Houdini: The Handcuff King, by Jason Lutes & Nick Bertozzi, 2007.   Offers a portrait of the legendary escape artist in graphic novel format, and reveals the secret behind his most amazing trick.

John Lennon: All I Want is the Truth: A Photographic Biography, by Elizabeth Partridge, 2005.  The story of one of rock's biggest legends, from his birth during a 1940 World War II air raid on Liverpool, through his turbulent childhood and teen years, to his celebrated life writing, recording, and performing.

Lewis & Clark, by Nick Bertozzi, 2011.  Presents, in graphic novel format, the adventures of explorers Lewis and Clark during their journey from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean.

Martha Graham, A Dancer's Life, by Russell Freedman, 1998.  A photo-biography of the American dancer, teacher, and choreographer who was born in Pittsburgh in 1895 and who became a leading figure in the world of modern dance.

Revenge of the Whale: The True Story of the Whaleship Essex, by Nathaniel Philbrick, 2002.  Recounts the 1820 sinking of the whaleship "Essex" by an enraged sperm whale and how the crew of young men survived against impossible odds. Adapted from the author's adult book "In the Heart of the Sea."

Smile, by Raina Telgemeier, 2010.  An autobiography in graphic novel format describes how the author lost two of her front teeth in an accident when she was twelve, and her subsequent struggles with various corrective dental techniques throughout adolescence.

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board, by Bethany Hamilton, 2011.  The teenage surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack in 2003 describes how she has coped with this life-altering event with the help of her faith, the changes in her life, and her return to the sport she loves.

They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth of an American Terrorist Group, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, 2010.   Uses personal accounts unearthed from oral histories, congressional documents, and diaries, to unveil the creation of the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee, and its spread across the American South.

Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners From 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert, by Marc Aronson, 2011.    The story about 33 miners trapped in a copper-gold mine in San Jose, Chile, and how experts from around the world, from drillers, to astronauts, to submarine specialists, came together to make their remarkable rescue possible"

Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting, by Jim Murphy, 2009.  Describes how, at Christmas, 1914, during World War I, in defiance of their officers' orders, a truce was declared by soldiers on opposing sides, who stopped fighting to engage in a spontaneous Christmas celebration with their "enemies.".

Award Winners - Where Are They?

Recently there was a note in the Young Adult area's suggestion box: "There should be more prize winner books, and maybe a little more variety".  I wish I could talk with the person, who left this suggestion/request, about what they mean by variety.  From my view in the corner there is a comprehensive range of genres and subjects from which to choose.  All of which I would be pleased to blab endlessly about, just ask.  If there is something not represented I definitely want to know about it. I love collection development.  I'm not sure about the request for "more prize winner books," I don't think they meant extra copies, (maybe they do?).  Following is a small sample of YA fiction and nonfiction award winners, (all of which are in the Hamilton-Wenham Library collection), clicking on the book cover will take you to the catalog, where you can find out about the book, and place a hold for a copy:

Sir Terry Prachett is the recipient of the 2011 Margaret A. Edwards Award,  honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens:

Jim Murphy is the recipient of the 2010 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens:

 

The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. The 2011 Printz Award was awarded to:

The 2011 Printz Honor books are:

To see a plethora of YA award books and top ten lists click here.

My Library Thing "Read in 2011" tag counter toggled up to 75 books over the weekend.  A Librarian colleague, helped out by adding Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs to my book bag last week.  Riggs' first novel has been on the New York Times Children's Chapter Books bestseller list for 7 weeks, and this week stands at number 4 on the list.  Although "Peculiar Children" was reviewed in the adult new fiction section of some of the review journals (Booklist, Library Journal), our Consortium libraries are placing the book in their Young Adult fiction collections.  After reading the book, I concur with that placement.  Yes, it is a book that may appeal to many adults, however, it is at heart a story about a teen with typical teen themes such as friendship, first love, family relationship, identity, and finding your place in the world.   "Peculiar Children" is a fantasy-mystery with some science fictional time loops, and some horror in the form of "tentacle-mawed" vampire-like "hollowgasts". This tale's appeal clearly hangs on the 44 weird, and quirky, atmospheric black and white photographs that accompany and illustrate the text as a freaky sideshow.  This is the only way I can account for the book's ride on the best seller list, because, while the pacing and writing starts off smoothly dark, it becomes a bit lumpy towards the middle, and drags towards the end.
My rating: 2 and a ½ stars. Dede enjoyed the book more than I did and rates it: 4 stars.

