The Glass Castle - Engaging Nonfiction for Adolescents 1

The Glass Castle  by Jeannette Walls

In the beginning of the summer, a parent of two former students of mine asked for nonfiction recommendations that junior high level students would enjoy and which also have inspiring themes.  Indeed, I’ve been searching for them!  So much of our reading life as adults is nonfiction – we read to learn, to grow, to make, to fix, to explore hobbies, to deepen our studies in vocational realms of research, to think critically about social problems, and to inspire ourselves. We read to develop our intellect, to engage in the pursuit of truth and beauty, and to derive personal satisfaction in the quest for fulfillment. To put quality literature in the hands of young adults who are beginning to cultivate a reflective life and consider the kind of person they want to become, is surely a timely worthwhile endeavor!

Furthermore, nonfiction has style and structure that differ from fiction. It is wise to open the world of memoir, biography, essays, speeches, and all manner of expository writing to children so that they strengthen and diversify their reading abilities. Usually a fiction lover, I have found great pleasure in discovering nonfiction for this age group because I've learned the best reason for the quest from them: for some children nonfiction is the kind of reading they've been looking for and didn't know existed! For these children, this exposure has been the key to turn them on to books. 

This post will be the first of a series of suggestions. I can recommend each one of them for this age level based upon the positive responses I have received from student readers.

Serendipitously, The Glass Castle was first shared with me by my own high school English (and German) teacher, Carol Ewald. She is now retired, but when I see her we still have good talks about books. She was thrilled about the impact this book had on junior high students with whom she had a book club, so she knew I would be interested. It is a memoir written by an acclaimed journalist from New York. Jeannette Walls had an unlikely upbringing by brilliant but dysfunctional parents. Experiencing poverty, homelessness, transient living and schooling, bullying, and neglect, she forged a brand of resiliency and approach to survival that makes for fascinating reading. Her endless grit to sift through chaos and forge a semblance of normalcy in pursuit of basic needs and schooling, eventually lead her to strike out on her own to finish high school and support herself in New York City. Her memoir portrays her family life in her growing up years, how her siblings cope together and how her parents try to love them in their own peculiar ways. 

According to Wikipedia, the book was on The New York Times Best Seller list for 261 weeks, won the Christopher Award, and the American Library Associations Alex Award and Books for Better Living Award. A film adaptation is coming out in 2017. 

Other titles reviewed in this series of recommendations

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind - William Kamkwamba

Rocket Boys - Homer Hickam
Death Be Not Proud - John Gunther
The Boys in the Boat - Daniel James Brown

Who is Malala Yousafzai?   Dinah Brown

Who is Jane Goodall? – Roberta Edwards

The Land I Lost - Quang Nhuog Huynh
Code Talker - Joseph Bruchac