A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah A former child soldier from Sierra Leone recalls how he was transformed from an innocent 12-year-old into a cold-blooded killer. A story of resilience and survival that will interest all teens. Always Another Country by Sisonke Msimang Born to an exiled South African freedom fighter, Msimang grows up an international citizen. After South Africa is liberated from Apartheid, and after she graduates from college, she returns to be part of the new country. She is intensely reflective of her place in the world as female, black, and privileged. Great for experienced teen readers with an interest in the wider world. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates This elegant and timely memoir of a black child born out of the sixties, recounts racial history in America alongside the trajectory of his own childhood in the post Civil Rights era. All teens with an interest in history and culture would like this book. Bossy Pants by Tina Fey Saturday Night Live comedian Tina Feyrecounts her life and her experiences being a comedian with great humor and verve. Excellent book, particularly for girls, for both avid readers and for less enthusiastic readers who might not yet know how much fun it is to read books. Down From the Mountain: The Life and Death of a Grizzly Bear by Bryce Andrews Andrews captures the intersection between wilderness and human expansion with this very personal story of the life of the most feared North American mammal. Precise and riveting. For all teen readers who see books as avenues to new territory. Educatedby Tara Westover A girl born into a survivalist family topped off with mental illness overcomes her preordained life by pursuing higher education. Teen girls will enjoy this book. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced when the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan. She fought for her right and the rights of all girls to an education. For that, she was shot in the head when she was fifteen years old. She survived. This is her story, a story of inspiration and courage. Appreciated mostly by teen girls of all ages. In the Sanctuary of Outcastsby Neil White A young man reaches for professional and financial success and goes a step too far when facing failure. He is sentenced to a federal prison in Mississippi that also houses lepers. A funny, yes funny, memoir about what really matters. Good for any teen with broad interests. %Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson A memoir of the young lawyer who has dedicated his life to bringing justice to the innocent, the underage, and the mentally ill who have been wrongfully convicted and/or brutally treated in our nation's "justice system" will appeal to all teens who want to better understand the wider world. Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward A Black girl growing up in poor, rural Mississippi learns to love books, climbs that ladder out to a Master's Degree in Fine Arts, then returns to write this honest intimate account of the people she grew up loving. Teen girls, in particular, will like this book. On Writing by Stephen King From one of the best-selling authors of all time comes this highly readable and entertaining guidebook to the craft/memoir. A great book for any teen who not only loves to read, but also loves to write. Pumpkinflowers: A Soldiers Story by Matti Friedman A young Israeli soldier serves his country on a hilltop outpost bordering Lebanon in the late 1990s. A beautifully written memoir that captures the experience of a soldier at the onset of what has become today's style of military conflict. For all mature teens. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer William Kamkwamba grew up besieged by drought, hunger, and corrupt government in Malawi. No longer able to afford to go to school, he turned to old science books donated by the British, improved his English enough to understand them and to then build a windmill out of discarded scraps, and to generate electricity. Fascinating as a story in itself, it will interest teens who like to tinker. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls A classic memoir of a girl growing up in an unstable family that crisscrosses the American landscape, this book that was on the New York Times bestseller list for over six years is well-liked by younger teen girls. The Heart and the Fist by Eric Greitens Greitens' memoir charts his drive to be the best in order to give the best, from humanitarian service, to a Rhodes scholarship at Oxford, to training and service as a Navy Seal. The nature of courage and of empathy, of both physical and mental strength, are dissected. Of interest to philosophical teens with a curiosity about the wider world. %The Other Wes Mooreby Wes Moore Two father-less African-American boys grow up in the same neighborhood. As one sits in South Africa on a semester abroad from John Hopkins University and in anticipation of attending Oxford on a Rhodes scholarship in the fall, the other one is being sought by the police for armed robbery. What happened? Moore tells the what and lets the reader fill in the why. Obviously good for any teen struggling to move in a better direction. Also good for any teen interested in the social sciences (i.e. people). %The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Rowby Anthony Ray Hinton This deeply personal and moving memoir of an innocent young black man wrongly convicted of murder in Alabama and sent to death row, only to be proved innocent after thirty long years, will appeal to all teens. Townie: A Memoirby Andres Dubus III High school boys will like this book—particularly high school boys who have a capacity for reflection and who may have a reason to understand how sometimes, come what may, one must make one’s way from an unacceptable place into a completely different one. It is the story of a split family, poverty, a rough neighborhood, and how one boy grew out of his defenses and resentments into an accomplished writer. We were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates A deeply probing memoir/commentary on Obama's eight years as president, its effect on this writer, and its place within the United States' long and troubled racial conflict. For advanced teen readers with an interest in history and social conflict. West with the Night, by Beryl Markham A classic of top-notch writing, this memoir tells the story of an English girl who grew up with her dad in Africa during the first half of the twentieth century. Nobody ever told her she couldn't hunt wild boar with a spear, tame wild horses, or be the first person to fly non-stop from Europe to America. An excellent choice for the strong-willed teen girl with an appetite for great writing. %When They Call You a Terrorist, a Black Lives Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors & Asha Bandele A founder of the Black Lives Matter movement makes an impassioned case for its mission with a recounting of her own life. Moving and fascinating, this book will be appreciated by any teen who values justice or understands the lack thereof. Young Heroes of the Soviet Union: A Memoir and a Reckoning by Alex Haberstadt An American immigrant revisits his Russian youth and heritage, providing the reader with an overview of Russian culture andhistory. For mature teen readers with an interest in history and other cultures.