This past week I also read Mindblind, by Jennifer Roy, The Space Between Trees, by Katie Williams, and The Kid Table, by Andrea Seigel.  If you liked Mark Haddon's, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, or Francisco X Stork's, Marcelo in the Real World, you will probably enjoy "Mindblind," another tale in the growing lexicon of books about people (teens) with Asperger's or Autism. My rating: 3 and a ½ stars.

The Space Between Trees is a murder mystery page turner, with a surprising realistic conclusion that is not neatly wrapped up, nor particularly happy.   Adults as well as teens who like murder mysteries would like this book.  My rating: 3 and a ½ stars.

Lastly, but not least, The Kid Table, is a window into family dynamics over the course of one year at five various holiday and celebratory gatherings. The "kids" (or cousins) relegated to the kid table are all (but one) in high school or college, and are all only children.  It is by turns charming, humorous, and serious, and lets you know that though someone has grown up knowing their cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. what one doesn't know about them, and about yourself, can be a wide field of discovery.    My rating: 3 and a ½ stars.

10 Favorite Fiction Books

Since the start of 2011, I have read 71 Young Adult fiction books.  So, instead of another (fourth) travel related book list this week, I thought I would post my top ten favorite Young Adult fiction reads from the past six months.  Some of the books on the list are newly published, and others are older titles that I have just gotten around to reading.  The descriptive terms beneath the title are my quick thoughts about the book.  The story abstract's (except for Abhorsen Trilogy) are from the Library's online catalog.  I gave all of these books a minimum of 4 stars, or the max (5 stars), in Library Thing.

Kim's 6 Months Top 10 YA Fiction Reads :

 

Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix.   Fantasy, Adventure, Necromancer, the line between good and evil, life and death, magic and mundane.  Over the course of three books, a family of necromancers battle against evil by entering the land of the dead.

 

BADD by Tim Tharp.  Contemporary Realistic, PTSD, Iraq War, Brother-Sister relationship, Humorous.  A teen girl's beloved brother returns home from the Iraq War completely unlike the person she remembers.

Blink and Caution by Tim Wynne-Jones.  Suspense, Crime, Runaways, Contemporary, set in Canada.  Two teenagers who are living on the streets and barely getting by become involved in a complicated criminal plot, and make an unexpected connection with each other.

Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce.  Fantasy, Supernatural, touch of Science Fiction, some Horror (Vampire, Wraiths, Gargoyles), Romance.  The servant girl Aeriel must choose between destroying her vampire master for his evil deeds or saving him for the sake of his beauty and the spark of goodness she has seen in him.

Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge.  Steampunk Fantasy, 1950s alternate history, Supernatural, set in Boston.  In an alternate 1950s, mechanically gifted 15-year-old Aoife Grayson, whose family has a history of going mad at sixteen, must leave the totalitarian city of Lovecraft and venture into the world of magic to solve the mystery of her brother's disappearance and the mysteries surrounding her father and the Land of Thorn.

The Luxe series, by Anna Godbersen.

Historical Romance, social classes, set in New York and California.  
In Manhattan in 1899, five teens of different social classes lead dangerously scandalous lives, despite the strict rules of society and the best-laid plans of parents and others.

Orchards by Holly Thompson.  Contemporary Realistic, Bullying, Suicide, bi-polar, written in free verse, set in States and Japan.  Sent to Japan for the summer after an eighth-grade classmate's suicide, half-Japanese, half-Jewish Kana Goldberg tries to fit in with relatives she barely knows and reflects on the guilt she feels over the tragedy back home.

Things a Brother Knows by Dana Reinhardt.  Contemporary Realistic, Road Trip, Iraq War, Marines, PTSD, Brother-Brother relationship, set in Massachusetts.  Although they have never gotten along well, seventeen-year-old Levi follows his older brother Boaz, an ex-Marine, on a walking trip from Boston to Washington, D.C. in hopes of learning why Boaz is completely withdrawn.

