The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming

Most kids probably don't know how important secret codes were during World War II. Germans, Japanese, and Allied forces had to send radio messages around the world, and it was vitally important to each side that their messages were not intercepted, and thus each country went to great lengths to disguise their messages and to decode the communications coming from their enemies. This gem of a nonfiction book explains how British citizens spent years of their lives working to break the codes that Germans created using the Enigma machine. The Enigma was a kind of typewriter, but with lots of wheels and almost unlimited combinations of letters that changed daily. The British military took over a large house in the countryside near London called Bletchley Park and they recruited the most brilliant mathematicians and code breakers they could find. They also assigned thousands of young women, many of them still teenagers, to Bletchley Park to help in the work of code breaking. As you will see from this book, those girls did repetitive, very specific jobs day in and day out, never knowing exactly what contributions their work was making to the larger effort of saving lives, stopping the Nazis, and ending the war. 

Candace Fleming has taken this huge topic involving thousands of people, and focused in on 10 teenage girls who left their homes and families to help break the Enigma's codes. The result is this brilliant book, full of flesh and blood young girls away from home, doing important work, while at the same time growing up during wartime. These amazing women went on to live ordinary lives, unable to talk about the work they did for many years (they signed wartime secrecy papers and they all kept their silence). When their stories got out, the world was shocked to discover the brilliant work they did and the lives they saved thanks to their incredible sacrifices. As is frequently the case with Candace Fleming's work, there is much here for teenagers as well as adults. I highly recommend this award-winning book for readers ages 13-up with an interest in World War II, math, secret codes, and women's history. 

Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming

 

This is an intense, disturbing, well-researched and well-told nonfiction book about a topic about which young people likely know almost nothing. Candace Fleming traces Jim Jones' People's Temple movement from its earliest days to its tragic end when 910 people were killed on one day in 1978. This thorough and thoroughly engaging book expertly engages readers in understanding why people followed Jim Jones initially, how he maintained control, and how the narrative that this was a mass suicide may not be accurate at all. It's a complex and difficult story, and Fleming expertly weaves the stories of participants and survivors together. It's challenging and not for every reader, but curious students will likely find this to be a very compelling read. I know I was hanging onto every word and have been talking about it ever since I read it. Recommended for readers grades 8 all the way up through adults. 

Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration by Elizabeth Partridge

 

I missed reading this book when it first came out in 2022 but I am here to say this should be required reading for Americans of all ages. An excellent children't nonfiction book is a treasure for kids and adults, and this is an absolutely astounding take on the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II through the lens (literally) of three photographers who documented the atrocity from different angles. Dorthea Lange, Ansel Adams, and Toyo Mitatake were all taking photos for different reasons and many of their photos remained hidden for many years. The combination of the illustrations and the photographs make for an engaging read and brilliantly show the things that could and could not be photographed. Because this book is the shape of a picture book, middle school students may not pick it up, but it is absolutely perfect for visual learners and gives them exactly the right amount of information they need to understand what happened and empathize with the American citizens whose constitutional rights were stripped from them during a time of war. Educators should read this book and work it into history, ELA, and even art classes. Don't miss this treasure!

From Here by Luma Mufleh

 

Luma Mufleh grew up in Aman, Jordan as the child of Syrian refugees. She was part of a large, close family with strong ties to each other, but she always knew she was different. As a student in an American high school in Jordan in the 1990s, she realized that she was gay and that there was no place for her in Jordan. In fact, she could be killed if her sexuality were to be discovered. She thought that going to college in the United States could be a way out for her, but did not want her identity to separate her from her beloved family. This memoir is illuminating on many levels--life in Jordan, Muslim family dynamics, the American immigrant experience, and having the courage to become your true self. These themes will resonate with high school students but also with adults. Luma has had a long journey becoming a US Citizen and creating schools and soccer teams for refugee children, and her story is powerful and empowering. Recommended for high school and adult readers. 

The Lady and the Octopus: How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology by Danna Staff

I love how much I can learn from an excellent middle school nonfiction book--and this one taught me about a woman who deserves greater recognition. Jeanne Villepreux-Power was a powerhouse of scientific research in the early 1800s, when women had great difficulty being accepted as scientists. She was born in France, and lived with her wealthy husband in Sicily, where she became fascinated with sea life, in particular the type of octopus called an argonaut that lived in a shell. She made the first aquarium ever invented, but realized that it was hard to keep sea life alive in her home, so she invented a way to place an aquarium underwater and observe in the clear shallow water of Sicily. Jeanne was a pioneer in studying living sea life (rather than just looking at dead specimens) and she developed ways of testing her hypotheses that stand the test of time. She also refuted commonly held beliefs and spent hears writing up her findings and convincing scientific societies to accept her as a member. She was a pioneer in many ways and this book takes a deep dive into her life and work. It would be great for motivated kids who are really into science, but I would argue that due to its complexity, it's even better for adults.  
 

Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account and the Teenagers Whose Lives It Changed by Dashka Slater

 

One teenage boy starts an Instagram account and posts shocking racist images and statements about his classmates including Black girls who consider him a friend. A handful of boys follow the account, some of them liking the posts and commenting on them. Not one of the boys stands up to stop the posts or to tell anyone about the account's existence. When screenshots of the racist posts go public, the victims of the account are devastated and the students in the small California town are outraged. The boys who participated are expelled, suspended, and/or left unable to attend school. Restorative circles turn violent, leaving the school open to lawsuits and lingering mistrust. All the while the victims of the hatred are shattered and living with pain and betrayal. Sasha Slater spent years following this story and interviewing the participants on all sides. This book is an absolute tour-de-force of nonfiction writing. It is compelling and engaging and written in short bursts that draw the reader in to the many perspectives she lays bare. This is absolutely one of the best nonfiction books I have ever read and it should be required reading for teenagers as well as for school administrators and teachers and people who care about what social media is doing to our society and our children. Recommended for 8th grade-up. 

American Murderer: The Parasite that Haunted the South by Gail Jarrow

 

The picture on the cover of this book is a close up of a hookworm that latches onto the intestinal wall of human hosts, sucking away their nutrition like a vampire. This nonfiction book tells the story of how hookworms infected people in the United States in the 1800s and early 1900s and of the scientists who discovered why people were sick, exhausted and unable to work or study. It took years to convince government officials of the problem and years to find ways to get treatment to the people who needed it most--mainly rural southerners. Gail Jarrow has researched this topic and presents it with many photos and a fascinating narrative. Anyone (or any age) interested in public health or history will want to read this book. Highly recommended for middle schoolers on up to adults. 

Underground Fire: Hope, Sacrifice, and Courage in the Cherry Mine Disaster by Sally Walker

 

The year is 1909 and almost 500 men are working underground in a coal mine in Cherry, Illinois. Many of the men are immigrants to the United States, some are just teenagers, and all of the men have families counting on their income for food and shelter. An underground fire breaks out that has disastrous consequences for many of the miners. This detailed nonfiction book was absolutely fascinating to me as an adult reader. Sally Walker is a master researcher and writer and I would read any book she writes. There are stories here of the women and children left behind, and the desperate attempts by miners trapped underground to keep themselves alive until help comes. Highly recommended for nonfiction readers--but truth be told, this is probably a book that will have more appeal to adults than to children because it's so detailed and nuanced. 

How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps by Pamela S. Turner

A good middle-school level nonfiction book gives me (a curious adult) a great overview of a subject and leaves me wanting to know more. This gem of a book covers the history of hominins (everyone on the human family tree but not including apes). I found myself wanting to tell people all kinds of facts and new information. Did you know that every living person with ancestors from Europe, Asia, the Americas, or Oceania is 1-2 percent Neanderthal? Did you know that it is only recently that there has only been one species of hominin existing on earth? Denisovans were the last hominin to share the planet with us and we don't know a lot about them. This book takes us back millions of years to Australopith hominins (many of us have heard of "Lucy"), Homo Habilis ("Handy People"), Homo Erectus, on up to Neanderthals, Denisovans, and Homo Sapiens (us!). Along the way we examine tool making, skull size, fire making, talking, and storytelling. This is the best explanation of evolution that I have ever encountered, and it gave me a mind-boggling view of the long long history of our beautiful and complex earth. Honestly, this is a great read for anyone and it includes lovely artwork, photos, and snarky footnotes. And do not miss the author's note on race among the backmatter. Highly recommended and not just for kids. 

Into the Clouds: The Race to Climb the World's Most Dangerous Mountain by Tod Olson

 

I don't know why, but I am a sucker for a mountain climbing saga. This is the absolutely riveting true story of three separate expeditions taken by Americans in an attempt to be the first to reach the summit of K2. I learned that the mountains of the Himalaya are the highest on earth by far. In fact, the tallest mountain anywhere else on earth (found in South America) would not even be in the top 200 mountains in the Himalayan Range. And K2 is the second highest of them all--but it is actually much more remote and difficult to climb than the more famous Mount Everest. The first journey takes place in 1938. Charlie Houston, a medical student from the United States, and a team of men journey to K2 to scout out a base camp and to work their way up the mountain. They don't reach the summit. The next year Fritz Wiessner leads a team of less experienced climbers to follow in Charlie Houston's footsteps. It's a dramatic mission, but Wiessner is not much of a team player and things go badly. Finally, in 1953, after World War II ends, Charlie Houston tries again. His philosophy is to work as a team and leave no man behind. The conditions on the mountain are brutal and at a high altitude decision-making is impaired. All three expeditions challenge the climbers to the depths of their beings. The questions always seems to be whether it is better to reach the summit at all costs or to bring home all the climbers alive. If you like real life drama, survival, and a well-told story, pick this book up and give it a try. It's unforgettable. I recommend this book for all readers grades 7-adult. 

