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NON FICTION AND BIOGRAPHY
Albom, Mitch, 1958-. Tuesdays with Morrie: an Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson. 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.
American Poetry. Presents a selection of poems from eighty-five American poets written between the beginning of the twentieth century and the end of World War II; arranged chronologically by the birthdate of the author, from 1838 to 1893.
Andrisani, John. The Tiger Woods Way : Secrets of Tiger Woods' Power-swing Technique. Explains the key elements of champion golfer Tiger Woods' power swing, with discussion of his setup position, backswing, and downswing, also includes drills, exercises, and instructions on Tiger's iron-swing technique.
Armstrong, Lance. It's Not About the Bike; My Journey Back to Life. Champion cyclist Lance Armstrong describes his triumph over cancer.
Bird, Larry, 1956-. Bird Watching: On Playing and Coaching the Game I Love... Larry Bird discusses his basketball career with the Boston Celtics, revealing the extent of his back problems which made his retirement necessary, and tells what it was like to start a new coaching career with the Indiana Pacers.
Bragg, Rick. All Over but the Shoutin' The author recalls his poverty-stricken youth in Alabama in the 1960s and 70s, focusing on the extraordinary efforts of his mother to protect her sons from the violence of their father, a man scarred by war, and telling of the sacrifices she made so her children could have a better life. A beautiful tribute to his mother by a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist.
Chen, Da. Colors of the Mountain. A memoir of growing up in China as a landlord's son in the time of Mao's Cultural Revolution. This author now lives in Ulster County and has been a guest speaker at Arlington High School.
Cramer, Richard Ben. Joe DiMaggio : the Hero's Life. A biography of baseball great Joe DiMaggio, discussing his childhood, his career with the New York Yankees, his marriage to Marilyn Monroe, and other aspects of his life.
Davis, Eric, 1962-. Born to Play: The Eric Davis Story: Life lessons in overcoming adversity on and off the field. Chronicles the life of baseball player Eric Davis, discussing his childhood in the ghetto, his athletic career, and his battle against cancer.
Fradin, Dennis B. Bound for the North Star : True Stories of Fugitive Slaves. Provides a compilation of twelve true stories that tell of the courageous escapes made by slaves to find their way to freedom in the north.
Hart, Elva Treviño. Barefoot Heart: Stories of a Migrant Child. The author, born in south Texas to Mexican immigrants, provides an account of her life growing up in a family of migrant farm workers, and tells how she overcame the disadvantages of her youth to attend college and earn a master's degree in computer science/engineering.
King, Stephen, 1947-. On Writing: a Memoir of the Craft. Stephen King reflects on how his writing has helped him through difficult times and describes various aspects of the art of writing.
Kolata, Gina Bari 1948-. Flu. The story of the great influenza pandemic of 1918 and the search for the virus that caused it.
Lowe, Janet. Michael Jordan Speaks: Lessons from the World's Greatest Champion. Collection of quotes from hundreds of sources that reflect on the life and career of basketball star Michael Jordan.
Mathabane, Miriam, 1969-. Miriam's Song : a Memoir. Story of a girl coming of age in the 1980's in South Africa told by her brother, the author of Kaffir Boy.
Macaulay, David. Building Big. A companion book to the PBS television series about the creation of bridges, tunnels, skyscrapers, domes, and dams, focusing on the connections between the main planning and design problems that had to be solved and the solutions that were ultimately constructed.
McPhee, John A. In Suspect Terrain. Travels across America with a popular geology writer. Written in an easy to read enjoyable style.
Peltzer, Dave. A Child Called It. The lost boy. A man named Dave. Three separate memoirs of the life of an abused boy. These memoirs are sad yet also described as stories of "triumph and forgiveness."
Rampersad, Arnold. Jackie Robinson: a Biography. A biography of Jackie Robinson, a man who became a pivotal figure in the areas of race and civil rights when he broke the color barrier in 1945 to become the first African-American to play major league baseball.
