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Nonfiction for Students
Middle School
How they croaked : the awful ends of the awfully famous
by Georgia Bragg

A look at the deaths of several famous people throughout history and the circumstances surrounding those deaths.
The boy who harnessed the wind : Young Readers Edition
by William Kamkwamba

An accessible young reader's adaptation of the best-selling story about the young inventor who brought electricity to his Malawian village describes the life-threatening drought that motivated his scrap-metal windmill project. 
Titanic : voices from the disaster
by Deborah Hopkinson

The award-winning author of Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt presents a 100th anniversary tribute to the Titanic tragedy based on the words and stories of its witnesses and survivors, in a dramatic account that is complemented by archival photographs.
42 is not just a number : the odyssey of Jackie Robinson, American hero
by Doreen Rappaport

An eye-opening look at the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball and became an American hero
Girls who code : learn to code and change the world
by Reshma Saujani

The founder of the Girls Who Code nonprofit organization presents a graphically illustrated introduction to the relevance of coding that shares down-to-earth explanations about coding principles and real-life stories of women programmers who work at such places as Pixar and NASA.
Undefeated : Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football team
by Steve Sheinkin

Presents the true story of how Jim Thorpe and Pop Warner created the legendary Carlisle Indians football team, one of the winningest teams in American football history.
Something rotten : a fresh look at roadkill
by Heather L Montgomery

Examines how animals killed during vehicle collisions can be useful in scientific research, from Tasmanian devil remains used in cancer research to red wolf remains used in genetic research and engineering.
An American plague : the true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793
by Jim Murphy

Accompanied by black-and-white archival photos and drawn from first-hand accounts, a compelling true story vividly recreates the devastation rendered to the city of Philadelphia in 1793 by an incurable disease known as yellow fever, detailing the major social and political events as well as 18th-century medical beliefs and practices.
Courage has no color : the true story of the Triple Nickles : America's first Black paratroopers
by Tanya Lee Stone

Examines the role of African-Americans in the military through the history of the Triple Nickles, America's first black paratroopers, who fought against little-known attacks perpetrated on the American West by the Japanese during World War II, and "proved that the color of a man had nothing to do with his ability."
Bomb : the race to build and steal the world's most dangerous weapon
by Steve Sheinkin

A dramatic introduction to the international competition to create the first atomic bomb recounts the scientific discoveries that enabled atom splitting, the military intelligence operations that occurred in rival countries and the work of brilliant scientists hidden at Los Alamos. By the award-winning author of The Notorious Benedict Arnold.
Free lunch
by Rex Ogle

A sixth grader from an economically disadvantaged family struggles in a new school where he is forced to endure humiliation over his secondhand clothing and public daily requests for his school’s free lunch program. A first novel. 
A thousand sisters : the heroic airwomen of the Soviet Union in World War II
by Elizabeth Wein

Documents the heroic contributions of Soviet airwomen during World War II, examining the formation, obstacles, missions and enduring legacy of Russia's three female combat pilot regiments. By the best-selling author of Code Name Verity. 
Torpedoed : the true story of the World War II sinking of "The Children's Ship"
by Deborah Heiligman

An account of the attack and sinking of the World War II passenger ship SS City of Benares describes how it joined a convoy heading toward the safety of Canada before it was torpedoed by a German submarine. By the award-winning author of Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith. 
Boots on the ground : America's war in Vietnam
by Elizabeth Partridge

Shares perspectives on the Vietnam War from six American soldiers, one American military nurse, and one Vietnamese refugee
The Port Chicago 50 : disaster, mutiny, and the fight for civil rights
by Steve Sheinkin

The Newbery Award-winning and National Book Award finalist author of Bomb presents an account of the 1944 civil rights protest involving hundreds of African-American Navy servicemen who were unjustly charged with mutiny for refusing to work in unsafe conditions after the deadly Port Chicago explosion.
High School
The 57 bus
by Dashka Slater

Documents the true story of two Oakland high school students, a white girl from a privileged private school and a black youth from a school overshadowed by crime, whose fateful interaction triggered devastating consequences for both, garnering national attention and raising awareness about hate. 
Samurai rising : the epic life of Minamoto Yoshitsune
by Pamela S Turner

Documents the true story of the legendary samurai who was raised in the household of the enemies who killed his father before being sent to live in a monastery where, against the odds, he learned and perfected his fighting skills.
How dare the sun rise : memoirs of a war child
by Sandra Uwiringiyimana

The author shares the story of her survival during the Gatumba massacre, despite losing her mother and sister, and how after moving to America she found healing through art and activism.
March. Book three
by John Lewis

A first-hand graphic novel account of the author's lifelong struggle for civil and human rights continues to cover his involvement in the Freedom Vote and Mississippi Freedom Summer campaigns, and the Selma to Montgomery march.
Hey, kiddo
by Jarrett Krosoczka

Shares the author's upbringing in a family grappling with addiction and how he used art to survive.
I am Malala : how one girl stood up for education and changed the world
by Malala Yousafzai

Documents the educational pursuits of the Nobel Peace Prize nominee who became an international symbol of hope and inspiration when she challenged the traditions of her Pakistan community, offering insight into the influential role of her courageous father.
Being Jazz : my life as a (transgender teen)
by Jazz Jennings

The author reccounts how her public experiences have influenced her attitude towards the transgender community, as she works to educate others about transgenderism while navigating the challenges of being a teenager.
The Nazi hunters : how a team of spies and survivors captured the world's most notorious Nazi
by Neal Bascomb

Recounts how, sixteen years after the end of World War II, a team of undercover Israeli agents captured the Nazi war criminal, Adolf Eichmann, in a remote area of Argentina and brought him to trial in Israel for crimes committed during the Holocaust.
The unwanted : stories of the Syrian refugees
by Don Brown

The award-winning creator of The Great American Dust Bowl incorporates evocative graphic artwork into an exploration of the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis that draws on survivor testimonies to explore the harsh realities of living in, and trying to escape, a war zone. 
The President Has Been Shot! : The Assassination of John F. Kennedy
by James L. Swanson

A dramatic account of the 35th president's assassination is presented in the author's signature "you are there" style and imparts the urgent pace and riveting details of key events while sharing informative back matter and archival photos.
The radium girls : the dark story of America's shining women
by Kate Moore

Recounts the struggles of hundreds of women who were exposed to radium while working factory jobs during World War I, describing how they were mislead by their employers and became embroiled in a battle for workers' rights
A long way gone : memoirs of a boy soldier
by Ishmael Beah

In a heart-wrenching, candid autobiography, a human rights activist offers a firsthand account of war from the perspective of a former child soldier, detailing the violent civil war that wracked his native Sierra Leone and the government forces that transformed a gentle young boy into a killer as a member of the army. 75,000 first printing.
The other Wes Moore : One Name, Two Fates
by Wes Moore

Traces the parallel lives of two youths with the same name born a year apart in the same community, describing how the author grew up to be a Rhodes Scholar, White House Fellow and promising business leader while his counterpart suffered a life of violence and imprisonment.
Wicked plants : the weed that killed Lincoln's mother & other botanical atrocities
by Amy Stewart

Alphabetically arranged entries on dangerous and illegal plants contain traditional botanical illustrations, information on cultivation, and trivia about the damage these species have caused
Fast food nation : the dark side of the all-American meal
by Eric Schlosser

A journalist explores the homogenization of American culture and the impact of the fast food industry on modern-day health, economy, politics, popular culture, entertainment, and food production
Stiff : the curious lives of human cadavers
by Mary Roach

A compelling look inside the world of forensics examines the use of human cadavers in a wide range of endeavors, including research into new surgical procedures, the testing of the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, space exploration, a Tennessee human decay research facility, and a Scandinavian funeral directors' conference on human composting. Reprint. 100,000 first printing.
The last lecture
by Randy Pausch

The author, a computer science professor diagnosed with terminal cancer, explores his life, the lessons that he has learned, how he has worked to achieve his childhood dreams, and the effect of his diagnosis on him and his family
Left for dead : a young man's search for justice for the USS Indianapolis
by Peter Nelson

Having heard the story of this great warship and tragic terrible end, a young boy decides to look into the matter and find out why the ship's captain received a court martial as punishment for something he did not do, despite the Navy's knowledge of this. Reprint.
#Notyourprincess : voices of Native American women
by Lisa Charleyboy

A collection of poems, essays, interviews, and art exhibit the voices of Indigenous women across North America.
Seabiscuit : an American legend
by Laura Hillenbrand

The author retraces the amazing journey of Seabiscuit, a horse with crooked legs and a pathetic tail that nevertheless made racing history in 1938, thanks to the efforts of a trainer, an owner, and a jockey who transformed a bottom-level racehorse into a legend. 75,000 first printing.
Marley & me : life and love with the world's worst dog
by John Grogan

Follows the life story of an exuberant golden Labrador who gets into perpetual trouble and experiences a range of inspiring adventures, from comforting his human companions in the aftermath of a devastating miscarriage, to shutting down an entire beach, to guarding a seventeen-year-old neighbor in the aftermath of a stabbing attack. 100,000 first printing.
Nickel and dimed : on (not) getting by in America
by Barbara Ehrenreich

The sharp social critic and author of Blood Rites looks underneath the illusion of American prosperity at poverty and hopelessness in America. Reprint. 100,000 first printing.
Symphony for the city of the dead : Dmitri Shostakovich and the siege of Leningrad
by M. T Anderson

An account of the Siege of Leningrad reveals the role played by Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich and his Leningrad Symphony in rallying and commemorating their fellow citizens. By the National Book Award-winning author of Feed.
Laughing at my nightmare
by Shane Burcaw

A twenty-one-year-old with spinal muscular atrophy describes the challenges he faces in completing everyday tasks and shares stories about growing up and living with this rare neuromuscular disease.
The day the world came to town : 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland
by Jim DeFede

Shares the experiences of the citizens of Gander, Newfoundland, who were hosts to the more than six thousand passengers of thirty-eight U.S.-bound jetliners forced to land there in the wake of the September 11 attacks. 40,000 first printing.
KD 4/20

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