Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Level Z
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.
The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.
Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.
Level Z
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.
The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.
Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.
Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson
Level Z Based on rare archival material, obscure trial manuscripts, and interviews with relatives of the conspirators and the man hunters, Chasing Lincoln's Killer is a fast-paced thriller about the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth: a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia. |
A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer
Level Y-Z-Z+
This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."
Level Y-Z-Z+
This book chronicles the unforgettable account of one of the most severe child abuse cases in California history. It is the story of Dave Pelzer, who was brutally beaten and starved by his emotionally unstable, alcoholic mother: a mother who played tortuous, unpredictable games--games that left him nearly dead. He had to learn how to play his mother's games in order to survive because she no longer considered him a son, but a slave; and no longer a boy, but an "it."
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Level Y Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. Harrowing story of a young Jewish girl who, with her family and their friends, is forced into hiding in an attic in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. |
The Charlatan-Jim Munroe
Jim Munroe was born to be a performer. He could command attention and capture the imagination of an audience from behind a piano bench, on top of a pitcher’s mound or under the bright lights of center stage. Nothing compared to the rush that came from this feeling – once you won the crowd, they’d go wherever you took them, believe what you wanted them to and respond to your whims and desires. But when the show ends, the game is over and the lights go out, the performer is no longer in control.
The Charlatan is the true story of one man’s incredible journey through skepticism to faith, through heartache and disappointment to unexplainable restoration, from profound loss to stunning success. It’s a story that speaks to our deepest struggles and our most inspiring dreams, filled with intrigue, mystery, and so many shocking twists that you won’t be able to put it down.
Jim Munroe was born to be a performer. He could command attention and capture the imagination of an audience from behind a piano bench, on top of a pitcher’s mound or under the bright lights of center stage. Nothing compared to the rush that came from this feeling – once you won the crowd, they’d go wherever you took them, believe what you wanted them to and respond to your whims and desires. But when the show ends, the game is over and the lights go out, the performer is no longer in control.
The Charlatan is the true story of one man’s incredible journey through skepticism to faith, through heartache and disappointment to unexplainable restoration, from profound loss to stunning success. It’s a story that speaks to our deepest struggles and our most inspiring dreams, filled with intrigue, mystery, and so many shocking twists that you won’t be able to put it down.
I am Malala
By Malala Yousafzai
Level Z
I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday.
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.
By Malala Yousafzai
Level Z
I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday.
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education.
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive.
Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she has become a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Mary Roach Recommended by R.A.B
Lexile: 1230
The title of the book says it all; This book is about cadavers. In Mary Roach's witty yet respectful book, she digs deeper into what cadavers have been and are currently used for. “Death,” Roach writes, “doesn’t have to be boring.” Dead bodies have been used for medicine, science, art, and the environment. Each chapter, Roach shadows a variety of experiences very few people get to have throughout their lifetime. Roach covers everything from how cadavers have been used in testing the safety of cars, and the lack of child cadavers for them, to transplant surgeons using "alive cadavers" that are brain dead to save the lives of others.
Mary Roach Recommended by R.A.B
Lexile: 1230
The title of the book says it all; This book is about cadavers. In Mary Roach's witty yet respectful book, she digs deeper into what cadavers have been and are currently used for. “Death,” Roach writes, “doesn’t have to be boring.” Dead bodies have been used for medicine, science, art, and the environment. Each chapter, Roach shadows a variety of experiences very few people get to have throughout their lifetime. Roach covers everything from how cadavers have been used in testing the safety of cars, and the lack of child cadavers for them, to transplant surgeons using "alive cadavers" that are brain dead to save the lives of others.
Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper
Jack Coughlin, Donald A. Davis, and Casey Kuhlman
This book by Jack Coughlin, Casey Kuhlman and Donald Davis really shows different perspectives of Marines at war. This book starts out with Jack and how he came from Boston where his family was middle class but more wealthy and how he got interested in serving his country and how a Marine recruiter once came into his school and jack started fantasizing about becoming a Marine. The story goes on to talk about all three of the authors experience with boot camp and how Jack went to sniper school and at the time was the best sniper in the world with the most confirmed kills. The story talks about their experiences in Iraq and how it was hard trying to protect people who hated you and who despised them. After the war the book goes on to talk about all three of their experiences coming back home and dealing with PTSD and adjusting into civilian life. All in al I thought this book gave a great description of what the Marine Corps is like and tips and tricks if you are interested in joining. The only part I thought that was tricky to read was the part when they talked about all the specific military weapons and artillery. I enjoyed this book and read it fast because the stories in here are great. I hope whoever reads this book enjoys it as much as I did.
Jack Coughlin, Donald A. Davis, and Casey Kuhlman
This book by Jack Coughlin, Casey Kuhlman and Donald Davis really shows different perspectives of Marines at war. This book starts out with Jack and how he came from Boston where his family was middle class but more wealthy and how he got interested in serving his country and how a Marine recruiter once came into his school and jack started fantasizing about becoming a Marine. The story goes on to talk about all three of the authors experience with boot camp and how Jack went to sniper school and at the time was the best sniper in the world with the most confirmed kills. The story talks about their experiences in Iraq and how it was hard trying to protect people who hated you and who despised them. After the war the book goes on to talk about all three of their experiences coming back home and dealing with PTSD and adjusting into civilian life. All in al I thought this book gave a great description of what the Marine Corps is like and tips and tricks if you are interested in joining. The only part I thought that was tricky to read was the part when they talked about all the specific military weapons and artillery. I enjoyed this book and read it fast because the stories in here are great. I hope whoever reads this book enjoys it as much as I did.