Adult Books for High School Students

Adult/High School–A Civil War tale with much to engage teens. The title refers to a climactic event, General William Tecumseh Sherman’s March to the Sea. Using a nonlinear (but not especially challenging) structure that recalls his groundbreaking Ragtime, Doctorow narrates events through multiple Union and Confederate perspectives. A rich variety of individuals, both fictional and historical, populates a moving world of more than 60,000 troops accompanied by thousands of former slaves and assorted civilian refugees who follow Sherman on his ruthless progress through Georgia and the Carolinas. While many characters are essentially entertaining sketches, there are a few memorable standouts, particularly 15-year-old Pearl, a so-called “white Negro” fathered by her owner. Taking advantage of the chaos after war disrupts her tightly controlled existence, she flees her looted plantation home, disguises herself as a drummer boy, and joins the march, determined to reach freedom and create a life worth living. On the way, she experiences moments of violence, love, irony, and even humor in the midst of horror. Short cinematic episodes illuminate and interpret history with meticulous attention to period settings, from terrifying battlefields to desperate field hospitals to once-grand mansions, all described in lyrical language crafted by a skilled writer.–Starr E. Smith, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Adult/High School–Friedmann continues to write about the curious mix of beauty and squalor that has distinguished the city. Her latest novel takes readers to the N.O. Drugstore at the corner of South Claiborne and South Carrollton, where in-your-face black Pigeontown residents and condescending white Tulane students collide. Here, pharmacist Ciana Jambon dispenses prescriptions for a wide-ranging population as the quiet drama of her life unfolds against the daily spectacle of her environment. Her two cohorts, Vendetta Greene and Lennon Israel, are also her closest friends and see her through bitter exchanges with her older brother and his grasping wife and her grief when her mother dies suddenly. To complicate matters, the death has an air of mystery around it: Ciana’s sister-in-law had taken Mother Jambon to New York for a weekend visit and is less than forthcoming about all that occurred there. The story is by turns humorous and heartbreaking, and the author is adept at capturing that quirky combination of love and resentment that characterizes so many families. Friedmann’s themes of sibling rivalry and unlikely friendships will linger with readers.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA

Adult/High School–Now 15, the heroine of Ellen Foster (Algonquin, 1987) continues to tell her story. The sequel begins with a letter from Ellen to Harvard University’s president, asking for early admission. She is making what she calls “an underage change in life.” After the deaths of her mother and abusive father, and shuttling between homes of people who don’t want her, the teen has settled with a woman who takes in foster children. She has chosen Laura as her “replacement” mother, and the woman accepts her role with love. Ellen is precocious, feisty, humorous, lovable, and vulnerable. Her decisions are not always the best, but her intentions show determination. Although her situation is sad, readers never feel sorry for her; they cheer her on, and the story concludes with a happy ending. The first-person narrative is sometimes hard to follow, but Ellen’s strong, colloquial voice paints a vivid, realistic picture.–Sheila Janega, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Adult/High School–This collection includes 15 tales previously published between 1982 and 1999. The stories range from high fantasy set on other worlds to a first-person account of the investigation into the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. A few (“The Lion and the Lark,” “Toad,” “The Snow Queen”) are retellings of fairy tales. Of special interest is the variety of strong, often young female characters. In “The Fellowship of the Dragon,” five young women are sent by their queen to rescue her lover, the court harper, with unexpected results. McKillip’s elegant prose explores the nature of love, friendship, wisdom, and change, often with a touch of humor. Outstanding.–Sandy Freund, Richard Byrd Library, Fairfax County, VA

Adult/High School–Son picks up where Maguire’s highly successful Wicked (HarperCollins, 1995) left off, with the death of Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West. She left behind a daughter, Nor, and Liir, who may or may not be her son. After her death, he enters into a decade of listless soul searching. He travels for a time and then joins the military, enjoying the structure it provides his life. But eventually his rearing by the Witch as well as his possible heritage catch up to him and he finds himself in demand to start a new revolution against the tyranny of Emerald City. An odd series of disfiguring murders starts occurring all across Oz. Liir discovers that the new Emperor sits behind the machinations and uses the strange killings to spread distrust among the various races of the land. Wielding Elphaba’s flying broom and donning her magical cape, Liir makes some small but bold gestures that help the populace of Oz and replants the seeds of hope that Elphaba spread a generation before. Son is a tighter work than Wicked, making deft use of flashbacks and varying viewpoints to create a quicker pace. And Liir’s quest–both to find himself and to save the people of Oz–is easier to believe than the motivations that drove the bitter yet heroic Elphaba. A well-written, well-crafted fantasy that can stand on its own.–Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale

Adult/High School–Freddie, Tamsin, Sarah, and Reagan met at Oxford and quickly forged a bond that continued through careers, marriages, and children. Fast-forward 18 years to the day that Freddie gets a double whammy: her husband tells her that he is seeing someone else and wants a divorce; hours later, her father’s housekeeper calls from America to break the news of his death. So begins a story of friendship that captivates readers from the outset. Certainly, it is formulaic in places: as Freddie tries to come to terms with jarring life changes, she finds herself depending more and more on Sarah’s widowed husband. But for the most part, Noble bestows enough imperfections in her characters and twists in the plot to take the story beyond typical romance fare. Readers will enjoy the appealing sketches of London, Cape Cod, and Boston as the friends travel across the Atlantic to help Freddie sort out the ramifications of her parent’s death. Noble’s second novel solidifies her reputation as a graceful and stylish writer with the ability to blend the humor and complexities of everyday friendships.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA

Adult/High School–Picking up where Forty Signs of Rain (Bantam, 2004) leaves off, this second book in a planned trilogy finds Earth about to experience the most intense winter on record. Governments worldwide blithely go about their routines in spite of the monumental recent flooding in Washington, DC, and other areas around the globe. When the record-setting cold sets in, people begin freezing to death and starving due to crop failures. Large corporations and world governments use the crisis to attempt to rig elections and plan other agendas to tighten their hold on the public. Meanwhile scientists, especially those at the National Science Foundation, frantically search for a way to shift the weather patterns. The answer seems to be to jump-start the Gulf Stream to get it flowing again; the world watches as millions of tons of salt pour from ships into the ocean in this attempt. While the major plot of ecological chaos plays out, the subplots show how the effects of the weather changes, ecological turmoil, and governmental and big business assaults affect the various characters as they try to survive. This well-researched and expertly written novel about a future that might be coming true all too soon will hopefully serve as a wake-up call about Earth’s current serious situation.–Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Adult/High School–Wilma Porter runs a bed-and-breakfast in Ebb, NE, and thinks she has her finger on the pulse of the town. When her grandson and two unidentified high-school friends beat the black owner of the beauty parlor into a coma, Wilma and the rest of the citizenry are stunned out of their small-town complacency. Enter Vernon Moore, a mysterious traveling salesman who made his debut in Shaffner’s In the Land of Second Chances (Algonquin, 2004). Mr. Moore has a gift for seeing problems from a different perspective, and the townspeople quickly realize that they need a dose of his quirky wisdom. While he may be “one part angel,” as several seeming miracles would indicate, he’s plenty human: last time he came through town, he fathered a daughter with the now-comatose Loretta. He therefore has a vested interest in trying to persuade Matt to name his accomplices. This is a story in the tradition of Jan Karon’s “Mitford” series (Viking), albeit with a zanier cast of characters. From wealthy financier Clem Tucker to the sinister Reverend Gault of the Divine Temple of the Everlasting God Almighty to Dot Hrnicek, Ebb’s first female sheriff, there is no shortage of eccentricities. Shaffner’s character sketches, along with Wilma’s chatty narrative style, keep Mr. Moore from seeming too didactic as he points the townsfolk toward solutions for their various problems. Teens will appreciate the unorthodox approach that he takes in building a relationship with Matt, as well as the glimpse into the stories underneath the wholesome small-town veneer.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA

Adult/High School–Cameron Wilson, 14, is an overly tall army brat and a new kid in town. She begins an intense friendship with classmate Sonia Gray after the two meet while literally saving one another from disastrous situations. The friendship blows up in college, and Cameron struggles through a small, uninspired life until, at age 29, she ends up as caregiver to elderly Oliver Douchet, a famed historian. Then a letter arrives from Sonia telling of her upcoming marriage and wondering why the two of them had gone their separate ways when they had shared so much. Cameron chooses to do nothing until Oliver dies and leaves a package for her to deliver personally to Sonia. So begins Cameron’s journey to find and understand her lost friend and, ultimately, herself. The novel unfolds at an unhurried, graceful pace, moving through flashbacks and memories, but the interest in what Oliver could have sent to Sonia sharpens the edge and drives the plot. Teens will appreciate the high-school beginning of this relationship and Stewart’s notion that friendship can define a life. A poignant and bittersweet story of love.–Jane Halsall, McHenry Public Library District, IL

