YOUNG ADULT MEMOIRS
Angelou, Maya. Gather
Together In My Name. Y PB A //
[BIOGRPHY] B Angelou
Continues Angelou's autobiography, "I know why the caged bird
sings." As this book begins she is in her teens and has given
birth to a son.
Angelou, Maya. I
Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. [BIOGRPHY]
B Angelou // Y PB A
An autobiography covering the childhood of a woman who has been a
dancer, actress, poet, journalist, and television producer.
Bauby Jean-Dominique. The
Diving Bell And The Butterfly. [BIOGRPHY]
B Bauby B
The author, who died two days after the French publication of his
book, tells of his life and feelings after suffering a brain stem
stroke that left him unable to move his body or communicate in any
way except through the blinking of his left eye.
Bolnick, Tina S.. Living
At The Edge Of The World. 362.74 S
A teenager's survival in the tunnels of Grand Central Station.
Brave Bird, Mary. Lakota
Woman. [BIOGRPHY] B Mary Crow Dog
Story of Mary Crow Dog, nee Mary Brave Bird, who rebelled against
the life of the South Dakota Indian reservation and participated
in the beginning of the tribal movements of the sixties and
seventies.
Brown, Larry. On
Fire. [BIOGRPHY] B Brown
An autobiography of a fireman-turned-author who gave up his
seventeen-year career as a fireman to become a full-time writer.
Bryson, Bill. A
Walk In The Woods. 917.4044 B
// LARGE TYPE 917.4044 B
Bryson share his experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail with a
childhood friend. The two encounter eccentric characters, a
blizzard, getting lost, and rude yuppies along the way.
Bryson, Bill. In A Sunburned Country.
919.4046
B
Go with Bill Bryson, noted author of numerous works of travel
literature as he takes you on a rollicking ride far beyond the
beaten tourist path in Australia.
Campbell, Bebe Moore. Sweet Summer.
[BIOGRPHY] B Campbell
Bebe tells of the surprises, secrets, disappointments, loneliness,
and the bond between a daughter and her father who were separated
by divorce.
Chambers, Veronica. Mama's
Girl. [BIOGRPHY] B Chambers
Memoir of the author's life growing up as an overachiever in an
underpriviledged family, chronicling the blessed relationship she
forged with her mother after her father deserted the family.
Chandler, Kurt. Shaving Lessons: A Memoir of Father and Son.
[BIOGRAPHY] B Chandler
The award-winning author of
Clercq Zubli, Rita la Fontaine de. Disguised: A
Wartime Memior. [BIOGRAPHY] YB Clercq Zubi
In this gripping memoir of war, courage, and honor, the author
details her experiences in a Japanese POW camp where she,
disguised as a boy and outraged at the conditions, injustice, and
torture, dared to speak up for her fellow prisoners of war.
Conway, Jill K. The Road From Coorain.
[BIOGRPHY] B Conway
The memoirs of Jill Conway and her journey into adulthood from a
30,000 acre sheep ranch in Coorain, Australia, to America where
she became the first woman president of Smith College.
Delany, Sarah Louise. Having
Our Say. 929.2 Delaney
Chronicles the experiences of two African-American women growing
up in North Carolina at the turn-of-the century.
Eighner, Lars. Travels With Lizbeth.
[BIOGRPHY] B Eighner
Author's account of his experience with homelessness, the
companionship of his dog Lizbeth, and their struggle to survive.
Ellroy, James. My
Dark Places. [BIOGRPHY] B Ellroy
James Ellroy was ten when his mother died, and he spend the next
thirty-six years running from her ghost and attempting to exorcize
her memory through writing. In 1994, Ellroy quit running and
returned to L.A. to find out the truth about his mother and her
murder.
Filipovic, Zlata. Zlata's Diary:
a child's life in Sarajevo. Y PB F // YB
Filipovic
A chronicle of the war in Sarajevo from a child's perspective
details Zlata's struggle for survival and a normal life in a
chaotic nation.
Fulton, Arabella. A Pioneer Woman's Memoir: Based on the
Journal of Arabella Clemens Fulton. YB Fulton
Offers the memoirs of a woman who traveled on the Oregon Trail.
Galli, Richard. Rescuing
Jeffrey. 362.1974 G
When his seventeen-year-old son is paralyzed from the neck down in
a swimming accident, the author, Richard Galli, is convinced that
his son would rather be dead than live without any physical
mobility, but after his son awakes from a coma and is able to
communicate his wishes, Galli realizes that a happy life is not
necessarily determined by what the body is able to do.
Grealy, Lucy. Autobiography
Of A Face. B Grealy
Lucy Grealy describes her journey to find physical beauty after
surgery left her face disfigured.
Hickman, Homer H. . Rocket
Boys. [BIOGRPHY] B Hickam
An entertaining and extraordinary memoir of Homer Hickam's life in
Coalwood, West Virginia-a town where the only things that mattered
were coal mining and high-school football. After watching the
Soviets launch Sputnik in 1957, Homer and his friends took the
future into their own hands, changing their lives and their town
forever by turning scraps into rockets and launching their futures
as NASA scientists.
Hillman, Laura. I
will Plant you a Lilac Tree: A Memoir of a Schindler's List
Survivor. YB Hillman
Presents the true story of a young girl from a Polish ghetto who
was sent to a series of concentration camps and survived the war
after being placed on Schindler's List, finally marrying a fellow
survivor.
Houston, Jeanne Wakatsuki. Farewell
To Manzanar. Y PB H //
940.5472 H
A true story of Japanese American experience during and after the
World War II internment.
Jackson, Livia Bitton. I
Have Lived A Thousand Years. [BIOGRPHY] YB
Jackson
The memoir of Elli Friedmann who was one of the few teenage
Auschwitz inmates.
Jackson, Livia Bitton. My Bridges of
Hope: Searching for Life and Love after Auschwitz.
YB Jackson
In 1945, after surviving a harrowing year in Auschwitz,
fourteen-year-old Elli returns, along with her mother and brother,
to the family home, now part of Slovakia, where they try to find a
way to rebuild their shattered lives.
James, Kelle. Smile for the
Camera: A Memoir. YB James
The author relates her experiences after she left an abusive home
at sixteen and traveled to New York City to pursue a career as a
model.
Karr, Mary. The
Liar's Club. [BIOGRPHY] B Karr
An account of the author's childhood in a Texas oil town and of
her family's struggles with cancer, madness, and alcoholism.
Kaysen, Susanna. Girl,
Interrupted. B Kaysen // PB NF K
Hospitalized for a vaguely defined personality disorder, Kaysen
describes her two-year stay at a psychiatric hospital renowned for
its famous clientele and for its progressive methods of treatment.
Kuusisto, Stephen. Planet Of The Blind. [BIOGRPHY] B Kuusisto
Krakauer, Jon. Into Thin Air. PB NF K
// LT 796.522 K // 796.522 K
The author relates his experience of climbing Mount Everest during
its deadliest season and examines what it is about the mountain
that makes people willingly subject themselves to such risk,
hardship, and expense.
L'Amour, Louis. Education Of A Wandering Man.
[BIOGRPHY]
B L'Amour
L'Amour writes about growing up in North Dakota, and his lifelong
love affair with learning, recalling many of the books he read,
the places he visited, and the people he met that catalyzed his
evolution as a writer.
Lobel, Anita. No
Pretty Pictures. JB Lobel
The author, known as an illustrator of children's books, describes
her experiences as a Polish Jew during World War II and for years
in Sweden afterwards.
Lugovskaya, Nina. I
want to live : the diary of a young girl in Stalin's Russia.
YB Lugovskaya
Presents excerpts from a diary, written by thirteen-year-old Nina
Lugovskaya, that was confiscated by the NKVD--Stalin's secret
police--in 1937, and that reveals a time of political upheaval,
betrayal, and repression through the eyes of an innocent.
Mah, Adeline Yen. Chinese
Cinderella. [BIOGRPHY] YB Mah
After her mother dies giving birth to her, Adeline's affluent,
powerful family considers her bad luck. Life does not get any
easier when her father remarries. She and her siblings are
subjected to their stepmother's disdain, while her half brother
and half sister are thoroughly spoiled. Although winning prizes at
school, all she yearns for is the love and understanding of her
family.
Mah, Adeline Yen. Falling
Leaves. PB NF M
Born in 1937 in a port city 1000 miles north of Shanghai, Adeline
Yen Mah was the youngest child of an affluent Chinese family who
enjoyed rare privileges during a time of political and cultural
upheaval. But wealth and position could not shield Adeline from a
childhood of appalling abuse at the hands of a cruel stepmother.
McBride, James. The
Color Of Water. [BIOGRPHY] B McBride // PB
NF M
An African-American male tells of his mother, a white woman, who
refused to admit her true identity.
Molnar, Haya Leah. Under
a Red Sky: Memoir of a Childhood in Communist Romania.
YB Molnar
Haya Leah Molnar, née Eva Zimmermann, recalls growing up in
Bucharest, Romania, during the 1950s. Though she heard Yiddish and
kept Kosher at home, Eva remained unaware of her Jewish heritage.
This ignorance protected Eva at her Communist-run school.
Mori, Kyoko. The
Dream Of Water. [BIOGRPHY] B Mori
Kyoko Mori takes you on a journey through her native Japan, from
which she fled as a teenager, and then returned in 1990. She gives
a personal jouney of discovery that is also an exploration of
national differences.
Moss, Thylias. Tale Of A Sky-Blue Dress.
[BIOGRPHY] B Moss
A memoir in which the author recalls her years at the mercy of a
sadistic babysitter and discusses the impact that experience had
on the rest of her life.
Myers, Walter Dean. Bad
Boy: A Memoir. YB Myers
A Coretta Scott King Award winning author tells young readers what
it was like being raised in Harlem, the town of Sugar Ray Robinson
and Langston Hughes, in the 1940s and 1950s.
Nir, Yehuda. The Lost
Childhood: A World War II Memoir. YB Nir
Describes six years in the life of a daring and resourceful Polish
Jewish boy and his family, who survived the Holocaust by using
false papers and posing as Catholics.
Novac, Ana. The Beautiful Days Of My Youth.
[BIOGRPHY]
YB Novac
Ana Novac's diary that she kept during her 6 months in Auschwitz
and Plaszow.
Opdyke, Irene Gut. In my Hands. Y
940.5315 O
Recounts the experiences of the author who, as a young Polish
girl, hid and saved Jews during the Holocaust.
Paul, Caroline. Fighting Fire. [BIOGRPHY] B
Paul
The author shares her experiences as one of the first women to
join the San Francisco Fire Department, discussing the factors
that led her to attempt to qualify for the traditionally male
profession, and revealing why she has decided to remain on the
force.
Paulsen, Gary. My
Life In Dog Years. JB Paulsen
// LARGE TYPE J FIC Paulsen
The author describes some of the dogs that have had special places
in his life, including his first dog, Snowball, in the
Philippines; Dirk, who protected him from bullies; and Cookie, who
saved his life.
Prosek, James. Joe And Me. [BIOGRPHY] B
Prosek
A journal about fishing, the spirit of nature, and that one mentor
in a young man's life who changes the way he looks at the world.
Rice, Condoleezza. Condoleezza
Rice: A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me.
YB Rice
A poignant, inspirational look at one of America's most
outstanding women, from her remarkable childhood in Birmingham,
Alabama, in the 1950s through her rise to the highest echelons of
power in the U.S. government
Ripken, Cal. The
Only Way I Know. [BIOGRPHY] B Ripken
Ripken tells the story of his journey to the moment when he logged
his record-breaking 2,131st consecutive time on the baseball
field, and beyond.
Roberts, Monty. The Man Who Listens To Horses.
[BIOGRPHY] B Roberts
Biography of Monty Roberts, focusing on the unique methods he has
developed for training horses through gentleness and an
understanding of nonverbal communication, and telling how he has
applied his techniques to human relationships.
Rose, Daniel, Asa. Hiding Places:
A Father and His Sons Retrace Their Family's Escape from the
Holocaust. [BIOGRAPHY] B Rose
Recounts how the author took his sons on a trip during which they
retraced their ancestors' escape from Antwerp during World War II,
a journey that instilled in them a reinforced sense of family,
spirituality, and Jewish identity.
Salzman, Mark. Lost In Place.
[BIOGRPHY] B Salzman
Mark Salzman recalls his tortured years as an eccentric growing up
in Connecticut.
Santiago, Esmeralda. When
I was Puerto Rican. YPB Santiago
Magic, sexual tension, high comedy, and intense drama move through
an enchanted yet harsh autobiography, in the story of a young girl
who leaves Puerto Rico for New York's tenements and a chance for
success
Scholinski, Daphne. The Last Time I Wore A Dress.
[BIOGRPHY]
B Scholinski
Daphne Scholinski lived in mental institutions from the time she
was fifteen until her 18th birthday, committed because she was
ruled an "inappropriate female," a teenage tomboy whose lack of
interest in make-up and other "feminine" things was ruled a mental
problem.
Shivack, Nadia. Inside
Out: A Memoir in Pictures. YB Shivack
In this book the author gives readers a harrowing look inside her
battle with anorexia and bulimia through pictures and captions.
Tarbox, Katherine. Katie.com. [BIOGRPHY] B
Tarbox
As a lonely junior high school student, Katie Tarbox became
attached to meeting people via the Internet. She met and fell in
love with a man she thought was only slightly older than her. When
they arranged a meeting in person, she discovered that he was old
enough to be her father, and a convicted sex offender. She and her
family successfully prosecuted him for his inappropriate behavior.
Trussoni, Danielle. Falling
Through the Earth: A Memior. PB NF T
A vivid and poignant memoir of a father-daughter relationship
describes growing up with her Vietnam veteran father, a man
haunted by his wartime experiences as a tunnel rat, and details
their fierce commitment to each other despite the anger, unhealed
battle scars, drinking, and outrageous behavior that permeated
their lives.
Walls, Jeannette. The Glass
Castle. [BIOGRAPHY] B Walls // PB NF W
The child of an alcoholic father and an eccentric artist mother
discusses her family's nomadic upbringing, during which she and
her siblings fended for themselves while their parents
outmaneuvered bill collectors and the authorities.
Wiesel, Elie. Night.
Y PB W // PB NF W // 940.548 W
A young Jewish boy witnesses the death of his family in a Nazi
death camp.
Wilensky, Amy S. Passing
For Normal. [BIOGRPHY] B Wilensky
Passing for Normal is Amy's emotionally charged account of her
lifelong struggle with the often misunderstood disorders of
obsessive-compulsive disorder and Tourette's Syndrome. A powerful
witness to her own dysfunction, she describes the strain it bore
on her relationships with the people she thought she knew best.
Wolff, Tobias. This
Boy's Life. [BIOGRPHY] B Wolff
Wolff's account of his boyhood and the process of growing up
includes paper routes, whiskey, scouting, fistfights, friendship,
betrayal, and America in the fifties.
Zenatti, Valerie. When I was a
Soldier. YB Zenatti
Like all young Israelis, Valérie Zenatti enlisted in the national
defense service on her 18th birthday, where for the next two years
she endured rigorous training and harsh living conditions,
ultimately participating in top-secret missions with the secret
service.
Zindel, Paul. The
Pigman & Me. Y PB Z // Y B Zindel
An account of Paul Zindel's teenage years on Staten Island, when
his life was enriched by finding his own personal pigman, or
mentor.
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