WHS College Bound Reading List – Nonfiction Adults who recommend, Adult comments, (HA) – may be of special interest to Health Academy students

Call #: 921 GANTOS

Call#: 305.23 NAZ

Call#: 921 MAH

Hole in My Life By Jack Gantos 199 p. Lexile: 840 In the summer of 1971, Jack Gantos was an aspiring writer looking for adventure, cash for college tuition, and a way out of a dead-end job. For ten thousand dollars, he recklessly agreed to help sail a sixty-foot yacht loaded with a ton of hashish from the Virgin Islands to New York City, where he and his partners sold the drug until federal agents caught up with them. For his part in the conspiracy, Gantos was sentenced to serve up to six years in prison. Mr. Poff says: The description says it all. This book is as interesting as it sounds. Ms Taylor says: If reading isn’t really your thing, give this book a try.

Enrique's Journey By Sonia Nazario 299 p. Lexile: 830 This is the story of a young boy's dangerous journey from Honduras to the U.S. in search of his mother, who left him and his sibling behind make a better life for her family. As Isabel Allende writes: “This is a twenty-first-century Odyssey. If you are going to read only one nonfiction book this year, it has to be this one.” Ms Taylor says: Enrique’s determination to get to America knows no bounds. You will cheer for him every step of the way.

Falling Leaves: the true story of an unwanted Chinese daughter By Adeline Yen Mah (HA) 278 p. Lexile: 950 Autobiography of physician and writer Adeline Yen Mah, discussing her emotionally abusive childhood, experiences of isolation and loneliness, success as a student, and triumphant struggle to achieve freedom and a new life. Ms Taylor says: This author lives in California, has a website complete with free Chinese language lessons. She does answer email. http://www.adelineyenmah.com/

Call #: 616.9 PRE

Call #: 618.2 WOR

The Demon in the Freezer: a true story By Richard Preston 292 p. Lexile: 1110.

(HA)

Chronicles the reaction of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) to the September 11 attacks and the October 2001 anthrax attacks, focusing on USAMRIID's top virologist, Peter Jahrling, and his work to combat the possible development of a superpox virus by terrorists worldwide. Smallpox on the loose.

Call the Midwife: a memoir of birth, joy, and hard times By Jennifer Worth

(HA)

340 p. Lexile: 1250 In the 1950s, twenty-two-year-old Jenny Lee leaves her comfortable home to move into a convent and become a midwife in London's East End slums. While delivering babies all over the city, Jenny encounters a colorful cast of women—from the plucky, warm-hearted nuns with whom she lives, to the woman with twenty-four children who can't speak English, to the prostitutes of the city's seedier side. Ms Taylor says: I love all three books in this series. I learned so much about post WWII London and the people who lived there and the nuns and nurses are a hoot.

Call#: 634.9 TAY

Jumping Fire: a smokejumper’s memoir of fighting wildfire By Murry A. Taylor 448 p. Lexile: 950 Smokejumper Murray Taylor recounts more than twenty years' experience of jumping by parachute to fight fires in Alaska and the American West. Ms Taylor says: These guys are amazing! I can’t even imagine doing what they do and despite injuries and even death, most of them return every year to their summer family.

Call #: Unbroken: a World War II story of survival, resilience and redemption By Laura 921 Hillenbrand ZAMPERIN 473 p. Lexile: 1010 I A biography of Olympic runner and World War II bombardier, Louis Zamperini, who had been rambunctious in childhood before succeeding in track and eventually serving in the military, which led to a trial in which he was forced to find a way to survive in the open ocean after being shot down. Mrs. Griffin, Mrs. Hohl, Mrs. Rice, Ms Taylor Call #: 921 BROWN

Call #: 614.5 QUA

Call #: 641 KIN

Call #: 796.52 KRA

A Piece of Cake: a memoir By Cupcake Brown 470 p. Lexile: 790 Cupcake Brown shares the story of her life, beginning with her mother's death in 1976 when she was just eleven, discussing how she ended up in foster care, her introduction to drugs, alcohol and sex as a runaway, her gang affiliation, and her addiction to crack, and telling how she turned her life around and eventually became an attorney and motivational speaker.

Ebola: the natural and human story of a deadly virus By David Quammen (HA) 119 p. Lexile: 960 Science writer and explorer David Quammen first came near the Ebola virus while he was traveling in the jungles of Gabon, accompanied by local men whose village had been devastated by a recent outbreak. Here he tells the story of Ebola -- its past, present, and its unknowable future. Ms Taylor says: This is a short, easy to read title about a life or death topic. Very interesting.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: a year of food life By Barbara Kingsolver 370 p. Lexile: 1160 From the author: This is the story of a year in which we made every attempt to feed ourselves animals and vegetables whose provenance we really knew . . . and of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air. Ms Taylor says: Barbara Kingsolver is a best-selling author of fiction but this is her family’s real story of a commitment they all made to live closer to the land. Inspiring.

Into Thin Air: a personal account of the Mount Everest disaster By Jon Krakauer 293 p. Lexile: 1320 The author (Into the wild) relates his experience of climbing Mount Everest during its deadliest season and examines what it is about the mountain that makes people willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense. Mrs. Hohl, Mrs. Rice Ms Taylor says: I had no idea that anyone can climb Mount Everest if they have enough money.