Bomb: The Race to Build and Steal the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

This award-winning nonfiction book covers the frantic efforts to build the atom bomb as well as the spying and treason that occurred as Soviet spies tried to get the bomb for themselves. This is history I never learned in school, and I was absolutely engrossed in multiple aspects of the story. Of course, we learn about Robert Oppenheimer and how he and other American scientists were recruited and send to Los Alamos, New Mexico. But we also learn about Norwegian resistance fighters trained in Britain to sabotage a facility in Norway that Germany had taken over.  The Norwegian fighters parachuted into frozen Norway, used cross country skis to travel hundreds of miles, snuck down into a gorge and back up the other side to break in and sabotage a "hard water" production facility that ultimately kept Germans from developing the bomb first.  We also hear how various Russian sympathizers ultimately became spies and turned over exact instructions on how to build an atomic bomb to the Soviet Union. Sheinkin does not shy away from the moral issues related to the bomb. Readers sense the desperation to keep the bomb out of German hands. But we also feel the horror of what was created and how it continues to have the potential to destroy the earth and humanity. I recommend this book wholeheartedly to adults and anyone who is a history buff. I suspect that it will be appreciated by smart teenagers with a strong interest in history, but it may be too much for the average kid as it's a complicated story. Nevertheless, it's an outstanding work of nonfiction by a masterful writer. 
 

Unbroken (The Young Adult Adaptation): An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive by Laura Hillenbrand

This World War II survival story was on my list to read for a long time. I never did make it through the original adult version, but this young adult adaptation was just what I needed. Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner, became an Air Force bombardier in World War II. His long, harrowing survival story began with being shot down over the Pacific Ocean. He and some companions survived the plane crash, only to be on a raft with no water and aggressive sharks attacking. After surviving this unbelievable struggle, he is captured by Japanese soldiers and endures still more suffering. Zamperini is an incredible person who withstood unbelievable difficulties. His sense of humor, resilience, and attitude save his life and make this an unforgettable read. Recommended for middle schoolers who enjoy action, survival, and learning about World War II. 

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat

 

In June of 2018, a group of boys and their soccer coach went exploring in a cave near their home in Thailand. When they made their way out of the narrow tunnels, they found their exit blocked by water. The team, cold and hungry and scared, waited weeks for rescue while divers, scientists, and experts gathered outside the cave. The rescue that followed was bold and dangerous, and required much cultural cooperation. The author carefully traces the team's trek into the cave, and the long rescue that followed. Many side notes explain Thai culture, and credit is given to the many rescuers that aided the effort in multiple ways. A must purchase for middle school libraries, and well worthy of all the awards it received. This is an outstanding nonfiction book accessible to middle school kids, and fascinating for adults as well. 

Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

 

I was absolutely enthralled by this 445 page graphic novel, which on the surface is the chronicle a high school season of basketball. Much like the author of the book, I don't have a lot of interest in watching sports and I identify more as a nerd then as an athlete. What make this book compelling is the storytelling, which is Gene Yang's superpower. The story is autobiographical—a nerdy math teacher decides to write a graphic novel about a pivotal season of high school basketball, a world he knows nothing about. What he discovers is a former player-turned-coach who has never coached a state championship team, a former coach with a questionable past, and a diverse team of athletes, all with stories of their own. And there is the teacher himself, a hugely successful writer and father of four, trying to make life choices that are bittersweet. Yang manages to take us through the history of the sport of basketball and into issues of race and culture and resilience. And did I mention that there is a huge amount of basketball action? This book worked for me as an adult reader for reasons beyond the basketball action, but I suspect it will work for students and sports fans as well. Very highly recommended for 8th graders through adults. One of the best books of the year! 

More Deadly Than War: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War by Kenneth C. Davis

This book starts with a shocking story of Alaskan villages wiped out by a mysterious illness. Seventy-two out of 80 inhabitants of a village died in a 5-day period. It goes on to tell how the 1918 influenza epidemic, commonly known as the Spanish flu, actually emerged at an army camp in Kansas in March of 1918. From there, it spread to American military training camps and across the ocean to Europe, where it attacked soldiers on all sides of the Great War. One striking thing about this global pandemic is how little we know about it today, partly because governments purposely suppressed information about the disease during wartime and partly because traumatized people wanted to forget about it. Although it killed over 600,000 Americans, and millions worldwide, this global pandemic has largely been lost to history. This account deals largely with the disease and its connections to World War I. There is less coverage of how the disease affected women, children, civilians back at home, and people of color. From the vantage point of 2020, it would have been fascinating to read more about how communities handled school closures, commerce, public gatherings, and social distancing. Younger readers may get bogged down by war details in the middle, but the opening few chapters and concluding chapters are stunning. Now that we are in the midst of another disease outbreak, this very timely book will be of interest to young people and adults alike. With so much here that connects to the COVID pandemic, this is a must-have book for libraries everywhere.

Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge: George and Martha Washington's Courageous Slave Who Dared to Run Away by Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Kathleen Van Cleve

Ona Judge is an American hero that most people don't know. She was enslaved by George and Martha Washington and she dared to stand up against the president of the United States by fleeing to freedom. There is much that is not known about Ona Judge's life, but these authors have put together many puzzle pieces in order to paint a vivid picture of her life and the difficulty she faced when she dared to escape to freedom. We learn about the struggles of the enslaved people at Mt. Vernon as well as life in Philadelphia and New York City in the late 1700s. I was fascinated to learn about the evolution of abolitionist thought and how laws were made to protect slave owners, even in the north. Many Americans grow up learning only positive things about our country's founding fathers, especially George Washington, but this book shows them as the flawed people that they were. Ona's story should be widely known, and I recommend this excellent book to readers of all ages.

When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed

Many readers know Victoria Jamieson for her wildly popular graphic novels, Roller Girl and All's Faire in Middle School. Jamieson brings her vibrant, expressive illustrations to a different kind of story to share Omar Mohamed's life with young readers. The book begins in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Omar and his brother Hassan sleep in their own tent alone, although they are only children. A woman named Fatuma looks out for them, but she is not their mother. You find out that the boys fled Somalia together, and hold out hope that their mother is alive somewhere. Omar spends his days (which are generally long, monotonous, and filled with hunger) taking care of his brother Hassan, who does not speak and has some other disabilities. When Omar is asked to attend school he is afraid to leave Hassan even for a few hours a day. When he does go to school he discovers that he is smart and that education might be his way out of the camps if only he can get resettled in another country. Jamieson and Mohamed have told this story perfectly. This gem should be read by EVERYONE.

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

Racist ideas are woven into the fabric of the United States of America. The ideas are so deeply ingrained in our history that many of us don't see them or understand that they affect every aspect of society today. Stamped, which claims not to be a history book, traces the history of racist ideas and how Americans, who wanted the money and power that slavery gave them, created the idea of Africans being savages. From that early premise, Reynolds takes us up through the present day showing how pervasive the idea and policies that maintain it have become. Jason Reynolds is a master writer for young people, and he speaks directly to the reader in an honest and compelling tone. Reynolds is the reader of the audiobook, and is also an excellent narrator. As an adult reader, I was alternately shocked, captivated, and enraged at how often the history I learned in school could be viewed through such a different lens. I wanted to argue, to disagree, but in the end I cannot. It will only end when we acknowledge the power that racist ideas hold and we do the hard work of dismantling this system that is really all about who has privilege and who does not. This powerful book deserves to be read slowly and carefully and to be discussed in schools and churches and communities. I recommend it for all adults, as well as students in 8th grade and up,  There's an excellent educator's guide as well.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: The Secrets behind What You Eat (Young readers edition) by Michael Pollen

In this nonfiction book, a journalist and food detective takes a deep dive into modern food and how it gets to American consumers. You may never have wondered where your food comes from, but once you read this book you will think about it in ways you never did before. Michael Pollen begins by investigating industrial farming. He talks about corn (who knew that corn had such a huge influence on our diet?) and cattle (he buys one cow and tries to trace its life from birth to the industrial slaughterhouse). He also investigates organic farming on an industrial scale, and organic farming on a small scale. He even takes a turn at being a hunter-gatherer. Young people who care about taking care of the planet, feeding the hungry, vegetarianism, or personal health should wellness should absolutely read this book. For that matter, anyone who eats should read this book. Recommended for smart, curious middle schoolers on up through adults.

Everything Awesome about Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Beasts! by Mike Lowery

You may think dinosaur books are for little kids, but I would argue that this book contains everything that most humans of all ages would want to know about the history of earth and the prehistoric creatures that lived here long ago. Mike Lowery, a prolific illustrator, is the author and illustrator of this fun- and fact-filled full-color book that is full of jokes and irreverent humor. He expertly packs a well-curated array of information into 122 heavily illustrated pages. In Part One he explains three criteria that define dinosaurs (this was news to me!). In Part Two he gives a "Brief History of Earth" that succinctly (and humorously) puts the timeline of prehistoric life into perspective. He goes on to describe various dinosaurs and other "awesome extinct cenozoic beasts, and even includes how to draw a four kinds of dinosaurs. The book includes jokes and bonus facts that make the book fun for kids as well as adults. It's a little-known secret that a quality middle-school level nonfiction book can provide all that adults need to know about a topic, and this book perfectly supports that theory.