MK Recommended Reading List Click on a Category to View Books: Great
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MK Recommended Reading List Click on a category to view books: § Great Nonfiction for Teens § Contemporary Novels § Great Books in a Series § Hypenated-American and Contemporary World Literature Writers § Great Novels for Teens § Classics Plus Great Contemporary Titles Great Nonfiction for Teens ADVENTURE Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston Aron Ralston recounts his harrowing experiences of being trapped for six days in Blue John Canyon in Utah and having to amputate his own right arm in order to save his life. Grayson by Lynne Cox While training for a long-distance swim, Lynne Cox describes her encounter with a baby gray whale that had become separated from its mother and her efforts to reunited them. Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer Krakauer writes about the tragedy that took the lives of experienced and novice mountain climbers in a raging blizzard atop Mt. Everest in 1996. High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places by David Breashears Breashears’ passion for climbing began on the cliffs of Boulder, Colorado and nearly ended on the south side of Everest in 1996. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson An out-of-shape author and his cranky, unpredictable companion set off to hike the entire Appalachian Trail. SPORTS Follow the Roar: Tailing Tiger for all 604 Holes of his Most Spectacular Year by Bob Smiley The author provides an account of the people he met and the events he experienced while following Tiger Woods through every game of the 2008 golf season. The Oldest Rookie: Big-League Dreams from a Small-town Guy by Jim Morris Jim Morris departs from the minor leagues becomes a high school physics teacher, and eventually makes the majors. The Boys of Winter: the Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team by Wayne Coffey The Boys of Winter, the United States hockey team, faces the top ranked Soviets in the 1980 winter Olympics. All Around the Track: Oral Histories of Drivers, Mechanics, Officials, Owners, Journalists and Others in Motorsports Past and Present by Anne B. Jones and Rex White Jones and White profiles over 60 men and women from stock car and drag racing history. Cheer!: Three Teams on a Quest for College Cheerleading's Ultimate Prize by Kate Torgovnick Torgovnick chronicles the ups and downs of a single season in the lives of three college cheerleading squads from tryouts to the National Championships. It’s Not about the Bike: My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong Olympian Lance Armstrong talks about his life as a cyclist and his horrific battle with cancer. Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, A Dream by H.G. Bissinger Bissinger spent 1988 in Odessa, Tex., a town obsessed with its champion high- school football team, the Permian Panthers. First and Long: A Black School, A White School, and their Season of Dreams by Greg Borowski Two high schools, one suburban and predominantly white, the other Catholic and predominantly black, joined forces to field a football team in 2001. Have Board, Will Travel: The Definitive History of Surf, Skate, and Snow by Jamie Brisick Brisick shows how surfing, skateboarding, and snowboarding developed, each one feeding off the advancements and buzz of the others. Snowboarding Skills: The Back-to-Basics Essentials for all Levels by Cindy Kleh How to snowboard plus choosing and taking care of equipment. MEMOIRS/WORLD LITERTURE Glass Castles: A Memoir by Jeanette Walls This is a memoir of a dysfunctional family in the late 50s and 60s. As the parents slip further away from reality their children learn how to survive on their own. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson The author describes his childhood growing up in Iowa during the 1950s, recalling country fairs, playing hockey, paper routes, church suppers, and other nostalgic memories. Kabul Beauty School: an American Woman goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez, with Kristin Ohlson Soon after the fall of the Taliban in 2001, Deborah Rodriguez went to Afghanistan as part of a humanitarian aid group and ends up opening a beauty school for Afghan women. My Brother by Jamaica Kincaid Kincaid recounts the death of her brother at age thirty-three from AIDS, and recalls incidents from his life, and the lives of other family member on the island of Antigua. (A) In the Company of Heroes: A True Story by Michael J. Durant The 1993 battle in Mogadishu between American soldiers and Somali militiamen gets a human-scale retelling in this jaunty but harrowing memoir. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah While fleeing rebel soldiers, Ishmael is coerced to join the government army and become a “boy soldier.” Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat Marina Nemat describes the torture and pain she suffered as a political prisoner in Iran's notorious Evin prison. When I Was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago Santiago recounts her childhood of poverty in rural Puerto Rico and her teenage years with her grandmother in New York City. The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Ernesto "Che" Guevara Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara chronicles his 1952 adventure on motorbike throughout South America with friend Alberto Granado. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES/WEATHER The Green Book: the Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen Provides suggestions on living environmentally friendly; contains comments by celebrities including Will Ferrell, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Aniston, Ellen DeGeneres, and Tiki Barber. True Green: 100 Everyday Ways You Can Contribute to a Healthier Planet by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin McKay and Bonnin describe one hundred ways in which individuals can make a positive difference in the environment through simple lifestyle changes. The Hot Zone by James Preston The true story of how a deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in a Washington, D.C. animal test lab. In a matter of days, 90% of the primates exposed to the virus are dead. Big Weather: Chasing Tornadoes in the Heart of America by Mark Svenvold The author profiles real tornadoes and severe weather patterns over six thousand miles of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, known as Tornado Alley. The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men against the Sea by Sebastian Junger Meteorologists called it the "perfect storm" because of the rare combination of factors that created it. PHILOSOPHY Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: 101 Stories of Life, Love, and Learning (Series) by Jack Canfield The hugely popular Chicken Soup for the Soul series contains stories, poems, and cartoons relating to the specific troubles that traumatize teenagers everywhere. Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters by Dick Staub Explores the spiritual themes of the "Star Wars" films and explains how the films are introducing younger generations to an increased sense of spirituality and Christianity. Action Philosophers Giant-Size Thing 1 by Fred Van Lente A collective biography of the lives and thoughts of history's A-list brain trust told in a hip and humorous graphic fashion. Plato -- Bodhidharma -- Nietzsche -- Thomas Jefferson -- St. Augustine -- Ayn Rand -- Sigmund Freud -- C.G. Jung -- Joseph Campbell. Six Questions of Socrates: A Modern-day Journey of Discovery through World Philosophy by C. Phillips Phillips asks peoples from different cultures and backgrounds the meaning of Socrates’ six questions. The Simpsons and Philosophy: the D’oh! Of Homer edited by William Irwin Eighteen essays relate the family from the television series The Simpsons to philosophy, discussing each family member's philosophical leanings, the show's themes, and the show's treatment of ethics. The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama XIV Through conversations, stories and meditations, the Dalai Lama show us how to defeat day-to-day anxiety, insecurity, anger, and discouragement. ANIMALS The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood by Sy Montgomery The author describes her unique friendship with a pig named Christopher Hogwood, a sickly piglet who helped her develop a new relationship with neighbors in her small-town community. Izzy and Lenore: Two dogs, an Unexpected Journey and Me by Jon Katz As trained hospice volunteers visiting homes and nursing facilities, Katz and Izzy bring comfort to people who most need it. Meanwhile, Lenore--quickly dubbed the Hound of Love--arrives at Bedlam Farms. Babylon’s Ark: the Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo by Lawrence Anthony and Graham Spence Chronicles the history of the Baghdad Zoo from the coalition's invasion of Iraq in 2003 through 2006, addressing how the attack had destroyed the grounds and killed many animals and discussing how the efforts of zoo personnel, American soldiers, and conservationist Anthony Lawrence helped reestablish the park. Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan Labrador retrievers are generally considered even-tempered, calm and reliable; and then there's Marley, the subject of this delightful tribute to one Lab who doesn't fit the mold. SOCIAL SCIENCES/HISTORY He's Just Not That Into You: the No-excuses Truth to Understanding Guys by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo “ There are no mixed messages. The truth may be that ‘he is just not that into you’.” Author of It's Called a Breakup Because It's Broken: The Smart Girl's Breakup Buddy 97 Things to Do Before you Finish High School by Steven Jenkins and Erika Stalder Discover new places, new people, new hobbies, and open your eyes to the world.