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YALSA'S OUTSTANDING BOOKS FOR THE COLLEGE BOUND: History & Cultures

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/outstandingbooks/2009/history.cfm

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		The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian Arnold Spirit, aka Junior, was born an outsider with water on his brain, lopsided eyes, and an IQ oppressed by extreme poverty and a mediocre reservation education. After switching to an all-white high school he realizes that though he'll never easily fit in, self-determination and a solid personal identity will give him the chance to both succeed and transcend. Alexie, Sherman, 1966- TEEN ALEXIE

		Forgotten fire “Who will remember the Armenians?” Hitler asked, referencing the Armenian genocide as his inspiration for the final solution. This brutal hidden chapter of history is seen through the eyes of 12-year-old survivor Vahan Kendarian, whose world was shattered within a matter of days. Bagdasarian, Adam. TEEN BAGDASA

		Imperial life in the emerald city : inside Iraq's green zone A journalist explores the pristine "Emerald City," the American government's enclave inthe middle of war-torn Baghdad. Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. 956.7044 CHANDRA

		The rape of Nanking : the forgotten holocaust of World War II Barely a postscript in official Japanese history, the horrific torture and murder of hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens took place over the course of just seven weeks. Chang, Iris. 951.042 CHANG

		Pyongyang : a journey in North Korea The secretive world of Communist North Korea remains a mystery to French-Canadian cartoonist Delisle, even after spending two months inside its borders. Delisle, Guy. 951.93 DELISLE

		The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao “Ghetto nerd,” outcast, and anime-loving Oscar Wao is the latest in a long line of doomed generations to suffer the dreaded fuku curse of his native Dominican Republic. With humor and talent as his weapons, he perseveres, knowing “you can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in." Di?az, Junot, 1968- FIC DIAZ

		Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed What do the lack of Icelandic fisherman, the 2008 Chinese Olympics, and Easter Island tree cutters all have in common? Much more than you might think. Collapse explores the political, technological, and ecological decisions which merge in order to sustain or destroy societies. Diamond, Jared M. 304.28 DIAMOND

		The worst hard time : the untold story of those who survived the great American dust bowl Award winning New York Timesreporter Egan tackles the great dust bowl phenomenon of the 1930's and 40's in this multi-tiered account. He shares incredible eye-witness accounts as well as the overwhelming convergences of failed agricultural practices, ill-fated government policies, and the costs of "get rich quick" schemes. Egan, Timothy. 978.032 EGAN

		What is the what : the autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng : a novel As a young boy Valentino witnessed Arab militia men destroy his village, hid from hungry lions, wandered through wasted, desert landscapes, and narrowly escaped fatal disease, capture, starvation, and enlistment. The will to survive displayed here is almost as miraculous as this Sudanese "Lost Boy's" ability to recount the harrowing genocide of home and people with such thoughtfulness and grace. Eggers, Dave. FIC EGGERS

		The spirit catches you and you fall down : a Hmong child, her American doctors, and the collision of two cultures A Hmong refugee family in California clashes with the American medical system when they attribute their daughter's grand mal seizures to a spiritual rather than physical problem. Fadiman, Anne, 1953- 306.461 FADIMAN