Rudacille, Deborah. The Scalpel and the Butterfly. The war between animal research and animal protection.
Ruhlman, Michael, 1963-. The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America. Just as the title states, this is a story of the education received at the CIA in Hyde Park.
Santiago, Esmeralda. When I was Puerto Rican. Memoirs of the author's childhood and youth in Puerto Rico and New York City told with humor and affection. For Santiago, who at age 14 was an exceptional student but spoke little English, the ticket out of the cycle of poverty was acceptance to New York City's High School of Performing Arts.
Stewart, Mark. Derek Jeter : Substance and Style. Presents a biography of Derek Jeter who was teased as a boy in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for predicting he would be a great shortstop for the New York Yankees and who grew up to do precisely that.
Ward, Geoffrey C. Not for Ourselves Alone: the Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Interesting biographies of two famous American women.
FICTION BOOKS
Allende, Isabel. Daughter of Fortune: A Novel. Eliza Sommers, left alone and pregnant in Chile when her lover Joaquin runs off to California during the Gold Rush, decides to follow him only to become entranced with her new life of freedom and independence.
Andrews, V.C. (Virginia C.). The Landry Series consisting of the titles: Ruby, Pearl in the Mist, All That Glitters and Hidden Jewel has been popular with fans of this author. If you like to read multi-book family sagas with lots of problems, this might be for you.
Bauer, Joan, 1951-. Hope was Here. When sixteen-year-old Hope and the aunt who has raised her move from Brooklyn to Mulhoney, Wisconsin, to work as waitress and cook in the Welcome Stairways diner, they become involved with the diner owner's political campaign to oust the town's corrupt mayor.
Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Shadow. This is the sequel to Ender's game which is also recommended to science fiction fans.
Chevalier, Tracy. Girl with a Pearl Earring. The life of sixteen-year-old Griet is transformed forever when she goes to work as a maid in the home of Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer, and catches the eye of the famous artist. This book gives some insight into the life of the Dutch in the Seventeenth century which adds greatly to its interest.
Cooper, Susan, 1935-. King of Shadows. While in London as part of an all-boy acting company preparing to perform in a replica of the famous Globe Theatre, Nat Field suddenly finds himself transported back to 1599 and performing in the original theater under the tutelage of Shakespeare himself.
Efaw, Amy. Battle Dress. As a newly arrived freshman at West Point, seventeen-year-old Andi finds herself gaining both confidence and self esteem as she struggles to get through the grueling six weeks of new cadet training known as the Beast. Told by a West Point alumna, this novel should be very interesting for anyone interested in a West Point education.
Foote, Shelby. Shiloh: a novel of the Civil War by a popular author.
Francis, Dick. Shattered. Glassblower Gerard Logan is faced with a threat to his business, his courage, and his life when he comes to the attention of a gang of thugs who are searching for an incriminating videotape entrusted to Logan by his friend, jockey Martin Stukely, who was unexpectedly killed in a riding accident. For horse racing and mystery fans.
Fuqua, Jonathon Scott. The Reappearance of Sam Webber. Sam Webber, forced to relocate with his mother after his father disappears, is fearful of the new neighborhood, his classmates and the spector of his father's depression, but over the course of a year he makes friends and begins to heal.
Gaines, Ernest J. A Lesson Before Dying. The story of two young black men, one condemned to death for a murder and the other a teacher, who form a bond in a small Cajun Louisiana community in the late 1940's. Good book for those interested in the issue of capital punishment.
Grisham, John. The Brethren. A group of former judges who are serving time at a minimum security prison put together a mail scam that is earning them a large amount of money, but when they attempt to scam a powerful political official, they find their operation, and their lives, in danger.
Grisham, John. The Testament. When Rachel Lane learns that she has inherited eleven billion dollars from her biological father, she wants nothing to do with the money, or her father's other children who insist that they be given the money they feel they deserve, even though the will states they are to get nothing.
Herrera, Juan Felipe. Crash Boom Love: a Novel in Verse. After his father leaves home, sixteen-year-old Cesar Garcia lives with his mother and struggles through the painful experiences of growing up as a Mexican American high school student.