Adult/High School–Young has established herself as a writer of lighthearted British romantic comedies, and this one does not disappoint. Abby, 16, is visiting her cousins Rachel and Lindsay when she first meets their neighbor Guy. While it isn’t love at first sight, there is a certain spark. Fast-forward to the present, when Abby again meets Guy, who is now dating her neurotic cousin Fleur. Much to her chagrin, Abby finds that the spark has not abated with time. When she unwillingly agrees to “keep an eye” on him at a party that Fleur cannot attend, various mishaps ensue. Add to the mix the long-standing feud between Abby’s mother and Fleur’s mother, a mischievous five-year-old brother, and a couple of weddings that have tensions stretched, and the scene is set for a series of hilarious misunderstandings. While there is little question that Abby and Guy will stop working at cross-purposes long enough to achieve their happily ever after, the story is captivating and the characters are memorable. Young’s insight into the various dysfunctions within extended families is especially on target. Teens are sure to enjoy this humorous glimpse into the British dating world.–Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Library System, VA

Adult/High School–Through lavish visuals and concise text, Biggar describes the painstaking process her team, under George Lucas’s direction, used to create the costumes worn in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. Six chapters feature outfits categorized by role: “Jedi vs. Sith,” “Royalty,” “Military,” “Galactic Senate,” “Slaves,” and “Rogues & Bounty Hunters.” An entire chapter is devoted to the gorgeous clothes for Queen Padme Amidala. Because the costumes were custom fitted, the actors model those created for their roles. The author begins each chapter with an account of the design challenges, fabric selection, and fabrication of the costumes and special props for each role. The oversized format and archival, quality photographs enable readers to study the workmanship, design, and textiles of each highlighted costume. Descriptive sidebars and captions often include quotes by the actor who wore it, Lucas, or other key players. These quotes enrich the book exponentially, as do the double-page collages of film stills and design sketches. The descriptions, albeit brief, of digital costumes and cloth simulation are fascinating. A complete visual index of attire worn in each episode is offered in lieu of a traditional index. Aficionados won’t be the only audience drawn to this compelling tribute–readers interested in fashion, design, film, and photography are bound to find it rewarding.–Claudia C. Holland, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA

Adult/High School–A riveting, dramatically paced tale. Returning to active military duty after 9/11 to serve in both Afghanistan and Iraq, Bogdanos was involved with counterterrorism units prior to being selected to head an unprecedented multiagency team tasked with tracking down and safeguarding stolen antiquities. His infantry training, profession as a lawyer (he earned the nickname “Pit Bull” in the Manhattan DA’s office), and advanced degree in the classics qualified him to lead a team of “trigger pullers, analysts, translators, and techies” through the museum’s 11-acre complex of buildings and storerooms. Working with staff who lacked even an approximate inventory, his group pursued its mission within a hostile landscape embroiled in the chaos of modern warfare. There is YA appeal in the book’s forensic themes and crime-scene analysis, a compelling urgency to the “band-of-brothers” teamwork within the tightly knit task force, and much to relish in vivid passages devoted to the artistic and cultural heritage of Mesopotamia. With refreshing candor, Bogdanos appraises the difficulties of diplomacy, intelligence gathering, and dealing with the media in a combat zone, and assesses formidable obstacles to international prosecution of illicit cross-border trafficking. Quotations from Greek, Latin, and German philosophers and English literature add linguistic appeal. Sixteen pages of color photos lend depth to readers’ sense of the artwork and destruction at the museum and complement the strong personalities described in the narrative.–Lynn Nutwell, Fairfax City Regional Library, VA

Adult/High School–Despite the popularity of his revolutionary essay Common Sense, Paine was scorned as a rebel constantly searching for a cause. When he died in 1809, no church would bury him in its cemetery, leaving his remains to be interred on his own farm. A few years later, William Cobbett, an Englishman and revolutionary in his own right, dug up the body with plans to bury it beneath a monument to be built in London. That never happened. Over the next century, those who were most influenced by his writings sought to give him a proper burial, but ultimately his remains were lost. Some names, like Thomas Edison, will be familiar. Others, like Dr. Foote, a self-help author, will not be, but provide interesting color. Paine’s spirit eventually influenced a number of movements, touching on everything from feminism to the Thirteen Club (its sole function–mocking every superstition imaginable). The author does a great job of tying disparate threads together and leading them back to Paine. He intersperses the history with travel narratives detailing his own search for the remains. These sections not only showcase the unusual turns research can take, but also bring a unique sense of pacing to a history book. Highly readable and filled with enough witty anecdotes to entertain people who don’t normally read history, this book is a reminder that history surrounds and influences us every day of our lives.–Matthew L. Moffett, Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale

Adult/High School–In Boston, 1942, the Cocoanut Grove was an “elite” nightclub decorated in a fantasy of tropical glamour. It was also a firetrap, a block-long labyrinth of bars and entertainment areas cobbled together with substandard materials in disregard of building codes or common sense. On the night of the fire, it was, as always, dimly lighted and overcrowded. The management had blocked all exits except the revolving front door to squeeze more people in and to prevent anyone from leaving without paying a bill. The small fire that broke out in the basement exploded throughout the building within minutes, killing nearly 500 revelers. In a narrative reminiscent of the finest Titanic accounts, the author leads readers through the horrific events as they were experienced by individuals and, using court transcripts and recent scientific research, explains how the disaster developed. He portrays the culture of political corruption and gangland economy that allowed such a public gathering place to exist and provides a riveting chronicle of the attempts to prosecute those responsible. Esposito also reveals how doctors learned from the disaster to improve procedures for burn treatment. Finally, he reminds readers (through brief discussion of more recent club fires) that it can happen again and offers advice. Black-and-white photos augment the narrative. Few who read this book will enter a public arena in the future without looking for the exits.–Christine C. Menefee, formerly at Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Adult/High School–Elliot was in the center of the pandemonium that characterized 1960s music. From an unpromising childhood to a tragic early death, she was an extraordinary personality in an extraordinary time. Despite discrimination because of her weight, she found unimagined fame with the Mamas and the Papas, an innovative rock group. When the group broke up in 1968, she successfully launched a solo career. She was recognized nationally as the quintessential counterculture “hippie,” but her charm and wit ensured continuing popularity with mainstream audiences. Black-and-white photos are of good quality. Legends of the Mamas and the Papas are demystified in this fascinating look at the personalities and music industry of the period.–Catherine Noonan, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Adult/High School–This is a more accessible, though equally distinguished, treatment of the material covered in Foner’s Reconstruction (HarperCollins, 1989). It draws on his earlier work and also on more recent scholarship to present a particularly complex time in American history and to correct common misconceptions about the period (1865-1877). Especially significant is the clear explanation of how the historical record refutes negative stereotypes of ex-slaves widely disseminated after the Civil War. Racist images of these newly enfranchised citizens as inferior, passive individuals easily manipulated by white anti-Southerners were accepted by many historians well into the 20th century, and the distortions were supported in the wider culture by popular entertainment, novels, and films, e.g., Birth of a Nation and Gone with the Wind. This book shows that African Americans took active roles in fighting for freedom and leading postwar attempts to establish political and social equality. Six absorbing “Visual Essays,” edited with commentary by Brown, use archival illustrations and photos to examine how graphic arts influenced public attitudes toward African Americans during and after Reconstruction. An epilogue, “The Unfinished Revolution,” links the main themes to issues still challenging the U.S. at the beginning of the 21st century, raising questions virtually assured to prompt classroom discussion.–Starr E. Smith, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

Adult/High School–Arriving in Guatemala in 1992 in clothes color-coordinated with her blueberry backpack and sleeping bag, Ellen Urbani, 22, was never expected to last in the Peace Corps. Other volunteers called her “the China Doll.” However inexperienced and unprepared she might have been, she was sensible and sturdy, open and willing to learn, as this memoir demonstrates. Shortly after her arrival, she adopted a dog that repelled endless amorous overtures and probably saved her life. She lived in villages in the highlands, places where no other North American had ever spent the night, much less rented a house, and stayed to work with the young people. Women whose lives included mind-numbing drudgery, sexual violence, endless childbearing, death of loved ones, and one happy marriage became good friends. Elena tells her story through her own eyes and through the eyes and the stories of seven of these women (one a fellow volunteer, the others locals, both young and old). Their stories are both ordinary and remarkable in their demonstration of how the human spirit can survive and even thrive; they are what set this memoir apart. Like many other writers, Hiltebrand imagines others’ lives; she tells readers up front that some of what she has written has been fictionalized, yet insists that the stories are true. She is an honest observer and her voice is convincing. Her mixed feelings of love and anger at the country are clearly conveyed. High school readers will be fascinated by this window into a different world.–Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD

Adult/High School–Although critics might claim that this book is simply a boilerplate version of Jennings’s Artist’s Color Manual (2003) and Art Class (1999, both Chronicle), they would be wrong. More than 100 artists lend their expertise and work to this step-by-step guide. On virtually every page, teens will encounter descriptive sidebars containing definitions, technical advice, and/or illustrations used to enhance the primary text. Equally helpful are the “see also” references that guide readers to related topics detailed elsewhere in the book. Health and safety issues, “reading a paint tube,” and a list of principal art-materials suppliers (including Web sites) are included. The underlying thread in this book is the author’s attention to observation in tandem with the processes involved in drawing, sketching, and selecting materials. To that end, he fulfills his expectation to provide readers with “a thorough technical grasp of materials and methods” critical to developing a personal vision and creating art.–Claudia C. Holland, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA

Adult/High School–This concise, well-organized biography by an eminent music scholar is just the right length and depth for teen readers. Most readers already know that Beethoven was deaf by the time his famous Ninth Symphony was performed, but Morris fills in the fascinating details of how the composer, who began to lose his hearing in his late 20s, developed strategies to continue writing music and to keep his ever-increasing audience from learning his secret. Students who are compelled to practice their music lessons will sympathize with Beethoven’s unhappy life as a child prodigy, when he was allowed to raise his exhausted fingers from the clavier keyboard only when it was time for him to take up the violin. Having lived a childhood of straitened circumstances, he became extravagant and frequently fell into debt as an adult. To keep a supply of ready money, he frequently sold “almost completed” pieces that he had not even started to multiple wealthy patrons. He attracted eager young ladies, but his shyness prevented him from forming any attachments except for emotional bonds with married women. Morris has interwoven Beethoven’s life story with lyrical passages about the sounds and structures of his major works. These descriptions help show how he used the techniques developed by past masters, while introducing the innovations that would be further developed by composers over the next hundred years.–Kathy Tewell, Chantilly Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA

Adult/High School–This well-researched, articulate, journalistic account details the United States ideology that fomented the war in Iraq that began in the spring of 2003, the planning (actually the lack of it) that went into dealing with the country after Saddam Hussein’s expected fall, and the consequences of marrying political ideology to military strategy and the treatment of intelligence. A longtime, well-read student of modern Iraq, Packer writes from personal observation and interviews with decision makers or their staff, and he knows the territory. He has previously written several articles for The New Yorker that reflect some of the conclusions drawn in this book, but most of it is fresh. He was definitely a supporter of this war for many years before March 2003, in large part because he knew many Iraqi émigrés and refugees, and despised Saddam Hussein and the Baath party that supported him. Packer concludes: “The Iraq War was always winnable; it still is. For this reason, the recklessness of its authors is all the harder to forgive.” Students who want a balanced account of this war and its consequences would do well to read this book.–Alan Gropman, National Defense University, Washington, DC

Adult/High School–For 10 years, Schwartz has been running experiments regarding people who claim to talk to and/or see the dead. One of the most famous of these, Allison DuBois, was one of his research subjects. As a result of public interest generated by the show, the author, a psychology professor, saw the need to share the results of his research, hence his book. Truth and DuBois’ own book, Don’t Kiss Them Good-bye (S & S, 2005), reinforce one another. Kiss will change many skeptics to believers. Schwartz’s book, on the other hand, may cause believers to feel skeptical unless they read the whole thing. Schwartz seems unwilling to completely believe the results of his own double- and triple-blind experiments. While he presents the evidence (some of which involves the work of DuBois), he sometimes hedges his bets, using such words as “apparently” to qualify the actuality of his researcher/mediums’ connections with the dead. Schwartz writes in a popular style, readily accessible to teens, and he raises some fascinating questions not addressed by the earlier book.–Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VA

Adult/High School–At 17, the Indian-born author left his homeland to study at Oxford. He lived with his aunt and uncle, a middle-class English couple in every way except one–his Uncle Shanti was Indian and his Aunt Henny was a German Jew. Through interviews with his uncle and a trunk of correspondence from his aunt, he is able to tell their story. Readers learn that Shanti, a dentist, lost an arm, and that Henny lost all of her family during World War II. They learn the details of these losses and about the couple’s romance. Shanti’s story is told first and is in some ways very similar to the narrator’s. Henny’s story takes up the majority of the book and consists largely of correspondence from before the war until several years after. Hers is mostly a Holocaust story that tells as much about the culture of the time as the woman herself. Finally, they marry, more out of convenience than love, but they stay contentedly together for more than 30 years. The final chapter, a discussion of their estate, seems somewhat rushed and tacked on after the slowly paced narrative that came before. Photographs are scattered throughout. The book is lengthy, but each fact shared is an important building block in telling the tale of this couple in the context of their era. A richly rewarding story.–Jamie Watson, Harford County Public Library, MD