Memoir
Born just right
Jordan Reeves
j617.574 Reeves
Memoir
When Jordan Reeves was born without the bottom half of her left arm, the doctors reassured her parents that she was "born just right." And she has been proving that doctor right ever since! With candor, humor, and heart, Jordan's mother, Jen Lee Reeves, helps Jordan tell her story about growing up in an able-bodied world and family, where she was treated like all of her siblings and classmates--and where she never felt limited. Whether it was changing people's minds about her capabilities, trying all kinds of sports, or mentoring other kids, Jordan has channeled any negativity into a positive, and is determined to create more innovations for people just like her. -- publisher's web site.
Not so different : what you really want to ask about having a disability
Shane Burcaw
j617.482 Burcaw
Memoir
A picture book answering the questions young children ask Shane Burcaw about his wheelchair and life with Spinal Muscular Atrophy with equal parts optimism, humor, and empathy.
Added by Anne W
Calypso
David Sedaris
817.54 /Sedaris
Memoir
Personal essays share the author's adventures after buying a vacation house on the Carolina coast and his reflections on middle age and mortality.
I have never been disappointed reading a collection of David Sedaris' essays, and this book was no exception. I laughed out loud, felt like crying and once again feel like David Sedaris is one of the most relatable writers ever. -Mari
Untamed
Glennon Doyle
BIOGRAPHY Doyle, Glennon
Memoir
"There is a voice of longing inside every woman. We strive so mightily to be good: good mothers, daughters, partners, employees, citizens, and friends. We believe all this striving will make us feel alive. Instead, it leaves us feeling weary, stuck, overwhelmed, and underwhelmed. We look at our lives, relationships, and world, and wonder: Wasn't it all supposed to be more beautiful than this? We quickly silence that question, telling ourselves to be grateful. We hide our simmering discontent--even from ourselves. Until we reach our boiling point. Four years ago, Glennon Doyle--bestselling Oprah-endorsed author, renowned activist and humanitarian, wife and mother of three--was speaking at a conference when a woman entered the room. Glennon looked at her and fell instantly in love. Three words flooded her mind: There She Is. At first, Glennon assumed these words came to her from on high. Soon she realized that they came to her from within. Glennon was finally hearing her own voice--the voice that had been silenced by decades of cultural conditioning, numbing addictions, and institutional allegiances. This was the voice of the girl Glennon had been before the world told her who to be. She vowed to never again abandon herself. She decided to build a life of her own--one based on her individual desire, intuition, and imagination. She would reclaim her true, untamed self. Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both a memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It offers a piercing, electrifying examination of the restrictive expectations women are issued from birth; shows how hustling to meet those expectations leaves women feeling dissatisfied and lost; and reveals that when we quit abandoning ourselves and instead abandon the world's expectations of us, we become women who can finally look at our lives and recognize: There She Is. Untamed shows us how to be brave. As Glennon insists: The braver we are, the luckier we get"--
Added by Mari
Marley Dias gets it done : and so can you!
Marley (Marley Emerson) Dias
j305.48896 Dias
Black Lives Matter, Kids, Memoir
In this accessible "keep-it-real" guide, Marley explores activism, social justice, volunteerism, equity and inclusion, and using social media for good. Drawing from her experience, Marley shows kids how they can galvanize their strengths to make positive changes in their communities, while getting support from parents, teachers, and friends to turn dreams into reality.
Added by Anne W
Reach for the Skai : how to inspire, empower, and clapback
Skai Jackson
jBIOGRAPHY Jackson, Skai
Black Lives Matter, Memoir, Kids
"Actress and activist Skai Jackson shares her lessons on life and her rise to stardom in this vibrant memoir about self-acceptance, girl empowerment, and the classy clapback"--
Added by Anne W
Child of the dream : a memoir of 1963
Sharon Robinson
jBIOGRAPHY Robinson, Sharon
Black Lives Matter, Kids, Memoir
"In January of 1963, Sharon Robinson turned thirteen the night before George Wallace declared on national television 'segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever' in his inauguration for governor of Alabama. That was the start of a year that would become one of the most pivotal years in the history of America. As the daughter of Jackie Robinson, Sharon had incredible access to some of the most important events of the era, including her family hosting several fundraisers for Martin Luther King Jr. at their home in Connecticut, other Civil Rights heroes of the day calling Jackie Robinson for advice and support, and even attending the March on Washington for Freedom and Jobs. But Sharon was also dealing with her own personal problems like going through puberty, being one of the only black children in her wealthy Connecticut neighborhood, and figuring out her own role in the fight for equality. This memoir follows Sharon as she goes through that incredible year of her life"--
Added by Anne W
Life in motion : an unlikely ballerina
Misty Copeland
jBIOGRAPHY Copeland, Misty
Black Lives Matter, Kids, Memoir
Determination meets dance in this middle grade adaptation of the New York Times bestselling memoir by the first African-American principal dancer in American Ballet Theatre history, Misty Copeland. Life in Motion is a story for all the kids who dare to be different, dream bigger, and want to break stereotypes in whatever they do.
Added by Anne W
Brown girl dreaming
Jacqueline Woodson
jBIOGRAPHY Woodson, Jacqueline
Memoir, Kids, Black Lives Matter
"The author shares her childhood memories and reveals the first sparks that ignited her writing career in free-verse poems about growing up in the North and South"--
Added by Anne W
Reaching for the Moon : the autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson
Katherine G. Johnson
jBIOGRAPHY Johnson, Katherine G.
Black Lives Matter, Kids, Memoir
"As a young girl, Katherine Johnson showed an exceptional aptitude for math. In school she quickly skipped ahead several grades and was soon studying complex equations with the support of a professor who saw great promise in her. But ability and opportunity did not always go hand in hand. As an African American and a girl growing up in an era of brutal racism and sexism, Katherine faced daily challenges. Still, she lived her life with her father's words in mind: "You are no better than anyone else, and nobody else is better than you." In the early 1950s, Katherine was thrilled to join the organization that would become NASA. She worked on many of NASA's biggest projects including the Apollo 11 mission that landed the first men on the moon. Katherine Johnson's story was made famous in the bestselling book and Oscar-nominated film Hidden Figures. Now she tells her own story for the first time, in a lively autobiography that will inspire young readers everywhere"--
Added by Anne W
Added by Anne W