Too Good to NOT be True: Non-Fiction for Teens

Click on the titles below to look up the book in the online catalog.

Candyfreak: A Journey through the Chocolate Underbelly of America by Steve Almond (Non-Fiction 338.47 A)
Almond's obsession with candy blends family memoir, reporting, and travelogue in a hilarious, unflinching examination of the world of sweets.

Gunstories: Life-changing Experiences with Guns by S. Beth Atkin (Non-Fiction 363.33 A)
The impact of guns is life changing and undoubtedly twofold. Guns can cause accidents, injuries, and deaths, while they can also nurture self-esteem, bolster confidence, and foster athletic abilities. This book presents an array of young people who candidly share the mixed consequences of guns in their lives.

I Thought My Father Was God: And Other True Tales from the National Story Project edited by Paul Auster (Non-Fiction 814.54 I)
Everyone has a story to tell. This book gathers 180 of these personal, true-life accounts from men and women of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life, with tales of hilarious blunders, wrenching coincidences, brushes with death, miraculous encounters, improbable ironies, premonitions, sorrows, pain and dreams.

Amped: How Big Air, Big Dollars, and a New Generation Took Sports to the Extreme by David Browne (Non-Fiction 796.046 B)
Once a fringe culture, skateboarding, snowboarding, BMX biking, and freestyle motocross are now the stuff of car commercials and Olympic competitions. How did these so-called extreme sports get there -- and how does it feel to be in the midst of it all?

Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 by Mike Capuzzo (Non-Fiction 597.31 C)
In July 1916 a lone great white headed in the direction of the New Jersey shoreline. There, the most ferocious and unpredictable of predators began a deadly rampage, and Americans were abruptly introduced to the terror of sharks

Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case by Chris Crowe (Non-Fiction 364.1523)
The kidnapping and murder of Emmett Till is famous as a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. The extreme violence of the crime put a national spotlight on the Jim Crow ways of the South, and it was a galvanizing moment for Black leaders and ordinary citizens.

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in Boom-Time America by Barbara Ehrenreich (Non-Fiction 309.569 E)
To find out if it is possible to survive on minimum wage, the author spent 12 months working at a variety of jobs. Her experiences offer a stark picture of living from hand to mouth.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer (Non-Fiction 796.522 K)
Only a handful of people have stood atop Everest. Krakauer is one of them, but the story he tells is not of triumph. Rather, it is a true account of survival and death that will grab you from the first page.

Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson (Non-Fiction 940.5451 K)
In this vivid and thrilling account, a journalist recounts the adventures of the two deep-sea divers who discover a WWII German U-boat off the coast of New Jersey and become obsessed with uncovering its story.

Blue Jean Book by Tanya Lloyd Kyi (Non-Fiction 391)
Ever since Levi Strauss made the first blue jean pants in California in the 1870s, everyone has wanted a pair. No one thought America's love of denim would travel around the world, yet jeans remain an essential part of our lives. This book follows denim's rise from modest workpants to high-fashion statement.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston (Non-Fiction 796.522 R at Fairfield Woods)
While hiking in Utah, Ralston became trapped when an 800-pound boulder snared his right arm against a canyon wall. For almost six days he faced hypothermia, dehydration and hallucinations until he finally faced the most terrible decision of his life: his only hope was to amputate his own arm.

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach (Non-Fiction 129 R)
What happens when we die? Does the light just go out and that's that—the million-year nap? What will that feel like? Is there a place to plug in my lap-top?" In an attempt to find out, Roach meets an array of scientists, schemers, engineers, and mediums, all trying to prove (or disprove) that life goes on after we die.

Found: The best lost, tossed, and forgotten items from around the World compiled by Davy Rothbart (Non-Fiction 081R)
Discarded valentines. Ransom notes. To-do lists. A break-up letter written on the back of an airsickness bag. Whether they are found on buses, at stores, in restaurants, waiting rooms, parking lots, or even prison yards, these items give readers an uncensored, poignant, and often hilarious peek into other people's lives

True Notebooks by Mark Salzman (Non-Fiction 808.042 S)
While teaching writing to 17-year-olds detained in the Los Angeles Central Juvenile Hall, Salzman was surprised by the boys' talent. Their voices are included in this irresistible and provocative memoir.

Rats: observations on the history and habitat of the city's most unwanted inhabitants by Robert Sullivan (Non-Fiction 599.35 S)
Rats live in the world precisely where humans do; they survive on the effluvia of human society; they eat our garbage. While dispensing gruesomely fascinating rat facts and strangely entertaining rat stories -- everyone has one, it turns out -- Sullivan gets to know not just the beast but its friends and foes.

November 21, 2006