*The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie*
Learn about the struggles of growing up on a native american reservation in the 21st century through the lens of Junior, a goofy yet motivated 14 year-old boy residing on the Spokane Indian Reservation. This medium-paced young adult novel is surprisingly funny considering the tough issues- such as the alcoholism of his elders, poverty, and death- that Junior grapples with at home on the reservation. Junior's life on the reservation- where there is little hope for a bright a future and even fewer resources- is juxtaposed with his life at the high school he recently transferred to outside of the reservation in a middle-class and predominately white community where he has found success socially, academically, and athletically.
*Sold by Patricia McCormick*
This novel, written in prose, begins with 13 year-old Lakshmi's simple life living in a hut in a small Nepalese mountain village with her mother, step-father, and new baby sibling. Lakshmi's life suddenly changes when her family's poverty deepens and she is sent to work in a far away place. When this "work" turns out to be nothing more than sex slavery, Lakshmi's courageous side shines as she refuses to accept the same fate as the older girls in the brothel. Well-researched and rich in detail, this novel exposes readers to the experiences of the world's many victims of human trafficking.
*Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin* It is common knowledge how this story ends in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but thanks Sheinkin's impeccable research and the resulting rich detail, readers still get to enjoy a suspenseful and thrilling story that intertwines the actions of the military, spies, politicians, and scientists of multiple nations. Readers will develop a more intimate understanding of the events and efforts that lead up to the creation of the atomic bomb as well as the aftermath of its use.
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