Button Pusher by Tyler Page is about a boy named Tyler. Tyler is different from the other kids around him and sometimes does bizarre things that he doesn’t always remember. Tyler's home life is not that good as his parents are always fighting and his dad is really unpredictable and scary. He also spanks Tyler if he gets mad and his mom is too scared to do anything about it. At school, Tyler is always getting in trouble when working because he gets distracted very easily and he doesn’t listen to the teachers either.
A Child Called “it” is a memoir by Dave Pelzer. Dave’s mother was an alcoholic and brutally abused her son. Dave often had to fight for food and was tortured by his mother’s abuse. At first, it didn’t seem too bad, but as his mother’s games got worse, Dave realized that he would have to find a way to take care of himself and find help. I really liked reading this book, and I would definitely recommend it.
Night is a memoir by Elie Wiesel. The book is about his experiences as a Jewish teenager during the Holocaust. It follows his journey from a small town in Transylvania to various concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Buchenwald. In the camps, he witnesses and suffers from a lot of cruelty. His father is all he has left, but his father eventually dies, too. Elie was very faithful at the beginning of the book, but over time he begins to question what his faith has really gotten him.
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, tells us the real story of Christopher McCandless, a 24 year old who abandoned his normal life and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Four months after venturing into the wild, he was found dead.
I highly recommend the autobiography, Born a Crime, written by Trevor Noah, which shares his experiences growing up in South Africa during the Apartheid era. Despite the serious issues he faced, Trevor’s comedic approach draws the reader in and keeps them engaged. The title of the book is derived from the fact that Trevor was “Born a crime” due to his mixed-race background, which was illegal during Apartheid.
Maya Angelou’s stunning memoir details her life as she grows up in the small town of Stamps, Arkansas, with her brother and grandmother, who she calls Momma as her true mother wasn’t able to take care of her and lives in sunny California with her boyfriend. Momma runs the only Store in the African American community of Stamps, providing Maya with warm memories with her town and family.
I Am Malala is an autobiography written by Malala Yousafzai. She wrote about her experience in Pakistan and the effect that the Taliban had on her, her family, and the society. In this book she details her childhood in Swat Valley, her struggle for education and the threats she and other girls who were willing to study faced from Taliban. Malala refused to listen to the ultimatum, so she spoke up and refused to not be silent about how she felt.
Sid Meier's Memoir!: A Life in Computer Games by Sid Meier is an autobiography spanning Sid Meier’s career in the video game industry, starting from the birth of computer games and development on early computers. Then gaining partners and growing the business while producing newer and more modern games, selling more than 51 million copies in his career with his famous Sid Meier’s Civilization. In addition to the history of video games, Sid Meier also shares his perspective and opinions on the industry.
Lion is based on a true story of Saroo Brierley’s journey of finding his way home. The author shares his story of how he got lost on a train when he was only five-years-old and ended up being separated from his family. Later, he was adopted by an Australian family. Eventually, after years of research and effort, Brierly ended up tracking down his biological family using Google Earth and was reunited with them. In my opinion, this is by far one of the most emotional books I’ve ever read.
Racing with Aloha starts with the story of how Mark Haywood's childhood growing up in Hawaii influenced him to finish High School in California on a swim scholarship. Then, go on to be a champion swimmer, to champion windsurfer, to father, and very successful realtor on his home island of Maui. The book follows Mark's life growing up barefooted and in the water in Hawaii. When he starts swimming competitively, he finds out he has a really special talent.
