A valuable, necessary, and accessible book. Kiely has an easy-going manner and presents ideas that could be abstract, academic theory through relatable anecdotes and stories, more often than not about himself when he was a teenager. It reads quickly and directly addresses young white readers without confrontation or shaming, encouraging listening, empathy, and a sense of responsibility (instead of guilt). Highly recommended.
Louis Zamperini was a runner, a captive, and a fighter. Louie grew up causing problems, so he picked up a hobby of running. Soon this hobby spiraled into a possible career. Louie continued his life as a runner and became very talented in this field. Then WW2 broke out. Louie went out to fight for the United States, until disaster struck. His plane crashed. Louie became helpless and hopeless, while floating in the middle of the ocean. Louie and Phil, who was with him, were found, but were they found by their friends or enemies.
Brain of Fire is a book that follows Susannah as she battles through an invisible disease that is brushed off at first, but proves to be life threatening as a result of the ignorance. When nobody believes her, Susannah is led to believe she has gone crazy. With the support of her boyfriend, and the doctor who believed her every word and was determined to help her, Susannah managed to remain motivated to battle through arguably the toughest phase of her life.
And We Still Rise leaves reader more knowledgeable on the current disparities of the US education system along with the desire to learn more about it. The author follows 12 students at Crenshaw in California as they lead a tremulous life balancing trauma, financial issues, and education. Although the book is meant to be centered around all 12 students, it fails to dedicate equal importance to each one. The author focuses too much on certain students and even teachers, while mostly forgetting about the rest.
The Zodiac Unmasked is a true crime documentary type of book. This book is more on the informational side since it gives all the facts, data and research that went into the investigation for the zodiac killer. This book is good for anyone who is trying to learn more about true crime and all the work and process that goes into catching these killers. Since the book is more on the informational side it can be a harder read but nonetheless it is a good book.
Night is a non-fiction memoir book written by Elie Wiesel. The book is about how Jews were treated by the Nazis in concentration camps while they were being persecuted. The main characters are Elie and his father. He and his father want to escape the camps while they endure hard labor but the Nazis won’t let the Jews escape. Elie tries to survive the time through the winter in the camp by not running out of food or water during the journey.
In Shameful Flight, Wolpert analyzes the British exit of India and the permanent effects it had on society. His book follows the various political figures that were key in the partition such as Nehru, Jinnah, Atlee, and Mountbatten. The book shows the process of the partition and focuses the blame on Mountbatten, who in his haste, left India with no unity and arbitrary boundaries.
Cramm This Book is a useful briefer on most of the important events going on today, as well as past events that are still relevant. Topics covered include recent wars such as the Vietnam War, the war in Afghanistan, natural disasters such as Katrina, diseases like AIDS, movements like BLM and #MeToo, and even more. The book also offers a helpful briefing on “the isms and phobias” where Seltzer defines and provides examples of discrimination due to xenophobia, homophobia, racism, sexism, islamophobia, etc.
The book describes some of the basic components of physics while connecting physics to Angry Birds and everyday items or actions. A lot of pictures and drawings are used in the book to help display physics principles better. For example, the book includes a picture of a balloon rubbing on a cat’s fur to explain the principle of static electricity. The book also provides a brief history of physics by mentioning famous scientists and their contributions towards different equations or discoveries.
