The Glass Harmonica by Louise Marley
This book is about Eilish who lives in colonial America and Erin who lives in 2018. Both women play the glass harmonica, an invention of Benjamin Franklin’s. Eilish’s story begins when Franklin discovers her on the street playing music with water glasses. He takes her into his home, and she becomes his special musician, especially of the glass harmonica which he was perfecting. Erin is a musical prodigy, an expert in the music of the glass harmonica an instrument that has become popular, perhaps for the first time. Both stories are engaging and would be even if the two women’s paths remained separate, but Marley finds a way to bring them together, and that makes for an exceptional tale.
Promised Land: Thirteen Books that Changed America by Jay Parini
Could you choose thirteen books that had a huge impact on you and those around you? The author of this book wanted to designate books that significantly molded and changed the American consciousness. His list includes: Of Plymouth Plantation, The Federalist Papers, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, The Journals of Lewis and Clark, Walden, The Souls of Black Folks, and The Feminine Mystique to mention a few. Each chapter has an explanation of the written piece itself and a full examination of how it caused a major shift in American thinking. The Appendix of the book has a list of the One Hundred Books that Changed America. This is a fascinating book that makes great bedtime reading because each chapter is a complete unit.
So Yesterday: A Novel by Scott Westerfeld
Seventeen-year-old Hunter Braque is employed by the fashion industry to “hunt” contemporary street culture for the next “cool” fad in clothing. Hunter and his friend Jen do some culture watching together and, in the process of their work, they discover that Hunter’s boss has disappeared. In an effort to find him, Hunter and Jen follow clues that lead them into dangerous territory. This Westerfeld novel is a thrilling mystery and an enjoyable read. This book can be enjoyed by grades 8-12.
Windows into my world: Latino Youth Write Their Lives ed. Sarah Cortez
These touching stories will stay with you for a long time. The Latino youth write about the issues in their everyday lives: drugs, family, anorexia, and being outsiders–subjects all teens understand. There is one story about a family looking for a restaurant on Thanksgiving Day, but they can’t find one because this is a family day and most people are eating dinner at home. Another story tells of a young girl who gets accepted to an out-of-town college, but whose father wants her to take her mother to live with her. Latinos like all of us at one time or another can feel “outside” of American society.
America’s Second Revolution: How George Washington Defeated Patrick and Saved the Nation by Harlow Giles Unger
When this true story begins, the American Revolution had been fought and won. Now the hard work of writing a Constitution lay ahead of the Founding Fathers. Consensus did not come easily, with individuals pitted against family, friends, and colleagues. Threats of secession boomed through the Convention hall. George Washington could see that a miracle was sorely needed. This “miracle” came in the form of the compromise that came to be known as the Constitution of the United States. This exciting story reads like a mystery whose ending we already know.
American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies at the Founding of the Republic by Joseph Ellis
“This subtle, brilliant examination of the period between the War of Independence and the Louisiana Purchase puts Pulitzer-winner Ellis (Founding Brothers) among the finest of America’s narrative historians. Six stories, each centering on a significant creative achievement or failure, combine to portray often flawed men and their efforts to lay the republic’s foundation. Set against the extraordinary establishment of the most liberal nation-state in the history of Western Civilization… in the most extensive and richly endowed plot of ground on the planet are the terrible costs of victory, including the perpetuation of slavery and the cruel oppression of Native Americans.” (from Publishers’ Weekly). This book is a great way to learn more about this nation’s early history, and in a most palatable way.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel by David Wroblewski
Edgar, who is mute, speaks by signing. He lives on a farm in Wisconsin with his parents and with the dogs they are breeding. This is the life that Edgar loves. It all comes to an end when, unexpectedly, his father dies, and a paternal uncle comes to live with them. Eventually, Edgar’s mother falls in love with this uncle, and Edgar sees a change in the peaceful life he knew. Edgar tries to prove that his uncle had a part in his father’s death, but his plan backfires. Recognize the plot? It is a variation on Shakespeare’s Hamlet where the son is in conflict with his stepfather. This is a fine book with twists and turns galore. Gentle and beautifully written, this is a book for all seasons.
What is the What: the Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng: a Novel by David Eggers
“I will not speculate on what he is or is not being taught at school and at home. Unlike many of my fellow Africans, I don’t take offense at the fact that many young people here in the United States know little about the lives of contemporary Africans.” Said by the hero Valentino who is one of the lost boys of the Sudan. This book is the fictionalized autobiography of a real person who was separated from his family during a time of great upheaval in Sudan. On his march to Ethiopia, he battled starvation, thirst and the threat of lions. This novel tells us a lot about the lives of these boys, their search for a home, and their search for themselves. This is definitely worth reading not only because it was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, but also because it is a moving story.
The Wonder Crew: The Untold Story of a Coach, Navy Rowing, and Olympic Immortality by Susan Saint Sing
This story is true, yet it chronicles the kind of miracle that happened between David and Goliath. Coach Glendon created a Navy crew team out of young midshipmen with humble beginnings. This sport had always been dominated by the wealthy–the only ones who could afford to attend schools with crew teams. Glendon took them from a place of obscurity to prominence rowing and winning against teams that had traditionally dominated the sport. Their record of wins qualified the team for the 1920 Olympics. On the world stage where the British dominated, this crew was up against impossible odds. Their performance and Glendon’s revolutionary coaching brought everyone to their feet. Read this account of one of the most memorable Olympics in history.
Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori, Book One by Lian Hearn
This New York times Notable Book and international best seller is the first in a prospective trilogy by this author. The setting is in a mythical part of Japan during a violent time in that country’s history. Takeo returns home to his village, only to find it burned and his family dead. Just as he, too, is about to be killed by the invaders, he is rescued by Otori who is aware that Takeo is special and that his destiny is to save their society. Takeo discovers that he has unusual powers: to become invisible or to make a copy of himself. These details set the scene for an exciting story.
