Tate Library: Books for Middle School Readers: Nonfiction / Memoir

Middle school readers vary tremendously in their interests and reading levels, and what books will appeal to what kids can be quite personal. To help, we've indicated books that are particularly challenging in reading level and/or topic (**) or are particularly accessible (*). These are just rough suggestions and the actual experience of readers will differ. We hope this long and diverse list will be helpful, and we welcome your input!

Laurie Hornik, MS English Department Chair Lhornik@ecfs.org

Many of these titles are available at the Tate Library. Check the library catalog or the eBook/Audiobook Sora App.

Tate Library Catalog
Explore the Catalog
eBook\Audiobook SORA App
The Tate Library is a member of the Hudson Valley Library Association eBook Consortium. Choose "Fieldston - Tate Library" when asked to select your school. All Fieldston students, faculty and staff have access to the consortium with their ECFS email and password. ECFS members can check out 3 consortium titles at a time and place up to 3 holds at a time. Items check out for 14 days.

** Lewis, Michael

Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game
This nonfiction book about the business of baseball tells the story of Billy Bean, manager of the Oakland A's. This book will appeal to those interested in sports, math, and business.

Mah, Adeline Yen

Chinese Cinderella : The Story of an Unwanted Daughter
This memoir, written for teens, tells the story of the author's childhood in China in the 1940s.

** Westover, Tara

Educated
In this memoir, Westover describes her childhood growing up in a family of survivalists in the mountains of Idaho. Her family was so siolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education. This is Westover's story of how she was able to seek a new kind of life, eventually attending Harvard and Cambridge University and traveling all over the world.

* Lekuton, Joseph Lemasolai

Facing the Lion
Joseph's short memoir introduces his early life in Kenya, including his first encounter with a lion, his experiences at boarding school, and his journey to an American college.

** Grealy, Lucy

Autobiography of a Face
Lucy's memoir about living with childhood cancer that left her jaw disfigured focuses on themes of peer rejection and our society's obsession with beauty and appearances. This is an intense read because of the subject matter, but it is written in a straightforward, clear way for young adults.

** Wiesel, Elie

Night
This memoir is an autobiographical account of Elie's teenage years in a Holocaust concentration camp.

Jahren, Hope

The Story of More
This nonfiction book is about climate change and how we can all contribute to creating a more sustainable future. There are two versions of this book, one for adults and one written at an easier reading level for younger teens.

Jennings, Jazz

Being Jazz
Jazz's memoir of her childhood and teen years focuses on her own identity as a transgender young person as well as her experience as a child-activist.

Yousafzai, Malala

I Am Malala (Young Readers Edition)
How One Girl stood Up for Education and Changed the World and I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban. There are two versions of this memoir, one for adults and one written at an easier reading level for younger teens

Kamkwamba, William and Mealer, Bryan

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
There are two versions of this memoir: the original, written for adults , and one adapted for young adults. In both, William tells his extraordinary story of how, at jsut 14 years old, he saved his tiny village in Malawi from drought by figuring out how to build a windmill from scrap metal and old bicycle parts.

Slater, Dashka

The 57 Bus : A True story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives
This nonfiction book, written by the journalist who originally covered the story, focuses on issues of LGBTQ rights, race, poverty, hate crimes, justice, and forgiveness.

Stevenson, Bryan

Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults)
In this nonfiction book, a lawyer in the US criminal justice system recounts his experiences working on behalf of people who have been discriminated against and/or have been wrongly accused of committing a crime. For readers looking for more of a challenge, we recommend the original version : Just Mercy : A story of Justice and Redemption