Welcome back! I don’t about you but I’ve been beating the heat (and the rain) by staying in and reading. Last week, we laughed with some fun reads so let’s go in a different direction this week. Nonfiction for some readers is something avoid, but for many it’s an enjoyable genre. Some people even prefer nonfiction.
The genre has changed so much since I was young. I remember nonfiction reading being like a textbook which was very dull and not something I would read on my own. However, reading nonfiction, especially literary nonfiction, has changed for me and maybe I can convince you to give it a try. Allow me to shed some light on a few great, new titles in nonfiction.
Literary Nonfiction
Note: We've linked each title to its Amazon page so you may read other's reviews. These books are also available at the public libraries and great local bookstores such as Blue Willow Bookshop and Katy Budget Books.
Genre of many names. Sometimes referred to as creative nonfiction or narrative nonfiction. It consists of writing which uses literary styles and techniques to develop a truthful story. In other words, it reads like fiction except it tells a real story about people, places, and events in the real world.
Many times when a student is reading a book from this genre, they will ask me if it really is a true story. The answer is yes- sometimes the truth can be stranger than fiction. Let’s see if you agree with me.
FATAL FEVER: TRACKING DOWN TYPHOID MARY by Gail Jarrow
Have the hand sanitizer close by when you read this story from the turn of the twentieth century. At age 15, Mary Mallon came to America from Ireland and started working as a cook for many different wealthy families. After over 50 people became infected with typhoid, sanitation experts, typhoid experts and doctors tracked Mary down as patient zero. Since Mary had no symptoms herself she couldn’t believe this to be true. She ran from authorities who wanted her to be quarantined. The story, told through detailed notes and photographs, shows how Mary eventually came to spend most of her life alone on North Brother Island in New York’s East River.
If you enjoy this author's style, check out RED MADNESS: HOW A MEDICAL MYSTERY CHANGED WHAT WE EAT which is also by Gail Jarrow.
Maybe you can’t get enough of Typhoid Mary and if that is the case try another literary nonfiction titled TERRIBLE TYPHOID MARY: A TRUE STORY OF THE DEADLIEST COOK IN AMERICA by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.
BORDEN MURDERS: LIZZIE BORDEN & THE TRIAL OF THE CENTURY by Sarah Miller
I grew up knowing the rhyme “Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.” I think of this book as the O.J. Simpson case of 1892. The wealthy Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were found brutally murdered. They had been killed by an axe, a hatchet or some sort of knife. The daughter Lizzie was the prime suspect since she was at home when it happened. The author takes the reader on a detailed walk through the investigation and trial. She also includes actual photographs and newspaper clippings to tell the story.
CHASING LINCOLN’S KILLER by James Swanson
While reading this book, I even had to stop and remind myself that I was reading a true story. It reads just like a historical mystery thriller. The author James Swanson, took his adult version of this book and made it accessible for teens. He tells the story of the twelve day manhunt to find Lincoln’s killer. Thanks to rare archival material, obscure trial transcripts and various documented interviews you find out more about the hunt which took officials through Washington D.C, Maryland and Virginia.
James Swanson also wrote THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOT: THE ASSASSINATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY.
If you find yourself enjoying this genre Steve Sheinkin is a name you will want to remember. Some of his titles include:
LINCOLN’S GRAVE ROBBERS
BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD & STEAL THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON
MOST DANGEROUS: DANIEL ELLSBERG & THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR
NOTORIOUS BENEDICT ARNOLD
PORT CHICAGO 50
For a totally different twist give UNWIND a try. It is the first book in a series of five by Neal Shusterman (one of my favorite authors). This is for sure not nonfiction! The story is set in the future after the Second Civil War. Teens between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can be “unwound” for body parts. Yep, you read that correctly, their body parts will go to others that need them. Of course some teens aren’t happy about this. They try to run and escape the unwinding procedure. This is where the story begins.
It's a fast-paced, thrilling, and at times scary read. The topic is controversial so remember to use self-censorship when deciding whether to read this book or not.
Stay cool, stay dry (hopefully the rain is over) and keep reading! Next week, I’ll share titles from the graphic novel genre. Yes, it is like comics, but there is so much more to it. Come get the details next week!
