Cultural Literacy

American Street by Ibi Zoboi F ZOB                                 

Fabiola Toussaint, a young Haitian immigrant to the United States, must navigate her life, school and relationships, while dealing with her loud cousins after her mother is detained by the United States immigration department. 

Burnt Bread and Chutney by Carmit Delman 921 DEL

The author, daughter of a Jewish Indian mother and a Jewish American father of Eastern European descent, describes what it was like to grow up in contrasting cultures--Midwestern America and an Israeli kibbutz--with a complex racial heritage.

Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee & Susan McClelland 921 LEE                          

The memoir of a boy named Sungju who grew up in North Korea and, at the age of twelve, was forced to live on the streets and fend for himself after his parents disappeared. Finally, after years of being homeless and living with a gang, Sungju is reunited with his maternal grandparents and, eventually, his father.

How Dare the Sun Rise by Sandra Uwiringiyimana 921 UWI                           

Presents the story of Sandra Uwiringiyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta    F MAR            

Abandoned by her drug-addicted mother at the age of eleven, high school student Taylor Markham struggles with her identity and family history at a boarding school in Australia.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini F HOS  

Amir, haunted by his betrayal of Hassan, the son of his father's servant and a childhood friend, returns to Kabul as an adult after he learns Hassan has been killed, in an attempt to redeem himself by rescuing Hassan's son from a life of slavery to a Taliban official.

Swarup’s Q & A  by Vikas Swarup F SWA          

Presents the shooting script for the Academy Award-winning film "Slumdog Millionaire," the story of Jamal, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai who comes under suspicion after a winning streak on India's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?"

Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed F SAE         

Naila's vacation to visit relatives in Pakistan turns into a nightmare when she discovers her parents want to force her to marry a man she's never met.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah 

921 NOA

Looks at the life of South African comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host, Trevor Noah.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

F ACH

Set in an Ibo village in Nigeria, the novel recreates pre-Christian tribal life and shows how the coming of the white man led to the breaking up of the old ways.

Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

F TAN

The personal, often painful, histories of four Chinese American women who began meeting in San Francisco in 1949 to play mah jong are revealed as the daughter of one who has died searches for her sisters in China to tell them about the mother they never knew.

How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez

F ALV

After fleeing the Dominican Republic when their father’s role in a failed plot against dictator Trujillo is exposed, the García sisters struggle to adapt to life in 1960s New York, caught between their parents’ traditional values and the pull of American culture.