The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil

This is a must read of a brave young woman who tells of her childhood of being a refugee, fleeing for her life as a genocide takes place.  How survival and a very smart older sister takes care of her. How she makes her way to the United States.  This is a book that should be read by many people, especially people who are in power to help others in need.

White Bird by R. J. Palacio

R. J. Palacio can tell a story.  A grandmother tells her life story to her grandson.  Go back to occupied France.  Hide with the young girl as she misses her family and hides from dangerous people.  Perfect for any school library.

Resistance By Jennifer A. Nielsen

This book is intense.  Chaya is facing all sorts of dangers. This book brings in a new perspective of a terrible time in history.  I am so getting this for my high school library.  A must read!  Audio book also very good.

Arc of A Scythe Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

Oh my goodness.  Wow such an intense story and a real page turned.  I would love to meet Neal Shusterman and ask where do you get such ideas?  It's good, evil and in the middle.  Powerplays, plot twists and surprises.  I'm looking forward to the next book.  So getting this for my high school library.  It's a good read.

The Elementae Reign the Earth by A. C. Gaughen

I liked this book.  The audio book also very good.  I think this could be popular with high school libraries.  I would like to get for my high school library.  It's a good read.  Enjoy. Think a teen desert Game of Thrones.

Irena’s Children by Tilar J. Mazzeo

So getting this for my high school library.  A must read to understand the brave people who sacrificed so much to save the Jewish people of Warsaw, Poland.  That evil must be stopped.  That ordinary people make the difference.  It's the true account of events surrounded by one special woman, Irena.  It's an important read.  The audio book also very good.

The Road from Home by David Kherdian

It's the true story of David Kherdian's mother when she was a little girl.  It's a painful time in history.  This is a book for all high school libraries.

A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park

Salva is one of the "lost boys" of the Sudan War.  This is his story.  It is gripping, and about another modern genocide.  It is perfect for all middle and high school libraries.  It's going to go in to my library. I need to buy this book.  Non-fiction.  It's about how we are all important and give back to the world.

Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper

This is the story of how people lived along time ago off the East coast of North America.  How both the Native Americans lived and the colonists lived.  The tensions between the two different groups escalates as everyone lives on edge.  Greed and violence causes the destruction of many lives.  Little Hawk becomes a ghost and spirit guide for John.  It's a time trip into the past.

I’ll Come Back For You by Marisabina Russo

It's a lovely picture book about a family story that is also part of a big history of World War II.  It's worth having in the library.  I'm including middle and high school because picture books have a special connection to the human story.  It's a good teaching tool.  Get the book!

Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick

Excellent story based on the life of Arn Chorn-Pond.  It's a sad story but also a story with hope.  I got to visit Cambodia a few years ago.  to see the ancient world of Angkor Wat. We had hired a driver who also survived the Khmer Rouge as a young boy.  It's was a difficult time but he survived and his children and grandchildren are educated and also some of them are educators.    Bottom line, this book is a  must for all high school libraries.

Watch the interview between author and Arn Chorn-Pond http://www.goodreads.com/videos/23984-never-fall-down-by-patricia-mccormick

Half Spoon of Rice: A survival Story of the Cambodian Genocide By Icy Smith Illustrated by Sopaul Nhem

I bought this book when I was in Cambodia two years ago.  It's a beautiful country to visit and the driver that we hired survived the Khmer Rouge as a young child.  Because of it, he didn't have much of an education but his children and his grand children do have a prominent education.  I was in a book store and found this book.  It was wrapped in plastic and I asked the sales ladies if they could open the book.  It was the first time they saw the book.  Even thought we didn't have much of a common language, the pictures told the story of their history and the clerks were soaking the images in.  It's a hard story, genocide but this book does offer hope and would be fine in a library, especially in world history classes. I'll never forget when I bought this book and treasure the memories of how people connect to their country's history.  Get the book.