Call #: 940.54 NEL

Left for Dead: a young man’s search for justice for the USS Indianapolis By Pete Nelson 201 p. Lexile: 1260 Nelson explains how the research of 11-year-old Hunter Scott who was inspired by a passing reference in the movie Jaws uncovered the truth behind a historic WWII naval disaster aboard the USS Indianapolis and led to the reversal of the wrongful court martial of the ship's captain. Ms Taylor says: This exciting, life-affirming book about war heroics and justice . . . proves without question the impact one student can have on history.

Call #: 974.4 JUN

Call #: 958.104 LUT

The Perfect Storm: a true story of men against the sea By Sebastian Junger 227 p. Lexile: 1140 Uses interviews, memoirs, radio conversations, and technical research to recreate the last days of the crew of the Andrea Gail, a fishing boat that was lost in a storm off the coast of Nova Scotia in October 1991. Ms Taylor says: forget the movie; read this book! I learned about Navy Seals, female sea captains, Coast Guard, Air National Guard and ocean behavior and you will too!

Lone Survivor: the eyewitness account of Operation Redwing and the lost heroes of SEAL Team 10 By Marcus Luttrell 446 p. Lexile 1030 American Navy SEAL and team leader Marcus Luttrell tells his story of the loss of his teammates in July 2005 along the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border to al-Qaida insurgents. Mrs. Griffin says: If you like the military and special operations, you've got to read this book.

Call #: 362.29 SHE

Call #: 362.29 SHE

Beautiful Boy: a father’s journey through his son’s addiction By David Sheff 340 p. Lexile: 960 What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Journalist David Sheff tells the story of his son Nic's happy early childhood, the transformation wrought by Nic's addiction to methamphetamine, and his own obsession with Nic's well-being. Nic’s own story is Tweak. See below.

Tweak: growing up on methamphetamines By David Sheff 337 p. Lexile: 770 The author describes his childhood in California, his addiction to crystal meth and heroin at a young age, his relapse after eighteen months of sobriety, and his path to recovery. His father’s story is, Beautiful Boy. See above

Call #: 962.4 DEN

They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: a true story of three lost boys from Sudan By Benson Deng 311 p. Presents the stories of three young men who as children in the late 1980s were forced from their homes by war in the Sudan and traveled, along with thousands of other boys, nearly one thousand miles in search of refuge, surviving hunger, illness, and human and animal predators. Mrs. Griffin says: This is one of the most humbling books I've ever had the honor of reading. These boys are amazing and inspiring.

Call #: 921 HOUSTON

Farewell to Manzanar: a true stoy oh Japanese American experience during and after the World War II internment By Jeanne Houston 188 p. Lexile: 1040 This is the true story of one spirited Japanese-American family's attempt to survive the indignities of forced detention . . . and of a native-born American child who discovered what it was like to grow up behind barbed wire in the United States. Mrs. Hohl

Call #: 921 WALLS

Call #: 940.53 SPI

The Glass Castle: a memoir By Jeannette Walls 288 p. Lexile: 1010 The author recalls her life growing up in a dysfunctional family with an alcoholic father and distant mother and describes how she and her siblings had to fend for themselves until they finally found the resources and will to leave home. Ms. Hellmich Mrs. Griffin says: And you think your family may be dysfunctional? Read this.

The Complete Maus (Maus #1-2) By Art Spiegelman 159 p. Lexile: 520 Maus I: A Survivor's Tale and Maus II - the complete story of Vladek Spiegelman and his wife, living and surviving in Hitler's Europe. By addressing the horror of the Holocaust through cartoons, the author captures the everyday reality of fear and is able to explore the guilt, relief and extraordinary sensation of survival - and how the children of survivors are in their own way affected by the trials of their parents. A contemporary classic of immeasurable significance. Mr. Poff Says: The Maus series truly puts the reader into the shoes of the Jewish victims of World War II. It may be a graphic novel, but the content and message this series addresses is quite serious and important to understanding world history.

Call #: 921 EARL

This Star Won't Go Out: the life and words of Esther Grace Earl By Esther Earl (HA) 431 p. Lexile: 960 The author is the inspiration for Hazel in The Fault in our Stars. A collection of the journals, fiction, letters, and sketches of the late Esther Grace Earl, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 16. Photographs and essays by family and friends will help to tell Esther’s story along with an introduction by award-winning author John Green who dedicated his #1 bestselling novel The Fault in Our Stars to her.

Call #: 611 ROA

Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers By Mary Roach (HA) 303 p. Lexile: 1230 Stiff is an oddly compelling, often hilarious exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem. For two thousand years, cadavers some willingly, some unwittingly have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. In this fascinating account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries and tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them." Ms Taylor says: Who knew a book about dead bodies could be funny and interesting? It is.