Trash by Andy Mulligan.  Mystery, Adventure, Poverty, Corruption, Friendship, set in Phillipines.  Fourteen-year-olds Raphael and Gardo team up with a younger boy, Rat, to figure out the mysteries surrounding a bag Raphael finds during their daily life of sorthing through trash in a third-world country's dump.

You Don't Know About Me by Brian Meehl.  Contemporary Realistic, Road Trip, Humorous, Doubt vs. Faith, Mark Twain, Homophobia, Geochaching, Mother-Son relationship.  Billy has spent his almost-sixteen years with four cardinal points--Mother, Christ, Bible, and Home-school--but when he sets off on a wild road trip to find the father he thought was dead, he learns much about himself and life.

HANGING MOBILE CONTEST

  It’s our birthday—we’re turning 10, and you can help celebrate in a contest 
that features your favorite book or series.

The Hanging Mobile Contest is open

to teens entering grades 6 to 12, and Adults.

Contest begins August 1, 2011,

and ends October 24, 2011.

Three winning categories:

grades 6-8, grades 9-12, and College/Adult.

Prizes will be awarded at the

Library’s 10th Anniversary Gala

on Sunday, November 6, 2011

  For contest rules & entry form click here. 
 

mo·bile: a piece of kinetic sculpture having balanced objects/shapes, suspended in midair by wire or twine, from a number of rods, so that the individual parts can move independently, as when stirred by a breeze.

TRAVEL NON-FICTION

You Are Here summer book list #3 is Non-Fiction Travel, or true tales of travels around the world.  Place a hold on one of the books below by clicking on the title, which will take you to the online catalog.  You will need your library card barcode, and your PIN (last 4 digits of your telephone number).

 

TAKE A TRUE TALES JOURNEY

The Discovery of Jeanne Baret: A Story of Science, the High Seas, and the First Woman to Circumnavigate the Globe, 

by Glynis Ridley, 2010.

In a deeply researched and engagingly written narrative of science, adventure, love, and a voyage of discovery, Ridley tells the true story of Jeanne Baret, the first woman to circumnavigate the globe.
 

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage, by Alfred Lansing, 1959.

An account of an astonishing feat of exploration and human courage. In August of 1914, the British ship, Endurance, set sail for the South Atlantic. In October, 1915, still half a continent away from its intended base, the ship was trapped, then crushed in the ice. For five months, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men, were castaways, drifting on ice packs.
 

Europe From a Backpack: 

Real Stories From Young Travelers Abroad, 

edited by Mark Pearson and Martin Westerman, 2004.  

A collection of short essays by students who made the trek across the ocean in search of adventures. Maps.
 

Greasy Rider: Two Dudes, One Fry-Oil-Powered Car, and a Cross-Country Search for a Greener Future, by Greg Melville, 2008.  

The quest: to be the first people to drive cross-country in a french-fry car. Part adventure, part investigation, of what we're doing (or not doing) to preserve the planet.  Upbeat, funny, and full of surprising information.

How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less, 

by writer & artist, Sarah Glidden, 2010.  

A graphic memoir that chronicles the author's Israeli government sponsored trip through Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, and Masada and a non-chaperoned trip into the West Bank.

  

An Indian Winter, by Russell Freedman, 1992.

  The experiences of a German prince, his servant, and a young Swiss artist as they traveled through the Missouri River Valley in 1833 learning about the territory and its inhabitants.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster, 

by Jon Krakauer, 1997.  

The story of a disastrous expedition that claimed the lives of eight climbers.  Krakauer describes his spring 1996 trek to Mt. Everest, and explains why he survived. 

 

The Photographer: Into War-Torn Afghanistan 

with Doctors Without Borders, 

by Emmanuel Guibert, 2009.  

In 1986, Afghanistan was torn apart by a war with the Soviet Union.  This graphic novel/photo-journal is a record of one reporter’s arduous & dangerous journey through Afghanistan, accompanying the Doctors Without Borders.

Rite of Passage: Tales of Backpacking 'Round Europe, 

edited by Lisa Johnson, 2003.  

Backpackers on their first visit to Europe tell it like it really is. They describe crossing the language barrier in Corfu, meeting locals in Prague, hostel life in London, finding love in Paris & overindulging in Greece.

To Timbuktu: Nine Countries, Two People, One True Story, 

by Casey Scieszka, 2011.   

Covers the nearly two-year odyssey that Casey & Steven embarked on, after graduating from college in 2006.  Explores each nation's language, politics, traditions, & food.  Illustrated by Steven Weinberg.

 

Washed Up: The Curious Journeys of Flotsam & Jetsam, 

by Skye Moody, 2006.   

The travels of marine debris.  From rubber ducks and beeswax to refrigerators and dead whales. 

 

I Wouldn't Start From Here: 

The 21st Century and Where It All Went Wrong, 

by Andrew Mueller, 2007. 

Wanting to find out why people in ravaged-torn countries turned to war as a resolution, a rock journalist heads to Kabul, Belfast, Gaza, and other war-ridden nations to get the stories straight from the source.

TIME TRAVEL

"You Are Here summer book list #2 is Time Travel.  Journey to the past or to the future, on this planet or off. Titles on this list will be on display, in the Young Adult area, throughout the summer.  Have a comment or question?  Have a suggestion for a travel book list? Tell me about it below in the comments area. 

TAKE A TRIP IN TIME

Alice in Time, Penelope Bush, 2011.

As her self-centered behavior spirals out of control, 14-year-old Alice gets an unusual chance to fix her whole disastrous life when she is mysteriously spirited back in time.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, by Mark Twain, 1889.

Hank is transported from 19th century Connecticut back to 13th century England.  Using knowledge of an impending eclipse, Hank escapes a death sentence, secures a position at court, and introduces 19th century technology.  A satire that pokes fun at romanticized notions of chivalry.   

Doomsday Box, by Herbie Brennan, 2011.

Working on a highly-classified espionage project, four English teenagers go back in time to the Cold War in 1962 to prevent a global outbreak of the bubonic plague in the twenty-first century.

Firestorm (first book in Caretaker Trilogy), by David Klass, 2006.

After learning that he has been sent from the future for a special purpose, 18-year-old Jack receives help from an unusual dog and a shape-shifting female fighter.

Key Out of Time (4th book in Time Trader series), by Andre Norton, 1963.

Time agents Gordon and Ross are on the hunt for alien artifacts, on a world where most of the surface is water. Traveling to the planet’s past, they find themselves caught in a struggle between rival cultures waged with a mixture of technology and magic.

Pathfinder, by Orson Scott Card, 2010.

13-year-old Rigg has a secret ability to see the paths of others' pasts, but revelations after his father's death set him on a quest that brings new threats from those who would either control his destiny or kill him.

Revolutions, by Jennifer Donnelly, 2010

A 17-year-old musician facing expulsion from her prestigious Brooklyn private school travels to Paris to complete a school assignment, and uncovers a diary written during the French revolution by a young actress attempting to help the young, Louis Charles, the lost king of France.

Singing the Dogstar Blues, by Alison Goodman, 2003.

In a future Australia, the 18-year-old daughter of a famous newscaster and a sperm donor, teams up with a hermaphrodite from the planet Choria in a time travel adventure that may significantly change both of their lives.

So This Is How It Ends(1st book Avatar series), by Tui Sutherland, 2006.

During an earthquake in the year 2012 five teens are transported 75 years into the future, where the end of the world is imminent, and are drawn together by a mysterious force.

Transall Saga, by Gary Paulsen, 1998.

While backpacking in the desert, 13-year-old Mark falls into a tube of blue light and is transported into a more primitive world, where he must use his knowledge and skills to survive.  

When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead, 2009.

As her mother prepares to be a contestant on the 1980s television game show, "The $20,000 Pyramid," a 12-year-old New York City girl tries to make sense of a series of mysterious notes received from an anonymous source that seems to defy the laws of time and space.

Winter Shadows, by Margaret Buffie, 2010.

Tells the joined stories of Cass, whose father remarried a woman with an ill-tempered daughter; and Beatrice, who more than a century earlier explores her own problems through a journal that connects both girls.