The Good Braider by Terry Farish chronicles the experiences of a South Sudanese girl and her family fleeing their war-ravaged country and making their way to the U.S. to start a new life.  Although this is a fictional story, the author, Terry Farish, did a lot of research so that the experiences of her characters would mirror the real-life experiences of refugees from South Sudan. Viola lives in Juba, South Sudan with her mother, grandmother and young brother during the…

Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine by Ibtisam Barakat is a memoir about Barakat’s struggle to finish school and become a writer while growing up in the West Bank.  It is about her search for an identity as a Palestinian, a people without a country, and her determination to be valued and respected as a girl in a society where women have few rights. Her memoir focuses on her life as a young girl through her teen…

This is a great Graphic Novel for movie and photography buffs as well as more serious film students. Filmish looks at the history of the film and movie industry, referencing over 300 movies.  Instead of looking at individual movies, one at a time, Ross looks at various cinematic concepts and then references films that illustrate that concept.  His book is divided into 7 themes: The Eye, The Body, Sets and Architecture, Time, Voice and Language, Power and Ideology, and Technology…

The March trilogy has been widely written about and has won several awards including the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, YALSA’s Outstanding Books for the College Bound, and is also a Coretta Scott King Honor Book. We all learn about the civil rights movement in school.  Depending on your school and teacher, this subject may have been glossed over or a great amount of time may have been spent on it.  Either way,…

When my daughter and I went to Amicalola State Park in Georgia last month to do some hiking, I wanted to bring along books that would enhance and broaden our outdoor experience.  Just like finding the perfect wine to complement a special meal, I often look for books to pair with an experience or event. Lab Girl by Hope Jahren was a perfect fit.  Hope, now a geochemist and geobiologist with a Ph.D. from the University of California, spent many…