Autobiographical -
Going Solo by Roald Dahl. An account of his going out into the world as a young man, becoming a pilot in WW2.
As I Walked Out One Summer Morn by Laurie Lee. True account of a young man leaving his small village for London, then Spain - and becoming involved in the Spanish Civil War.
The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida. Written by a 13 year old, a fascinating insight into what life is like for a young person with autism.
Mud, Sweat and Tears (junior edition) by Bear Grylls. An account of his life learning outdoor skills and joining the SAS. He broke his back in his early 20s and learnt to walk again. Very inspiring.
The Boys Who Challenged Hitler by Philip Hoose. Chronicles the life of Knud Pedersen and his classmates whose efforts to sabotage Hitler lead to the Danish resistance.
Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee. The first book to portray contemporary North Korea to a young audience, is the intense memoir of a North Korean boy named Sungju who is forced at age twelve to live on the streets and fend for himself. To survive, Sungju creates a gang and lives by thieving, fighting, begging, and stealing rides on cargo trains. Sungju richly re-creates his scabrous story, depicting what it was like for a boy alone to create a new family with his gang, his “brothers”; to be hungry and to fear arrest, imprisonment, and even execution. This riveting memoir allows young readers to learn about other cultures where freedoms they take for granted do not exist.
Ok, I’ve run out of steam 😅