Book Reviews

Hidden Figures should be added to the required reading list for all American students. It gives students a great account of the role of science, physics, and math in our space history as well as the process of desegregation. These are the role models that we want our youngest generations to emulate.

Unshakable Faith takes place right after the Civil War. With resilience and brilliance, Booker T Washington builds Tuskegee University from scratch for his fellow Black Americans gaining them educational and financial independence. In a time of great division, all students would benefit from learning about his partnership with George Washington Carver and how both men went from slaves to the most prominent and respected leaders in America.

To Kill a Mockingbird explores themes such as laying your life down for your friends, the value of neighbors, and how to treat the elderly. It gives an excellent overview of the justice system and the legislative branch while engaging the reader with advanced vocabulary and whit. It has the right balance of comical relief and drama, while exploring more difficult themes such as injustice and prejudice. This classic has been taught in American schools for many generations and is referred to often in movies, plays, and other literary works.