3 Great Memoirs for Tweens/Teens
Hearing someone’s story in their own words is a powerful experience, particularly when their story is so different from your own. These books take a deep, personal dive into three distinct stories. Learn what it’s like to grow up with a facial deformity, explore life under extreme racism and meet a girl who stood up for herself and changed lives for thousands of others.
Normal: One Kid's Extraordinary Journey by Magdalena Newman. Normal. Who is to say what this word means? For Magda Newman, it was a goal. She wanted her son Nathaniel to be able to play on the playground, swim at the beach, enjoy the moments his friends took for granted. But Nathaniel’s severe Treacher Collins syndrome—a craniofacial condition—meant that other concerns came first. Could he eat without the aid of a gastrointestinal tube? Could he hear? Would he ever be able to breathe effortlessly? In this uplifting and humorous memoir that includes black-and-white comic illustrations, mother and son tell the story of his growing up—from facing sixty-seven surgeries before the age of fifteen, to making friends, moving across the country, and persevering through hardships.
It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Young Readers Edition) by Trevor Noah. Trevor Noah, the host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, shares his story of growing up in South Africa with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child to exist. From the beginning, Trevor used his keen smarts and humor to navigate a harsh life under a racist government. This memoir blends drama, comedy and tragedy and tells a story of a country where racism barred blacks from social, educational, and economic opportunity.
I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition) by Malala Yousafzai. Malala Yousafzai was only 10 years old when the Taliban took control of her region. They said music was a crime. They said women weren't allowed to go to the market. They said girls couldn't go to school Raised in a once-peaceful area of Pakistan transformed by terrorism, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. So she fought for her right to be educated. And on October 9, 2012, she nearly lost her life for the cause: She was shot point-blank while riding the bus on her way home from school. No one expected her to survive. Now Malala is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner.