Some of the most important stories ever told are the true ones, so we’ve rounded up twelve memoirs that would make fantastic additions to your nonfiction literature curriculum. From Alaska to outer space, your students won’t believe where these stories take them.
12. October Sky
In 1957, young Homer Hickam builds his own rocket, hoping that it will be his way out of his hometown. October Sky is a moving, inspiring, and easy-to-read memoir about one man’s extraordinary journey from small-town boy to NASA engineer.
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11. A Long Way Gone
As a teenager, Ishmael Beah was forced to fight in Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war. Beah’s memoir is chilling and insightful, and readers will be stunned by the speed at which war turns a joyful young boy into a soldier addicted to both gruesome violence and the drugs his army freely distributes.
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10. Down These Mean Streets
Piri Thomas’s memoir, Down These Mean Streets, is an authentic and sharp account of growing up and living in Spanish Harlem. Your students are sure to enjoy this gritty and honest journey to finding self-acceptance.
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9. A Child Called “It”
The human spirit is unbreakable, and Dave Pelzer is living proof. In this unforgettable memoir, Pelzer chronicles the abuse he suffered as a child and shares how he overcame the isolation and torture inflicted upon him.
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8. The Glass Castle
Jeannette Walls’s nomadic childhood exposed her to the wonders of America—as well as to some of its harshest realities. Strange but true, this nonfiction text is a spectacular choice for your classroom. Learn more about this book with our blog post: How to Teach The Glass Castle.
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7. Night
Elie Wiesel’s powerful memoir chronicling his time in the Auschwitz and Buchenwald concentration camps helps students explore moral issues such as the danger of remaining silent in the face of oppression. Exploring themes like violence and anti-Semitism, this text teaches your students about social responsibility while keeping alive Wiesel’s message to never forget those whose lives were lost. Learn more about this book with our blog post: How to Teach Night.
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6. Woodsong
Your students may have already read a few of Paulsen’s novels, so introduce them to a real-life adventure story in which Paulsen writes about his experiences running and racing sled dogs in Minnesota and Alaska. A compelling and ultimately inspiring memoir, Woodsong just might be the book that gets your students excited about nonfiction literature.
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5. They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky
This intimate memoir takes your students into the heart of the conflict in Sudan, beginning with the struggle of three children determined to escape it. This story spins a tale of terror, courage, spirit, and the loss of childhood to the atrocities of war.
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4. Always Running
Luis Rodriguez wrote this memoir, a firsthand account of gang life in Los Angeles, to dissuade his teenage son from following in his footsteps. A scathing exposé of gang culture, Always Running is powerful and essential reading.
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3. Farewell to Manzanar
Farewell to Manzanar has become a curriculum staple in schools across the United States. Seven-year-old Jeanne Wakatsuki and her family are held in the Manzanar internment camp following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Thirty years later, Jeanne delivers a powerful first-person account that reveals her search for the meaning of her experiences at Manzanar. Her memoir touches on important themes that will resonate with even your most reluctant readers. Learn more about this book with our blog post: How to Teach Farewell to Manzanar.
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2. The Last Lecture
Inspire your students to live their lives to the fullest with this memoir, an expansion of professor Randy Pausch’s final lecture to his students after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Full of pragmatic wisdom and positivity, this nonfiction text is a charming guide to personal betterment. Learn more about this book with our blog post: How to Teach The Last Lecture.
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1. Tuesdays with Morrie
Acclaimed sportswriter Mitch Albom flies to Massachusetts every week to meet with his teacher and mentor, Morrie Schwartz. Over the months of their sessions, the terminally ill Morrie teaches Mitch how to live. The topics of these conversations supply ample material for class discussions and writing assignments. Learn more about this book with our blog post: How to Teach Tuesdays with Morrie.
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Do you have a favorite memoir or life story? Leave a comment below!