Call #: 982.6 REA

Alive: the story of the Andes survivors By Piers Read 352 p. Lexile: 1160 On 13th October 1972, a plane chartered by an amateur rugby team on their way to Santiago in Chile crashed in the Andes. Some of the forty-five passengers and crew were killed on impact, others seriously injured. Weakened by starvation, extreme cold, and by the awful knowledge that the search had been called off, the survivors had to face the inescapable truth: to live, they must eat the flesh of their dead companions. Ms Taylor says: This is an adventure and survival story you will never forget.

Call #: 641.5 BOU

Kitchen Confidential: adventures in the culinary underbelly By Anthony Bourdain 312 p. Lexile: 1390 A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine—now with all-new, never-before-published material. New York Chef Tony Bourdain gives away secrets of the trade in his wickedly funny, inspiring memoir/expose. Kitchen Confidential will make your mouth water while your belly aches with laughter. You'll beg the chef for more, please. Ms Taylor says: This book definitely contains sex, drugs and rock and roll.

Call #: 364.152 CAP

In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences By Truman Capote 343 p. Lexile: 1040 On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues. As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence. Ms Taylor says: A classic in American nonfiction. Chilling.

Call #: 616 SKL

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot (HA) 369 p. Lexile: 1140 Examines the experiences of the children and husband of Henrietta Lacks, who, twenty years after her death from cervical cancer in 1951, learned doctors and researchers took cells from her cervix without consent which were used to create the immortal cell line known as the HeLa cell; provides an overview of Henrietta's life; and explores issues of experimentation on AfricanAmericans and bioethics. Ms Taylor says: This author does an excellent job of befriending the family and sharing their story.

Call #: 306.09 DEM

Nothing to Envy: ordinary lives in North Korea By Barbara Demick 314 p. Lexile: 1110 The book follows six people through their lives in the DPRK in the 1990's, including the huge famine that occurred at that time; and, ultimately, their decisions to defect (a foregone conclusion since otherwise their stories would not be told). The author even managed to fit in a love story that, far from being hokey, is especially riveting due to the circumstances. The book is well written and easy to read. Ms Taylor says: the North Korean government had to LOWER the height requirement to be in the army to 4’8”! That’s just one of the amazing facts I learned about North Korea.

Call #: 641.5 LEE

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: adventures in the world of Chinese food By Jennifer Lee 309 p. Lexile: 1310 The Fortune Cookie Chronicles is about how Chinese food is all-American. There are more Chinese restaurants in America than McDonalds, Burger Kings, and Wendys combined. Jennifer 8 Lee chronicles her journey around the world and across the country as she attempts to understand Chinese food and its allure.

Call #: 921 JOBS

Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different By Karen Blumenthal 310 p. Lexile: 1110 Chronicles the life and accomplishments of Apple mogul Steve Jobs, discussing his ideas, and describing how he has influenced life in the twenty-first century.

Call #: 921 FEY

Bossypants By Tina Fey 277 p. Lexile: 950 Actress Tina Fey recounts her life, sharing how she managed to fulfill her dream of one day becoming a comedian on television and discussing her childhood, marriage, career, and views on beauty, politics, motherhood, and relationships. Ms Taylor says: If you enjoy Tiny Fey’s work in movies and/or TV you will like this book.

Call #: 364.152 LAR

The Devil in the White City: murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America By Erik Larson 447 p. Lexile: 1170 Tells the parallel stories of Daniel Burnham, the main architect of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, and serial killer Henry H. Holmes, discussing the challenges Burnham faced in creating the hugely successful White City, and looking at how Holmes used the opportunities afforded by the fair to lure victims to their deaths. Ms Taylor says: Juniors – read this book! The story of building the 1893 World’s Fair is an excellent example of America’s finest ingenuity and work ethic. And the killer of the story is grisly and ruthless.

Call #: 797.12 BRO

The Boys in the Boat: nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics By Daniel Brown 404 p. Lexile: 1260 Tells how in 1936 the University of Washington's eight-oar crew, composed of the sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers who had mastered collegiate rowing, went on to the Berlin Olympics where they defeated Adolf Hitler's German team to achieve the Olympic gold medal. Mrs. Hohl Mrs. Angus Says: Read this nonfiction book about true grit and how these boys crewed their way to the 1936 Olympics and conquered life's adversities!!

Call #: 614.5 LEA

Typhoid Mary: captive to the public’s health by Judith Leavitt (HA) 331 pages Lexile 1550 The story of Mary Mallon, the first known healthy carrier of typhoid in North America, who spent much of her life in quarantine after infecting the families she cooked for in New York City in the early 1900s. Ms Taylor says: If you had never been sick a day in your life and you were accused of spreading a deadly disease, would you believe the charges?

Call #: 378.1 ALB

Tuesdays with Morrie: an old man, a young man, and life’s greatest lesson by Mitch Albom

(HA) 192 pages, Lexile: 830 The author, an alumnus of Brandeis University, tells of his meetings with a former professor suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease and of the lessons he learned about life and death from his college mentor. Mr. Li, Mrs. Hohl, Mr. Poff, Ms Taylor Mrs. Angus says: To live without love is to live with nothing - one of Morrie's 14 lessons to Mitch; And Morrie's dying wish is for Mitch to pass this lesson on to the world. So read this poignant little novel and learn to free yourself from dictatorial pop culture!