The genre has changed so much since I was young. I remember nonfiction reading being like a textbook which was very dull and not something I would read on my own. However, reading nonfiction, especially literary nonfiction, has changed for me and maybe I can convince you to give it a try. Allow me to shed some light on a few great, new titles in nonfiction.
Literary Nonfiction
Note: We've linked each title to its Amazon page so you may read other's reviews. These books are also available at the public libraries and great local bookstores such as Blue Willow Bookshop and Katy Budget Books.
Genre of many names. Sometimes referred to as creative nonfiction or narrative nonfiction. It consists of writing which uses literary styles and techniques to develop a truthful story. In other words, it reads like fiction except it tells a real story about people, places, and events in the real world.
Many times when a student is reading a book from this genre, they will ask me if it really is a true story. The answer is yes- sometimes the truth can be stranger than fiction. Let’s see if you agree with me.
FATAL FEVER: TRACKING DOWN TYPHOID MARY by Gail Jarrow
Have the hand sanitizer close by when you read this story from the turn of the twentieth century. At age 15, Mary Mallon came to America from Ireland and started working as a cook for many different wealthy families. After over 50 people became infected with typhoid, sanitation experts, typhoid experts and doctors tracked Mary down as patient zero. Since Mary had no symptoms herself she couldn’t believe this to be true. She ran from authorities who wanted her to be quarantined. The story, told through detailed notes and photographs, shows how Mary eventually came to spend most of her life alone on North Brother Island in New York’s East River.
If you enjoy this author's style, check out RED MADNESS: HOW A MEDICAL MYSTERY CHANGED WHAT WE EAT which is also by Gail Jarrow.
Maybe you can’t get enough of Typhoid Mary and if that is the case try another literary nonfiction titled TERRIBLE TYPHOID MARY: A TRUE STORY OF THE DEADLIEST COOK IN AMERICA by Susan Campbell Bartoletti.
BORDEN MURDERS: LIZZIE BORDEN & THE TRIAL OF THE CENTURY by Sarah Miller
I grew up knowing the rhyme “Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.” I think of this book as the O.J. Simpson case of 1892. The wealthy Andrew Borden and his wife Abby were found brutally murdered. They had been killed by an axe, a hatchet or some sort of knife. The daughter Lizzie was the prime suspect since she was at home when it happened. The author takes the reader on a detailed walk through the investigation and trial. She also includes actual photographs and newspaper clippings to tell the story.
CHASING LINCOLN’S KILLER by James Swanson
While reading this book, I even had to stop and remind myself that I was reading a true story. It reads just like a historical mystery thriller. The author James Swanson, took his adult version of this book and made it accessible for teens. He tells the story of the twelve day manhunt to find Lincoln’s killer. Thanks to rare archival material, obscure trial transcripts and various documented interviews you find out more about the hunt which took officials through Washington D.C, Maryland and Virginia.
James Swanson also wrote THE PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SHOT: THE ASSASSINATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY.
If you find yourself enjoying this genre Steve Sheinkin is a name you will want to remember. Some of his titles include:
LINCOLN’S GRAVE ROBBERS
BOMB: THE RACE TO BUILD & STEAL THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS WEAPON
MOST DANGEROUS: DANIEL ELLSBERG & THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR
NOTORIOUS BENEDICT ARNOLD
PORT CHICAGO 50
For a totally different twist give UNWIND a try. It is the first book in a series of five by Neal Shusterman (one of my favorite authors). This is for sure not nonfiction! The story is set in the future after the Second Civil War. Teens between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can be “unwound” for body parts. Yep, you read that correctly, their body parts will go to others that need them. Of course some teens aren’t happy about this. They try to run and escape the unwinding procedure. This is where the story begins.
It's a fast-paced, thrilling, and at times scary read. The topic is controversial so remember to use self-censorship when deciding whether to read this book or not.
Stay cool, stay dry (hopefully the rain is over) and keep reading! Next week, I’ll share titles from the graphic novel genre. Yes, it is like comics, but there is so much more to it. Come get the details next week!