Hillerman, Tony. The First Eagle. Navajo Tribal policeman Jim Chee joins with his mentor, now-retired Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, to solve a complicated case when a young officer is murdered on the same day that biologist Cathy Pollard, hot on the trail of the source of the bubonic plague, disappears. All Hillerman's mysteries take place in the southwest and are intriguing combinations of Navaho customs and regional description.
Johnson, Scott. Safe at Second. Paulie Lockwood's best friend Todd Bannister is destined for the major leagues until a line drive to the head causes him to lose an eye and they both must find a new future for themselves.
King, Stephen, 1947-. Hearts in Atlantis. Presents five interconnected, sequential narratives that follow the experiences of Bobby Garfield, set in the years from 1960 to 1999, and haunted by the Vietnam War.
Lanier, Virginia. Blind Bloodhound Justice. This author has written several suspense stories featuring her beloved bloodhounds who help her solve criminal cases.
Leaving Home: Stories. An international anthology that reflects the thoughts and feelings of young people as they leave home to make their own ways into the world.
Lewis, Catherine (Catherine Anne). Postcards to Father Abraham: a Novel. When sixteen-year-old Meghan loses her leg to cancer and her brother to Vietnam, she expresses intense anger in postcards which she writes to her idol, Abraham Lincoln.
Logue, Mary. Dancing with an Alien. A teenage boy from outer space travels to earth on a mission to help save his planet, and ultimately he falls in love, causing his mission to fail.
McGinley, Robin. Beauty. A retelling of the story of Beauty & the Beast. Love is the only key to unlocking a curse and transforming the Beast into a man. This author has female characters who are strong and capable.
Myers, Walter Dean, 1937-. Monster. While on trial as an accomplice to a murder, sixteen-year-old Steve Harmon records his experiences in prison and in the courtroom in the form of a film script as he tries to come to terms with the course his life has taken.
Oates, Joyce Carol, 1938-. We Were the Mulvaneys. Tells of a seemingly ordinary, successful family who is nearly torn apart when tragedy strikes but finds a way to remain happy and loyal despite rumors, secrets and strife.
Peck, Richard, 1934-. A Long Way from Chicago: A Novel in Stories. A boy recounts his annual summer trips to rural Illinois with his sister during the Great Depression to visit their larger-than-life grandmother. Good book for reading aloud.
Plum-Ucci, Carol, 1957-. The Body of Christopher Creed. Torey Adams, a high school junior with a seemingly perfect life, struggles with doubts and questions surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the class outcast.
Qualey, Marsha. Thin Ice. Seventeen-year-old Arden has been raised by her older brother, Scott, since their parents died when she was just six years old, so when Scott is presumed drowned in a snowmobile accident, Arden is convinced he's really run away.
Soto, Gary. Nickel and Dime. Presents a trio of interlocking stories about three men--Roberto Silva, a down-sized bank security guard, his co-worker Gus Hernandez, and 1960s poet Silver Mendez--who are tying to survive on the streets of Oakland.
Strasser, Todd. How I Created My Perfect Prom Date. When Brad asks someone else to the senior prom, Nicole resorts to a desperate measure--she decides to make her next-door neighbor over into a dream date.
Trueman, Terry. Stuck in Neutral. Fourteen-year-old Shawn McDaniel, who suffers from severe cerebral palsy and cannot function, relates his perceptions of his life, his family, and his condition, especially as he believes his father is planning to kill him. A suspenseful and remarkable book.
Woodson, Jacqueline. If You Come Softly. After meeting at their private school in New York, fifteen-year-old Jeremiah, who is black and whose parents are separated, and Ellie, who is white and whose mother has twice abandoned her, fall in love and then try to cope with people's reactions. A love story and a social commentary beautifully written by an author who is well known for her poetry.
Yolen, Jane. Briar Rose. An adaptation of Sleeping Beauty. Anything by Jane Yolen is worth reading.
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