High School Reads!

 by George Takei Genre:  Memoir, Graphic Novel They Called Us Enemy is the first hand retelling of George Takei's childhood in Japanese Internment Camps.  He and his family were living a comfortable life in Los Angeles until the day that Pearl Harbor was bombed.  They were giving only 10 minutes to pack up their things before they were transported to the first of 3 internment camps.  George retells the story of this "adventure" from the perspective of a child, but as an adult, he now understands the toll that this experience took on his parents and on the life they planned for their children.

by Nikki Grimes Lexile:  840 Genre:  Memoir Nikki Grimes knew from a young age that she wanted to be a writer and her writing soon became a way for her to survive the struggles of living with a mother who wasn't always present.  Nikki watched her mother struggle with addiction and schizophrenia which caused Nikki to drift away from her father and at times live with a foster family.  But through all of the ups and downs, Nikki kept writing...determined to survive and thrive despite the the obstacles in front of her.  This is Nikki's story.

by Laurie Halse Anderson Genre:  Memoir, Novel in Verse Laurie Halse Anderson's life changed forever at the age of 13 when she was raped by a boy she trusted.  She turned her pain and struggles into words by first writing Speak which was followed by other novels.  Shout is Anderson's real life story about who she is and how she recovered from the rape and other traumatic events of her childhood.  This book allows her voice and the power of her words to be fully heard.  This book is about hope for anyone who has ever felt lost.

Adapted by Ari Folman Illustrated by David Polonsky Lexile:  GN800 Genre:  Memoir, Graphic Novel For those who have read The Diary of a Young Girl , this graphic novel adaptation will give the reader new insights into the two years that Anne Frank and her family spent hidden away from the world in the secret annex.  This book uses direct quotations from Anne's original diary which are paired with beautiful illustrations that only adds to this already incredible story.

by Jarrett Krosoczka Lexile:  GN510 Genre:  Memoir, Graphic Novel Through the illustrations in this graphic novel, Jarrett shares the story of his childhood that began when he lived with his mother who was a heroin addict.  Eventually, his grandfather petitioned for custody of him as his mother was in and out of jail and rehab for most of his young life.  Jarrett had his struggles living with his grandparents as well, but they were able to provide him a more stable life and were able to support him in his dream of becoming an artist.  Hey, Kiddo is the true story of how Jarrett lost his mother, found his father, and dealt with a lifetime of family addiction.

by Sara Saedi Lexile:  1030 Genre:  Memoir Sara was 2 years old when she and her family fled the violence in Iran to come to the United States.  At age 13 she learned that she and her family were in the country illegally.  The family struggled for many years to navigate the immigration process and stay financially stable while Sara struggled with regular teenage stuff - fitting in at school, boys, getting good grades, etc.  Through it all, her parents and her extended family remained her one constant and got her through the hard times over and over.  This memoir shows Sara working through the fears that all teenagers share as well as overcoming ones that teenagers who are citizens of the United States take for granted.

By Thi Bui Lexile:  600 Genre:  Memoir, Graphic Novel Thi Bui has born in Vietnam and escaped with her family to being a new life in America.  This memoir chronicles her life as well as those of her parents and the decisions that they made that led to the family's escape.  Bui is forced to live in two worlds, the past and the present while coming to terms with the decisions that her parents made and how they have affected her throughout her childhood and on into her adulthood.

by Mawi Asgedom Genre:  Memoir Mawi can remember growing up in east Africa before he and his mother and siblings were forced by civil war to a refugee camp in Sudan.  From there the family journeyed to America and then eventually Mawi earned a full tuition scholarship to Harvard.  How did a boy whose life was filled with struggle after struggle continue to not only survive, but to thrive?  This book is the story of Mawi's remarkable journey.

by Susanna Kaysen Lexile:  760 Genre: Memoir Susanna is an 18 year old girl.  An 18 year old girl whose life has been interrupted.  She finds that she has agreed to be committed to McLean Hospital.  Her diagnosis is borderline personality disorder. And so begins her journey to get past this interruption in her life so that she can continue on.  While in treatment, she meets a variety of other patients and doctors and therapists who try to help her figure out what is going on in her mind.  There are set backs and there is progress, and then more setbacks. This is a story of one girl's road to recovery.

