Mini-Collection Non-Fiction

Mini-Collection Non-Fiction



Title: Columbine

Author: David Cullen

Format: Book

Subjects:
  • Columbine High School Massacre, Littleton, Colo., 1999
  • School shootings -- Colorado -- Littleton
  • Columbine High School (Littleton, Colo.)
ISBN: 9780446546935

Edition: 1st edition

Publisher: Twelve

Copyright:
2009

Plot Summary:
Everyone has heard the stories. Everyone thinks they know the facts. But they really only know the rumors and fictions created by the fear and the media. In these pages, readers not only learn all of the details of the events themselves, but also in the coverage by the media and the origins of the rumors.

Critical Evaluation: Cullen does an amazing job of not only breaking down the events of April 20th, 1999, almost to the second, but also breaking down the reactions afterwards. He spends more than half the book discussing the reactions and responses to the facts and to the rumors. He also goes into depth about the shooters, their diaries, videos, and more.

Reader’s Annotation: You think you know the important facts, but you really don’t know anything.

About the Author:

Dave Cullen has been covering the blight of mass murders in America for two decades, first with COLUMBINE, now PARKLAND: BIRTH OF A MOVEMENT. COLUMBINE was a New York Times bestseller and the consensus definitive account. Parkland is a story of hope: the genesis of the extraordinary March for Our Lives movement. Dave was with the students from the beginning, with unparalleled access behind the scenes.
Columbine made two dozen Best of 2009 lists including New York Times, and won several major awards, including the Edgar and Goodreads Choice Award for best nonfiction of the year. It now appears on several all-time True Crime Top 10 lists.
Dave has written for New York Times, London Times, Vanity Fair, BuzzFeed, Politico, New Republic, Newsweek, Guardian, Washington Post, Daily Beast, Slate, Salon, The Millions, Lapham's Quarterly, etc. He has appeared on PBS Newshour, NBC Nightly News, Today, CBS Sunday Morning, Nightline, Morning Edition, CBS This Morning, New Day, Anderson Cooper 360, Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, Lawrence O'Donnell, Talk of the Nation, The Nineties, Hannity, etc.
Dave is a former gay army infantry grunt. Parkland struck while he was in year 18 of a book about two gay soldiers. He will finish that soon. Dave wrote Columbine in Colorado, then moved to NYC. He is uncle to 11 cool humans and 1 adorable corgi, Bobby Sneakers.
(from Goodreads.com)

Genre: Non-Fiction

Curriculum Ties: School shootings; current events

Booktalking Ideas:
current events

Reading Level/Interest Age: 8th grade, high school and adult interest

Challenge Issues: Columbine, violence, language, shootings, NRA

Challenge Issue Resources (for usage in a challenge situation):

  • Active listening to the patron
  • Library Selection Policy
  • Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection
  • Reconsideration form (as a last resort)
  • National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
  • Reviews
  • ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
  • ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
  • Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
  • Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Why Included: While not the first school shooting, this one is the first to have caught the attention of the modern media and the 24/7 news cycle. This has made it infamous and fascinating.

Video Interview with Author: 

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Title: Shout

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Format: Book

Subjects:
  • Anderson, Laurie Halse.
  • Rape victims -- Juvenile poetry -- Biography.
  • Women authors -- Juvenile poetry -- Biography.
  • Rape victims -- Poetry.
  • Women authors -- Poetry.
  • Women -- Biography -- Poetry.
ISBN: 9780670012107

Edition: 1st Edition

Publisher: Viking

Copyright:
2019

Plot Summary:
This is an autobiography in verse of Laurie Halse Anderson from her childhood, to her rape, to her recovery (so far), and her success as a writer and in life.

Critical Evaluation:
Each page is a revelation with intricate language woven together to tell a deeply personal story of innocence lost and strength found. There is no page that is not important to the overall collection of words.

Reader’s Annotation: You’ve read her first novel, now meet the woman who wrote it.

About the Author:
Laurie Halse Anderson is a New York Times bestselling author whose writing spans young readers, teens, and adults. Combined, her books have sold more than 8 million copies. Her new book, SHOUT, a memoir-in-verse about surviving sexual assault at the age of thirteen and a manifesta for the #MeToo era, has received widespread critical acclaim and appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for seven consecutive weeks.
Laurie has been nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award three times. Two of her books, Speak and Chains, were National Book Award finalists, and Chains was short-listed for the prestigious Carnegie medal. Laurie was selected by the American Library Association for the 2009 Margaret A. Edwards Award and has been honored for her battles for intellectual freedom by the National Coalition Against Censorship and the National Council of Teachers of English.
In addition to combating censorship, Laurie regularly speaks about the need for diversity in publishing and is a member of RAINN’s National Leadership Council. She lives in Philadelphia, where she enjoys cheesesteaks while she writes. Find out more about Laurie by following her on Twitter at @halseanderson, Instagram at halseanderson, and Facebook at lauriehalseanderson, or by visiting her website, madwomanintheforest.com.
(from Goodreads.com)

Genre:
Poetry and Autobiography

Curriculum Ties: mental health, self esteem, healing

Booktalking Ideas:
You may feel alone, but others have stood in your shoes.

