msjamgochian'sinfinitebooklist

Reading HBB restored a bit of the faith I had recently lost in the Man Booker prize (it was shortlisted for the prize in 2011). A sweeping historical account of one man's journey from Baltimore to the wannabe jazz bars of 1930 Berlin to the streets of Nazi-occupied Paris and back again, fifty years later. This is the perfect read for anyone obsessed with Paris, jazz, or WWII. Give it to someone who enjoys all three and they will remember you for life. Click here for a full review . Grade 11+

When 56 year-old Chinese-American widower Henry Lee hears that the belongings of several Japanese-American families interred during WWII have been discovered in the basement of the Panama Hotel in Seattle's International District, he decides to confront his past and goes looking for a trunk that may contain links to Keiko, his first love and best childhood friend. Told in alternating chapters between 1986 and 1942-45, this story not only describes the injustice of the Japanese internment during WWII, it also takes on father-son relationships, family ties, first love, and grief. HOTCOBAS would complement a study of social justice and makes the perfect companion book for a trip to Seattle. Don't miss all of the extras, including a teacher's guide, on Jamie Ford's website. Grade 10+