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell Lexile:  850 Genre:  Memoir/Graphic Novel John Lewis continues his memoir about his role in the Civil Rights Movement in March, Book Two . The story picks up with John's involvement with the nonviolence movement through peaceful sit-ins and freedom bus rides.  John and his fellow protestors are repeatedly attacked, punished, and jailed, but they refuse to post bond and pay their fees.  They remain determined in their quest for equal rights.

by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell Lexile:  760 Genre:  Memoir/Graphic Novel Growing up, John Lewis loved chickens and wanted to become a pastor.  He lived in the South and grew up experiencing the injustices in society between whites and blacks.  His uncle took him on a trip to the North where is eyes were opened even further to the different ways in which people were treated. He met Martin Luther King, Jr. and started to learn about nonviolent methods.  He became involved with the Civl Rights Movement because he wanted his voice to be heard and he wanted to become part of the movement to bring about change.

by Ronda Rousey and Maria Burns Ortiz Lexile:  ??? Genre:  Biography/Memoir Ronda Rousey always wanted to fight.  First, she fought her way through opponents in judo and made it all the way to the Olympics.  Then her dream was to become a fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.  Along the way, there was struggle, pain, and heartbreak, but Ronda never gave up. By keeping her dream in sight, she was able to push through the hard times to become a champion.

by Lynda Blackmon Lowery Lexile:  780 Genre:  Autobiography/Memoir Lynda Blackmon Lowery is just about to turn 15 and she has already been to jail 9 times.  She is involved in the struggle for equal rights in Selma, Montgomery.  She is scared by the people who are fighting back against her, but wants to find the courage within herself to stand up for what she believes in.  Lynda is selected to be the youngest person to march from Selma to Montgomery.  She must convince her father to let her go so that her voice can be heard.

by Elena and Clare B. Dunkle Lexile:  640 Genre:  Memoir Elena wants to be thin.  When she looks in the mirror, she doesn't see thin, she sees fat.  The voices she hears in her head tell her not to eat.  She works out all the time, avoids mealtimes with her family, and pushes herself to be perfect and everything she does.  But her body can only take this pressure for so long.  Her parents are worried about her and take her to doctor after doctor to try to get her some help.  But Elena is the only one who can truly make herself healthy and she must commit to the work. This is a true story cowritten by Elena and her mother about Elena's struggle with an eating disorder.

by Marvelyn Brown with Courtney E. Martin Lexile:  950 Genre:  Memoir/Autobiography Marvelyn Brown got the devastating news at the age of 19 that she was HIV positive.  She was a new high school grad, an athlete with plans, and now she felt as if her life was ending.  Marvelyn realizes that she has two choices:  give up and let the disease kill her or fight back by educating herself and others about how to live with HIV.  Marvelyn chose to fight and this book details her struggle to spread the word to all about the realities of life with HIV.

by:  Malala Yousafzai Lexile:  810 Genre:  Memoir I am Malala tells the story of how one girl decided to take a stand and speak up for the right of all girls to have an education.  Malala was growing up in Pakistan and attended her father's school until the Taliban took over and declared that all girls over the age of 10 would no longer be allowed to go to school.  Malala spoke out against this injustice to anyone who would listen and soon began to be recognized as an international spokesperson on peace and educational rights.  This attention brought awareness to the plight of many young people in Pakistan, but it also drew the attention of the Taliban who were willing to go to great lengths to silence Malala's message.

by Dave Pelzer Lexile:  850 Genre:  Memoir Dave Pelzer recalls the terrifying moments of his childhood when he lived with an abusive mother and a father who stood by and watched it happen.  At first it was just little things, like being excluded from family activities, but over time, the abuse increased and became life threatening.  Dave's story is one of courage and survival that you will never forget.

by Art Spiegelman Lexile:  ??? Genre:  Memoir (Graphic Novel) This graphic novel tells the story of Vladek Speigelman, a Polish Jew, who lived during WWII and survived numerous hardships including time at the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz. The story is told in comic form by Vladek's son as his father recounts the years of struggle faced by he and his wife, Anja. Art learns about his younger brother whom he never met and gains insight into why his father has struggled to forget the horrors of the past.

by Elie Wiesel Lexile:  570 Genre:  Memoir/Autobiography Elie Wiesel grew up in Sighet, Transylvania with his parents and younger sister. They were an observant Jewish family with a comfortable life.  That perfect life changed one night in 1944 when the Germans arrived and ordered his family to Auschwitz concentration camp.  This book details his struggle to survive as Elie is forced to confront the absolute worst evil in others.   He tells this terrible story in hopes that this horror never happens again.

by Jacqueline Woodson Lexile:  990 Genre:  Memoir/Novel in Verse Jacqueline Woodson shares her story of growing up in the '60s and '70s in both the North and the South.  The story of her childhood emerges through a collection of poems that details the struggles her family faced.  Jacqueline knew from an early age that she wanted to be a writer, but school was difficult for her and not everyone believed she could achieve.  But with the strong support of her family, she can to believe that anything is possible.