That's how many books I read this school year. And most of them I enjoyed.
But my top honors go to these four for expanding my world.
This is the kind of story that breaks your heart but not before causing it to grow in emotional capacity while reading. I loved the winter imagery and how Schmidt mirrors internal conflicts in atmospheric ones. But primarily, this story is about finding home in unlikely places and among unlikely people. You might need a box of kleenex for this one.
This book is a powerful, true story and chronicle of Henrietta Lacks' crazily immortal cells, commonly known in scientific circles as HeLa. Skloot beautifully crafts Henrietta's personal history in context with social history and medical science. And though I usually prefer fiction to nonfiction, I couldn't help but read sections out-loud to my husband.
Okay, it's a kid's book and technically I didn't "read" it. But I did listen to it with my kids on the way to school and despite my initial reservations about animal characters, was moved by the life and struggles of the one and only Ivan, a silverback gorilla, and his animal cohorts. This book will make you look at zoos and animals differently.
Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman
And saving the best for last -- Challenger Deep. This book is mind-blowing! I don't know what it's like to live with schizophrenia but I feel after reading this book that I've experienced just a little of what it must be like. This book is tough in parts, but also laugh out-loud funny. Shusterman uses standout metaphors to describe life with schizophrenia which is based in part on his own son's journey with the disease.
What were your favorite reads this past school year?
