This heartwarming non-fiction book shows the unlikely pen-pal friendship between Caitlin, a young student from Philadelphia, and Martin, a teenage boy from a struggling family in Zimbabwe. Through their exchanged letters over six years, the two develop a deep bond that reveals their extremely different backgrounds. Caitlin wants to make a difference in the world, while Martin dreams of getting an education and escaping poverty. However, cultural differences, financial difficulties, and distance stand in the way of their bond.
Sitting in his room, Harry Potter encounters an elf who tells Harry about how the future is not going to be good for him. But Harry ignores the warning and goes back to school at Hogwarts. What will happen to Harry? Read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to find out!
I love this book. It is a little violent for kids, but it is a really good book for honestly anyone. This book had the perfect amount of fantasy, comedy, and seriousness. I would recommend this book to anyone!
When Holden gets expelled from school, he doesn’t want to tell his parents, because it wasn’t his first time. So, instead, he goes to his hometown and explores on his own. As a 16-year-old Holden jumps around bars and hotels as he thinks he can be independent.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is a tale set during Afghanistan's history from the 1960s to the early 2000s. The novel intertwines the lives of two women, Mariam and Laila, whose fates are bound by tragedy, war, and their shared marriage to the abusive Rasheed. Mariam, an illegitimate child shunned by society, and Laila, a beautiful young girl with a promising future, form an unlikely bond that transcends their harsh circumstances.
Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle is a memoir that recounts the life of the author in her dysfunctional family. Jeannette desires stability—something that was never provided in her childhood because of poverty, neglect, and constantly moving from place to place. Jeannette learns to depend on herself—the most reliable person in her life.
Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give is a Young Adult Fiction novel that recounts the experiences of Starr Carter, a teenage Black girl who attends a rich, white prep school—a stark contrast to her poorer, predominantly Black neighborhood. Starr has an intense desire to explore how to define her identity as a result of her different experiences with her two very different worlds. Her desire is primarily fueled by the death of her childhood best friend, Khalil, who was killed by a police officer.
Educated is a memoir written by Tara Westover. Westover grew up in rural Idaho in a survivalist family. Her father was very strict; he did not allow Tara and her siblings to receive formal education and forced them to stay away from the healthcare system because he believed the government was trying to steer them away from God. When Tara was 17, she decided to attend college at BYU, which marked the beginning of her educational journey.
Friends become enemies because one falls in love. That is the only happy part of this story. For Noor everything is hard. And for Salaudhin everything is wrong. The loss of one person changed the lives of two people. And now they both don’t know what to do.
Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why is a Young Adult Fiction novel that tells the haunting story of Hannah Baker—a teenage girl who recently committed suicide and left behind thirteen self-recorded cassette tapes in the hands of the novel’s main character, Clay Jensen. Clay’s intense desire for closure drives him to seek out the truth regarding the events that contributed to her decision to take her own life.
Nicola Yoon’s The Sun Is Also a Star details the relationship between teenagers Natasha Kingsley—a Jamaican American faced with the threat of deportation, and Daniel Bae—a Korean American struggling to live up to his parents’ expectations. Natasha hopes to stay in the United States; she spends her final day in New York City seeking legal help to avoid deportation. The two meet in New York, and Daniel decides to miss out on a potentially life changing interview to spend the day with Natasha.
