Non-fiction

What is non-fiction?
Non-fiction is "informational text dealing with an actual, real-life subject" (CA Dept. of Education, 2011, para. 22). Non-fiction books also include biographies and autobiographies, essays, narratives, and speeches.

Non-fiction Books in Our Library
// Aretha Franklin: The Queen of Soul // by Mark Bego

921 FRA
 * 1) of Pages: 420

According to Bego, there has never been a biography published about super soul singer Aretha Franklin. A fan as well as a writer, Bego rectifies that situation with this well-rounded portrait. He covers all the phases of Franklin's life, from her Baptist beginnings, through a teen-age pregnancy, and on to the details of her long singing career. Though hardly an expose, the text reveals that, along with success, there has been plenty of pain in Franklin's life, especially when it comes to men. Although Franklin declined to work on the book with him, Bego has interviewed her, and he incorporates her comments along with other testimony from a variety of sources, including the singer's first husband (he was also her manager). –//Booklist,// Ilene Cooper

// Black Like Me // by John Howard Griffin

305.8 GRI
 * 1) of Pages: 208

John Howard Griffin's groundbreaking and controversial novel about his experiences as a white man who transforms himself with the aid of medication and dye in order to experience firsthand the life of a black man living in the Deep South in the late 1950s is a mesmerizing tale of the ultimate sociological experiment. His ability to convey a full spectrum of emotions, including exhilaration, bone deep sadness, and gut wrenching fear is riveting. Equally fascinating is Childs' description of how Griffin's unheard of approach to studying racial discrimination changed his personal life and ignited a storm of argument and discussion around the nation. –//School Library Journal//

// For the Love of the Game: My Story // by Michael Jordan 921 JOR A career retrospective with 200 photographs; expect incredible publicity. –//Library Journal//
 * 1) of Pages: 156

// If I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story // by Hank Aaron (with Lonnie Wheeler) 921 AAR “I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story”, is an autobiography written by Hank Aaron and Lonnie Wheeler. The book is about how Hank Aaron and what he did and how he made it the major leagues. This story covers everything of Hank Aaron’s life, from when he was a child all the way until his retirement in baseball. It shows the troubles Hank Aaron had to go through to play in the Majors. One of the most interesting things about the book is it has every date that was important in Hank Aaron’s journey to breaking the home run record. It gives you a bit of self-confidence because if you try your hardest always and never give up things turn out good for you in the end. Although this book is very interesting it is very long as well. “I Had a Hammer: The Hank Story” is a page turner because the way Hank Aaron and Lonnie Wheeler tell the story it almost seems as if you are there right beside Hank Aaron living his life. This is very a good book if you like to read life stories about historic athletes and what they overcame and did to get to where they are. -C.S.
 * 1) of Pages: 457

// Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Experience // by Johnny Black 921 HEN //Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Experience// by Johnny Black, reflects on the events of the nineteen sixties pop culture and how Jimi Hendrix's emergence brought about a whole new meaning of sound to the rock and roll scene. In a timeline fashion,a chronicle of Jimi Hendrix's life is given along with input from band mates, fans and colleagues. This book on the legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix takes an unusual turn, gathering eyewitness recollections of his life through the words of his admirers, friends and close observers. From his childhood experiences through adulthood, this uses quotes from documentaries, books, newspapers, TV and Internet sites as well as new interviews to provide a well rounded view of the man and his career. -E.M.
 * 1) Of Pages: 256

// Nerves Out Loud: Critical Moments in the Lives of Seven Teen // Girls edited by Susan Musgrave 305.235 NER

Real-world stories, reflections written by now-grown women, chronicle such subjects as body image, sexuality, mental instability and incest in Nerves Out Loud: Critical Moments in the Lives of Seven Teen Girls, edited by Susan Musgrave (who also pens one of the selections). A powerful look back by women who made it through. –//Publisher’s Weekly//
 * 1) of Pages: 112

// True Stories of Baseball’s Hall of Famers // by David Kellogg 796.357 KEL For young people who missed out on the first eight decades of major-league baseball, Kellogg offers stories highlighting members of the Hall of Fame: Cy Young pitches the first perfect game in the American League; Satchel Paige joins a major-league team at the age of 42; Lou Gehrig retires from baseball; Reggie Jackson hits three home runs in a World Series game. Each of the 60 entries, which appear in roughly chronological order, includes enough background information about the player or manager to make the incident meaningful. Most of the stories are illustrated with slightly fuzzy black-and-white photographs. An enjoyable paperback for young baseball fans. –//Booklist,// Carolyn Phelan