Reading Level/Interest Age: 6th grade reading, high school interest

Challenge Issues: language, rape, sex, drugs, violence, defiance of authority, alcoholism

Challenge Issue Resources (for usage in a challenge situation):
  • Active listening to the patron
  • Library Selection Policy
  • Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection
  • United States Supreme Court - BOARD OF EDUCATION v. PICO (1982) - No. 80-2043 - Argued: March 2, 1982 Decided: June 25, 1982
  • Reconsideration form (as a last resort)National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
  • Reviews
  • ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
  • ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
  • Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
  • Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Why Included: This is a powerful statement by the author of one of the most famous YA books of the modern era and it needs to be read in addition to Speak, especially for those who were also victims of abuse.

Video Interview with Author:

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Title: Alexander Hamilton

Author: Ron Chernow

Format: Book

Subjects:
  • Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804.
  • Statesmen -- United States -- Biography.
  • United States -- Politics and government -- 1783-1809.
ISBN: 0143034758

Edition: 1st Edition

Publisher: Penguin Books

Copyright: 2004

Plot Summary: Detailed and well-research biography of Alexander Hamilton including letters to, from, and about him. This is the book that inspired the musical, Hamilton.

Critical Evaluation: This extremely well-written biography about Alexander Hamilton is huge and covers pretty much everything. While some critics argue that it takes a more romanticized view of some of Hamilton’s behaviors and choices, the overall picture of the man rings true. It’s easy to sink into this biography and really feel like you understand this enigmatic man just a little bit.

Reader’s Annotation: You’ve heard the music, now read what inspired it.

About the Author:
Ron Chernow was born in 1949 in Brooklyn, New York. After graduating with honors from Yale College and Cambridge University with degrees in English Literature, he began a prolific career as a freelance journalist. Between 1973 and 1982, Chernow published over sixty articles in national publications, including numerous cover stories. In the mid-80s Chernow went to work at the Twentieth Century Fund, a prestigious New York think tank, where he served as director of financial policy studies and received what he described as “a crash course in economics and financial history.”
Chernow’s journalistic talents combined with his experience studying financial policy culminated in the writing of his extraordinary first book, The House of Morgan: An American Banking Dynasty and the Rise of Modern Finance (1990). Winner of the 1990 National Book Award for Nonfiction, The House of Morgan traces the amazing history of four generations of the J.P. Morgan empire. The New York Times Book Review wrote, “As a portrait of finance, politics and the world of avarice and ambition on Wall Street, the book has the movement and tension of an epic novel. It is, quite simply, a tour de force.” Chernow continued his exploration of famous financial dynasties with his second book, The Warburgs (1994), the story of a remarkable Jewish family. The book traces Hamburg’s most influential banking family of the 18th century from their successful beginnings to when Hitler’s Third Reich forced them to give up their business, and ultimately to their regained prosperity in America on Wall Street.
Described by Time as “one of the great American biographies,” Chernow’s Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. (1998) brilliantly reveals the complexities of America’s first billionaire. Rockefeller was known as a Robber Baron, whose Standard Oil Company monopolized an entire industry before it was broken up by the famous Supreme Court anti-trust decision in 1911. At the same time, Rockefeller was one of the century’s greatest philanthropists donating enormous sums to universities and medical institutions. Chernow is the Secretary of PEN American Center, the country’s most prominent writers’ organization, and is currently at work on a biography of Alexander Hamilton. He lives in Brooklyn Heights, New York.
In addition to writing biographies, Chernow is a book reviewer, essayist, and radio commentator. His book reviews and op-ed articles appear frequently in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. He comments regularly on business and finance for National Public Radio and for many shows on CNBC, CNN, and the Fox News Channel. In addition, he served as the principal expert on the A&E biography of J.P. Morgan and will be featured as the key Rockefeller expert on an upcoming CNBC documentary.
(from Goodreads.com)

Genre: Biography

Curriculum Ties: American History

Booktalking Ideas: Link to the musical and libretto.

Reading Level/Interest Age: 8/9th grade reading level; high school/adult interest

Challenge Issues: slavery, language, marital affairs, portrays the Founding Fathers realistically

Challenge Issue Resources (for usage in a challenge situation):
  • Active listening to the patron
  • Library Selection Policy
  • Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection
  • United States Supreme Court - BOARD OF EDUCATION v. PICO (1982) - No. 80-2043 - Argued: March 2, 1982 Decided: June 25, 1982
  • Reconsideration form (as a last resort)
  • National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read” 
  • Reviews 
  • ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials 
  • ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom 
  • Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
  • Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Why Included: With the fame of the musical, it’s important to give readers access to the book that inspired it. It’s also a very good biography of one of the Founding Fathers.

Video Interview with Author:

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Title: Hamilton : the revolution : being the complete libretto of the Broadway musical, with a true account of its creation, and concise remarks on hip-hop, the power of stories, and the new America
Author: Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter

Format: Book

Subjects:
  • Musicals -- Librettos.
  • Hamilton, Alexander, 1757-1804 -- Drama.
  • Miranda, Lin-Manuel, 1980- Hamilton.
  • Musicals -- United States -- History and criticism.
  • Downloadable electronic books.
  • Electronic books.
  • Librettos.
ISBN: 9781455539741

Edition: 1st Edition

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Copyright: 2016

Plot Summary:
Alexander Hamilton was an immigrant who came to the Colonies to make a life for himself after a hurricane destroyed what little he had. He not only built a life for himself, but he also became one of the major Founding Fathers and an early influencer. This book contains not only the libretto for the famous musical, but also notes about the production, actors, and choices made.

Critical Evaluation:
This book is filled with great notes from the production team from the creation to the debut. There are some amazing details included from the history of Hamilton himself to the reasons for changes and edits (i.e. the reason for the amount time in the pause after “Immigrants, we get the job done.” was to make it long enough for the audience to applaud but short enough to cut off the applause so it didn’t go on too long) These kinds of facts and pieces of trivia bring the musical and its creation to life for the reader. It’s also a great tool for drama students and people interested in theater production.

Reader’s Annotation: Get the full story behind the making of the musical.

About the Author:
Lin-Manuel Miranda is a composer, lyricist, writer, rapper, and actor. He is an award-winning artist (including: Tony, Grammy, Pulitzer Prize, and MacArthur "Genius" Award) known for In the Heights (composer-lyricist, actor) and Hamilton (book, music and lyrics, in addition to playing the title role).
(from Goodreads.com)

Genre: Musicals

Curriculum Ties: American History, music

Booktalking Ideas: Discuss the musical and show the images from the book.

Reading Level/Interest Age: 8th grade, middle/high interest

Challenge Issues:
language, race

Challenge Issue Resources (for usage in a challenge situation):

  • Active listening to the patron
  • Library Selection Policy
  • Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection
  • United States Supreme Court - BOARD OF EDUCATION v. PICO (1982) - No. 80-2043 - Argued: March 2, 1982 Decided: June 25, 1982
  • Reconsideration form (as a last resort)
  • National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
  • Reviews
  • ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
  • ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
  • Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
  • Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
Why Included: The musical is so popular that everything related to it will be popular, too.

Video Interview with Author:


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Title: Teens cook : how to cook what you want to eat

Author: Carle, Megan

Format: Book

Subjects:
  • Cooking -- Juvenile literature.
  • Juvenile works.
  • Children's nonfiction.
ISBN: 9781580085847

Edition: 1st Editin

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

Copyright: 2004

Plot Summary: Contains recipes, tips, and tricks for teens to learn how to cook delicious recipes that go beyond ramen and sandwiches.

Critical Evaluation: Great recipes and wonderful tips to help make them. The recipes are simple, but delicious, and easy to make. There are also sections devoted to converting measurements and avoiding cooking pitfalls. The pictures help make the cooking process easy and help confirm that you’re cooking it right.

Reader’s Annotation: A great book for those who need a little help learning the basics of cooking.

About the Author:
Megan Carle was a vegetarian throughout her formative cooking years and, as a result, has more ways with pasta than she can count. She is currently a graduate student in Linguistics at Arizona State University.
Megan and Jill’s previous books include Teens Cook, Teens Cook Dessert, and College Cooking.(https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/105050/megan-carle)

Genre:
Cookbooks

Curriculum Ties: cooking, math/conversion

Booktalking Ideas:
Tired of mom’s meatloaf? Want to make something that you want to eat?
 
Reading Level/Interest Age: 4th/5th grade, middle/high interest

Challenge Issues: none

Challenge Issue Resources (for usage in a challenge situation):

  • Active listening to the patron
  • Library Selection Policy
  • Rationale explaining why the item was chosen for the collection United States Supreme Court - BOARD OF EDUCATION v. PICO (1982) - No. 80-2043 - Argued: March 2, 1982 Decided: June 25, 1982
  • Reconsideration form (as a last resort)
  • National Council of Teachers of English “Right to Read”
  • Reviews
  • ALA Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials
  • ALA Bill of Rights on Intellectual Freedom
  • Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
  • Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

Why Included:
Everyone needs a good starter cookbook.

Video Interview with Author:

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