Recommendations based on I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the Worldby Malala Yousafzai

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Hidden Figures

    by Margot Lee Shetterly
    The untold story of the African-American women who made invaluable contributions to NASA's space program in the 1960s.

    The #1 New York Times Bestseller. Set amid the civil rights movement, the never-before-told true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space ... (Goodreads)

  2. Brown Girl Dreaming

    by Jacqueline Woodson
    A poetic memoir of a young girl's coming-of-age in the Civil Rights era.

    Jacqueline Woodson, one of today's finest writers, tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse. Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. ... (Goodreads)

  3. Mao's Last Dancer

    by Li Cunxin
    A poor farmer's son's journey of hardship and triumph, rising from poverty to become an acclaimed ballet dancer.

    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER The extraordinary memoir of a peasant boy raised in rural Maoist China who was plucked from his village to study ballet and went on to become one of the greatest dancers ... (Goodreads)

  4. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry

    by Neil deGrasse Tyson
    An accessible exploration of the universe and its mysteries.

    Over a year on the New York Times bestseller list and more than a million copies sold. The essential universe, from our most celebrated and beloved astrophysicist. What is the nature of space and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  5. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Tales of Extraordinary Women

    by Elena Favilli
    Collection of inspiring stories about extraordinary women and their accomplishments.

    Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is a children's book packed with 100 bedtime stories about the life of 100 extraordinary women from the past and the present, illustrated by 60 female artists from ... (Goodreads)

  6. Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong

    by James W. Loewen
    Exposing the inaccuracies in American history textbooks and exploring the forces that shaped them.

    “Every teacher, every student of history, every citizen should read this book. It is both a refreshing antidote to what has passed for history in our educational system and a one-volume education in ... (Barnes & Noble)

  7. In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom

    by Yeonmi Park
    A young woman's harrowing escape from North Korea and her struggle to survive and thrive in a new country.

    Human rights activist Park, who fled North Korea with her mother in 2007 at age 13 and eventually made it to South Korea two years later after a harrowing ordeal, recognized that in order to be ... (Goodreads)

  8. Know My Name

    by Chanel Miller
    A memoir of a sexual assault survivor, reclaiming her identity and sharing her journey towards healing and justice.

    A, NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER,",Know My Name, is a gut-punch, and in the end, somehow, also blessedly hopeful.",—Washington Post, Universally acclaimed, rapturously reviewed, and an instant New York ... (Barnes & Noble)

  9. Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs

    by Pete Souza
    A photographic tribute to the 8-year presidency of Barack Obama.

    This is the definitive visual biography of Barack Obama's presidency, captured in intimate, unprecedented detail by his official White House photographer. Pete Souza began photographing President ... (Goodreads)

  10. Real Friends

    by Shannon Hale
    A story of friendship, exploring the highs and lows of navigating relationships.

    “Fresh and funny.” —,New York Times, Book Review Newbery Honor author Shannon Hale and New York Times bestselling illustrator LeUyen Pham join forces in this graphic memoir about how hard it is to ... (Barnes & Noble)

  11. The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less

    by Terry Ryan
    A mother's determination to keep her family afloat through creative writing competitions.

    The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio is based on the true story of housewife Evelyn Ryan, who helped support her husband, Kelly, and their 10 children by winning jingle-writing contests. Kelly failed ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Farewell to the East End: The Last Days of the East End Midwives

    by Jennifer Worth
    Memoir of a midwife in the East End of London, chronicling the lives of her patients.

    This final book in Jennifer Worth's memories of her time as a midwife in London's East end brings her story full circle. As always there are heartbreaking stories such as the family devastated by ... (Goodreads)

  13. Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President

    by Candice Millard
    The riveting story of the assassination of President Garfield, a tragedy of medical science and mistake.

    James A. Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired ... (Goodreads)

  14. Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon

    by Steve Sheinkin
    A riveting account of the race to build the world's first atomic bomb during WWII.

    In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific ... (Goodreads)

  15. Shadows of the Workhouse

    by Jennifer Worth
    A nurse's journey of compassion, courage and determination amidst the harsh realities of a workhouse in 1950s London.

    In this follow up to CALL THE MIDWIFE, Jennifer Worth, a midwife working in the docklands area of East London in the 1950s tells more stories about the people she encountered. There's Jane, who ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Princess Saves Herself in This One

    by Amanda Lovelace
    A poetic exploration of healing and discovering resilience through pain, joy, and the power of self-love.

    Winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Poetry (2016),, the princess saves herself in this one, is a collection of poetry about resilience. It is about writing your own ending. From Amanda ... (Barnes & Noble)

  17. The Freedom Writers Diary

    by Erin Gruwell
    A true story of gritty inner-city teens who use writing to overcome obstacles and find a brighter future.

    As an idealistic 23-year-old English teacher at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, Erin Gruwell confronted a room of "unteachable, at-risk" students. One day she intercepted a note with a ... (Wikipedia)

  18. Yes Please

    by Amy Poehler
    Humorous memoir of a celebrated comedian, exploring her life, career, and relationships.

    In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please , she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some ... (Goodreads)

  19. Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

    by Judith Lewis Herman
    An in-depth exploration of trauma and its effects on individuals and society, and strategies for recovery.

    When Trauma and Recovery was first published in 1992, it was hailed as a groundbreaking work. In the intervening years, Herman’s volume has changed the way we think about and treat traumatic events ... (Goodreads)

  20. Who Moved My Cheese?

    by Spencer Johnson
    A parable about navigating change through the eyes of four characters.

    It is the amusing and enlightening story of four characters who live in a maze and look for cheese to nourish them and make them happy. Cheese is a metaphor for what you want to have in life, for ... (Goodreads)

  21. Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule

    by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
    A collection of delicious vegan cupcake recipes to conquer the world with flavor.

    Vegan legends Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Romero offer vegan-friendly recipes for both classic and innovative cupcakes that dominate the baking world. The authors of Veganomicon take on the ... (Goodreads)

  22. The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Other Clinical Tales

    by Oliver Sacks
    A collection of case studies, illustrating extraordinary neurological phenomena.

    If a man has lost a leg or an eye, he knows he has lost a leg or an eye; but if he has lost a self—himself—he cannot know it, because he is no longer there to know it. Dr. Oliver Sacks recounts the ... (Goodreads)

  23. Gratitude

    by Oliver Sacks
    A collection of essays on the importance of gratitude in life, written by the renowned neurologist and author Oliver Sacks.

    “My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have given something in return. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on ... (Goodreads)

  24. Fascism: A Warning

    by Madeleine K. Albright
    A warning against the rise of fascism and authoritarianism in the modern world, drawing on historical examples and personal experiences.

    A personal and urgent examination of Fascism in the twentieth century and how its legacy shapes today’s world, written by one of America’s most admired public servants, the first woman to serve as ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

    by Donalyn Miller
    Strategies and techniques to inspire children to read, unlocking the potential of every reader.

    Known for her popular blog, "The Book Whisperer," Donalyn Miller is a dedicated teacher who says she has yet to meet a child she couldn't turn into a reader. Her approach, however, is not ... (Goodreads)

  26. The Partly Cloudy Patriot

    by Sarah Vowell
    An exploration of American nationalism and identity, weaving in personal stories and reflections.

    Sarah Vowell travels through the American past and, in doing so, investigates the dusty, bumpy roads of her own life. In this insightful and funny collection of personal stories Vowell—widely hailed ... (Goodreads)

  27. 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

    by Charles C. Mann
    Re-examination of the pre-Columbian Americas, uncovering new evidence of its history.

    In this groundbreaking work of science, history, and archaeology, Charles C. Mann radically alters our understanding of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.,Contrary to what so many ... (Goodreads)

  28. We Should All Be Feminists

    by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    A call to action for an inclusive, gender-equal society through an examination of feminism.

    What does “feminism” mean today? That is the question at the heart of We Should All Be Feminists , a personal, eloquently-argued essay—adapted from her much-viewed TEDx talk of the same name—by ... (Goodreads)

  29. Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right

    by Jane Mayer
    Exposes the network of ultra-wealthy individuals who have funded the radical right-wing political agenda for the last four decades.

    Why is America living in an age of profound economic inequality? Why, despite the desperate need to address climate change, have even modest environmental efforts been defeated again and again? Why ... (Goodreads)

  30. Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

    by Marjane Satrapi
    Autobiographical account of a young girl's experience of the Iranian Revolution.

    Note: The summary of the English editions of the novel is divided into two sections, one for each book. Persepolis 1 begins by introducing Marji, the ten-year-old protagonist. Set in 1980, the novel ... (Wikipedia)