Our teen book spotlight this week is all about featuring some more amazing YA nonfiction titles! It can be easy to think that nonfiction is boring but these titles are the complete opposite of that thought; we have everything from true crime to war history and biographies and you will not even realize you are reading nonfiction because they are that good. These books and more can be found by searching the catalog using the search tag #amazingyanonfiction as well as on Libby and Hoopla. Check back next week for a new teen book spotlight and if you have any book suggestions, please let us know!!
The Poisoner’s Handbook by Deborah Blum--Depicts Dr. Charles Norris, the first trained chief medical examiner, and Alexander Gettler, the first toxicologist, who were pioneers in the field of forensic science in early twentieth-century New York and discusses the importance of their work. Presents eleven kinds of poison and describes the ingenious methods created by the medical examiner's office to detect them.
The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming--Presents a biography of the life and career of aviator, Charles Lindbergh, focusing on his solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, the kidnapping of his infant son, his medical research, and his controversial political and racial views during World War II.
America’s Game by Jerry Rice--Provides a comprehensive look at the first 100 years of the National Football League, tracing the history and development of the organization, and identifying notable players and coaches, key rivalries, epic events, and little-known anecdotes.
The Great American Dust Bowl by Don Brown--The Dirty Thirties got their name for a reason. It began on Sunday, April 14, 1935. A fierce wind raced across the Great Plains region of the United States blowing millions upon millions of dust specks and sand grains into the air, creating what became known as the Dust Bowl. The wave of black blew across the land, scouring the paint off of cars and homes, and choking animals and people alike. Author Brown offers a graphic novel featuring true stories from eyewitnesses to the Dust Bowl, as well as reports from experts on why farming practices and government agricultural policies actually contributed to the Dust Bowl's origins.
The Symphony for the City of the Dead by M.T. Anderson--During Hitler's three-year siege of Leningrad beginning in 1941, over one million of the city's citizens perished from violence and starvation. People resorted to burning their furniture and even their floorboards to keep warm during the brutal winters, unable to seek refuge outside their formerly thriving metropolis that had become a city of the dead. Award-winning author Anderson chronicles not only the horrors experienced by the citizens of Leningrad, but the compelling symphony to which the tragedy gave birth. Famed composer Dmitri Shostakovich began composing the Leningrad symphony during the bombardment and finished it in Moscow. The symphony was then performed triumphantly in Leningrad while the siege still raged, a homage to the countless lives lost and destroyed.
Hunting the Unabomber by Liz Wiehl--Describes the seventeen-year hunt to discover the identity of the criminal known as the Unabomber. Describes Ted Kaczynski's crimes, why he was hard to find, the massive manhunt, and how he eventually was caught. Features a center section of photographs and an index.