BOOKSHELF
views people over 70—some famous, some accomplished, some unusual—to show that life after 70 is the fulfillment of, not the end to, life’s questions and trials. HOW TO SAVE YOUR OWN LIFE: 15 Lessons on Finding Hope in Unexpected Places by Michael Gates Gil. The author of HOW STARBUCKS SAVED MY LIFE returns with lessons offering hope for anyone facing a reversal of fortune. THE LOST CITY OF Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann. After stumbling on a hidden trove of diaries, Grann set out to solve the mystery of what happened in 1925 when the British explorer Percy Fawcett, his son, and their expedition ventured into the Amazon to find the glittering kingdom of El Dorado— and then vanished. PICKING COTTON: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton. After being raped, Thompson identified Ronald Cotton as her attacker. He was sentenced to life in prison. After 11 years, a
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DNA test proved his innocence. The two authors, who live in North Carolina and are now friends, challenge our ideas of memory and judgment while demonstrating the profound healing power of forgiveness. SCRATCH BEGINNINGS: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream by Adam Shepard. In 2006, eager to see if he could make something out of nothing, Shepard set out see if the American Dream can still be a reality. He moved into a homeless shelter in Charlestown, SC, with $25 in his pocket, and six months later had a job, an apartment, and a truck. CHILDREN’S BOOKS Everyday Heroes come hidden behind many faces. Sometimes we see them and recognize them; other times, they stay quietly hidden in the background. Here are two suggestions for young readers: CLAUDETTE COLVIN: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose. Winner of the 2009 National Book Award for Young
People’s Literature. In 1955 Claudette Colvin was a 15-year-old African-American girl living in Montgomery, Alabama who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. She was arrested and left with a police record. Later that same year, when Rosa Parks sparked the famous bus boycott, Colvin agreed to be named as a plaintiff in the court case that eventually integrated Montgomery’s buses. Colvin’s story, however, has largely been lost to history until now. Readers age 10-14 will enjoy reading this story of an important, yet little known civil rights leader. 109 FORGOTTEN AMERICAN HEROES: by Chris Ying. In this collection are amazing stories of the contributions, inventions, wisdom, savvy and courage of 109 great Americans including Charles F. Brannock, who invented the first tool to accurately measure foot size; Richard Drew, who developed the world’s first transparent tape; Garret Augustus Morgan, creator of the traffic signal and 106 more fascinating Americans. Ages 9-12. PS
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills