YA nonfiction/Fiction Buddy Pairs

I’ll admit that I don’t often gravitate towards nonfiction books…please guys this is a judgement free zone. I know that is a problem and I’m working on it. If you’re like me and could stand to have a few more nonfiction reads in your life, we have a great way for you to find some new favorites: BUDDY BOOK PAIRS! We’ve paired a nonfiction book with a fiction book that have similar themes and would be great to read, one after the other, in whatever order you choose.

Atomic Women: the Untold Stories of the scientists Who Helped Create the Nuclear Bomb

by Roseanne Montillo

and

Girl in the Blue Coat

by Monica Hesse

Both are about women during WWII who, although not on the frontlines, play a role in what happens and change the lives of many people. Proving that no matter what role you play, big or small, your efforts are important. Atomic Women tells the story of women scientists from all over the world who were critical in the success of the Manhattan Project, and who helped created the atomic bomb. Girl in the Blue Coat tells the fictional tale of a young girl in 1943 Amsterdam who delivers black market goods to paying customers, trying to help whoever she can. Eventually she is drawn into the dangerous work of looking for a missing Jewish teenager. A powerful, poignant read from Monica Hesse (who incorporates a lot of historical fact into the story too!)

Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You

by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

and

Tyler Johnson Was Here

by Jay Coles

Both speak of the systematic racism faced everyday by millions of people and where it comes from. Stamped takes a crucial and empowering look at the history of racism and antiracism in America. Explaining the root of it, where it comes from and how it grew. Stamped also shines a light on the many insidious forms of racism—and on ways antiracists can be empowered to stamp out racist ideas in their daily lives. And as the authors describe it, “It is NOT a history book.” Tyler Johnson Was Here shows how dangerous and heartbreaking it can be when racism goes unchecked. How quickly lives can change in one brief moment.

The Teenage Guy’s Survival Guide: The Real Deal on going Out, Growing Up, and Other Guy Stuff

by Jeremy Daldry

and

Carter Finally Gets It

by Brent Crawford

Take a trip inside the mind of teenage boys with both of these books. The Teenage Guy’s Survival Guide covers everything from dating and kissing, to peer pressure and all the random other things that might pop into a young adult mind. Carter Finally Gets It follows high school freshman Carter as he searches for love, acceptance, and where he fits in.

Spies: the Secret Showdown Between America and Russia

by Marc Favreau

and

Code Name Verity

by Elizabeth Wein

These titles are about people who risk their lives by pretending to be someone else as they go behind enemy lines, trying to protect their country. Spies explores the Cold War by looking at the work done by the spies who secretly fought it, all behind closed doors. Code Name Verity is about a British spy whose plane goes down behind enemy lines and gets caught by Nazis. “Verity” battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure, and desperately tries to make it home.

We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World

by Malala Yousafzai

and

Internment

by Samira Ahmed

With these two books we see the devastation that follows when people are persecuted for their beliefs. We understand what it means to fight for family and how important it is to have home you can truly be safe in. We Are Displaced tells real and heartbreaking stories of refugees and displaced persons from around the world. These stories show different parts of their journey from the decision to leave, finding a place to re-settle and how dangerous that can be, to starting over in a new country. Internment is set in the near future of the United States Muslim citizens are forced into internment camps. Layla with the help of others trapped in the internment camp and her boyfriend on the outside start to fight for their freedom.