The Next Best Book Club discussion

I am attempting to rewrite some curriculum for my classroom. Part of what I am trying to do is make world geography a little bit more exciting to today's students. My goal is to have two or three books per continent. Each book can be fiction or non-fiction but needs to include a geography aspect.

For Example:
Europe.
Book-Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose.
Why? This book not only covers history, but the most important fact is the geopgraphical lesson that can be learned from it. How the men traversed the land, used the land, and survived the land all factor into this well told historical event.

Any ideas you have would be greatly appreciated.

Carol, I don't immediately have help with books. But I'd like to proffer that for many years I've thought an interesting way to teach geography is to allow the students to plan a trip - let them go on vacation! They should figure out how to actually get there, what kinds of clothes to pack, what is there to see when they get there . . . that kind of thing. Good luck!

We do the trip planning thing, only takes about two weeks in today's class with internet and such. Thanks Elizabeth.

Yes Danielle, still looking....

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
colonialism of Africa

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

Here's some I'll suggest more when I have more time to list. Is this the kind of stuff you're looking for?

Ok, I liked The Piano Tuner A Novel.

On a misty London afternoon in 1886, piano tuner Edgar Drake receives a strange request from the War Office: he must leave his wife, and his quiet life in London, to travel to the jungles of Burma to tune a rare Erard grand piano. The piano belongs to Surgeon-Major Anthony Carroll, an enigmatic British officer, whose success at making peace in the war-torn Shan States is legendary, but whose unorthodox methods have begun to attract suspicion. So begins the journey of the soft-spoken Edgar across Europe, the Red Sea, India, Burma, nd at last into the remote highlands of the Shan States. En route he is entranced by the Doctor's letters and by the shifting cast of tale-spinners, soldiers and thieves who cross his path. As his captivation grows, however, so do his questions: about the Doctor's true motives, about an enchanting and elusive woman who travels with him into the jungle, about why he came. And, ultimately, whether he will ever be able to return home unchanged to the woman who awaits him there... Sensuous and lyrical, rich with passion and adventure, The Piano Tuner is a hypnotic tale of myth, romance and self-discovery. It is an unforgettable and haunting novel.

Yes, that is the kind of stuff I am looking for. thanks guys and gals, keep them coming. Have to pitch this to my principal and the more I have the better I will be.

That sounds interesting!! I'll read that!!

You didn't say how old your students are. Middle school, high school?

Hey Carol, if you'er looking for non-fiction, Bill Bryson writes travel books. I have Neither Here Nor There: Travels Throughout Europe but haven't been able to read it yet. I've also heard there's a book about a guy who goes around Ireland with a fridge, but right now I can't recall the exact title.

The Historian is rather long, but some of your students might like it. As I recall there is a map included. The characters are searching for Dracula and travel throughout Europe and also visit Turkey a couple of times.

Nothing Like It In the World The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869, by Stephen Ambrose. (Assuming you're doing North America, here.) Lots of geography in this one, and how the builders of the transcontinental railroad got around it.

Okay so the book about a fridge is one that now peeks my interest. Any one know that one? Thanks Liz

For Whom the Bell Tolls takes place in Spain. It's short, and definitely worth a student's time.

I think the title of that one is Round Ireland with a Fridge, by Tony Hawks. (I have not myself read it, but have heard about it.)

Flower Net is a mystery/thriller that is set in both Beijing and Los Angeles. Also focuses on the dangers of drug dealing, though the drugs are not what we would think of as mainstream drugs.

I am presuming this if for college age students and that if they are younger you will read these books first and make sure they are appropriate.


Bill Bryson has several travel diaries that are very informative and very funny. A Walk in the Woods Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail about the appalachian trail and In a Sunburned Country about australia immidately come to mind.

The Good Earth - China

Eaters of the Dead - fictional retelling of beowulf, the narrator travels from the middle east to northern europe.

The Odyssey maybe?

There is a really interesting book called Hungry Planet What the World Eats that shows what people eat around the world, how they store their food, how much their food costs, etc...

Left to Tell Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust is more geopolitical but there are some discussions of the surrounding land.

American Godstakes place all over the united states.
andAnansi Boystakes place in florida, England and a fiction carribean island.

And yes, I read everything before any of my students get to read it if assigned by me. And these are high school students, but again if I have read it first we can go from there on subject matter.

All Quiet on the Western Front-Erich Maria Remarque, and The Red Scarf Girl-can't remember the author but it's a book about communist China-I read it with my middle school special ed students and it taught them a lot!

Bruce Chatwin's The Songlines for something from Australia, or anything of his really In Patagonia

Carol, there are a number of books available about Truk Lagoon. This would be a way of exploring the geography of the South Pacific, while also involving the students in some of the history of WWII. I seem to recall a documentary on diving among the shipwrecks, perhaps it was National Geo. This would be another interesting way to explore the geography in that part of the world.

I agree that Bill Bryson is worth a look. Also, Flags of Our Fathers is one of my favorites. Perhaps it's not quite what you're looking for, but check out The Geography of Bliss, too.

I've read Round Ireland With a Fridge by Tony Hawks. Hilarious book! I can't recall how heavy into geography it gets, but it certainly delves into the character of the place and the various people Hawks meets along the way.

I remember doing something similar to this in high school. We had to read Cry, the Beloved Country (South Africa), Nectar in a Sieve (India) and Caravans A Novel of Afghanistan (Afghanistan). They all helped to glimpse what life was like in these countries and understand the culture a little better. Hope it helps.

If they like adventure novels, Dorothy Gilman wrote the Mrs. Pollifax series, where she is a spy and travels to many countries. And Clive Cussler sets his NUMA adventures on every continent (including Antarctica).

The Thorn Birds is great for Australia. They go all over the place from way up North to the Outback to Sydney to some islands. And it's a saucy read.

Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, anything by Amy Tan about China.

I recently set myself a challenge to read at least one book about as many countries as possible. This is my TBR list so far (all non-fiction). (I haven't read any yet, so no reviews). I'm going to take some of the suggestions here, thank you!
Australia: Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson
Afghanistan: The places in between - rory Stewart
America (1960s): Travels with Charley - John Steinbeck
SE & W Asia: A fortune teller told me - Tiziano Terzani
Asia: Shadow of the Silk Road - Colin Thubron
Caribbean: A continent of islands - Nathaniel Philbrick
England: The teatime islands - Ben Fogle
Ireland: Round Ireland with a fridge - Tony Hawks
Mexico: God's middle finger: Sierra madre - Richard Grant
Mali: Cruelest Journey: 600 miles to Timbuktu - Kira Salak
Middle East: Baghdad without a map - Tony Horwitz
New Zealand: In Tasmania - Nicholas Shakespeare
Russia: The Russians - Colin Thubron
Russia (Siberia): River of no reprieve - Jeffrey Tayler
Russia (Siberia): In Siberia - Colin Thubron
Russia (Siberia): Off the map: bicycling across Siberia - Mark Jenkins
Tibet: Seven years in Tibet - Heinrich Harrer
Tibet: Hotel on the roof of the world - Alec le Sueur

Thanks shannon! I put a copy of your list in my notes!!

I haven't read it, but my husband (who is not really a reader) really enjoyed Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman's book Long Way Round Chasing Shadows Across the World, which is about their motorcycle journey around the globe and the various people/cultures they encounter along the way. There's a documentary that goes along with it that I really enjoyed watching with him.

How about Three Cups of Tea?

Fidali's Way A Novel by George Mastras. There is a great deal of geographic detail, but it does contain violence.

Thanks Group!! Keep them coming, I am adding ll to my list and then going througha nd looking for reviews and building a list from that to take tot he admin on this adventure.

Carol, I love your idea; it will help picque students' interest in both travel and reading, two of my favorite activities! I saw some great suggestions here and just wanted to add that there is a group on Goodreads specifically designed for books from other countries... Read a book from each country.

You might be able to find even more titles that way as they seem pretty extensive in their lists. I've found several books that way that I hadn't even heard of before. You might check it out too!

Also, my senior year in high school I took a class called World Literature - we read Madame Bovary for France, A Doll's House for Norway, Gulliver's Travels for Ireland, and The Odyssey for Greece. I feel like we read more, but I'm drawing a blank right now. I have to say, though, it was one of my favorite classes during my high school career. If your students can handle it, I might suggest The Name of the Rose including Postscript to the Name of the Rose for Italy, but it's a pretty hefty book. Good luck!

I was just thinking this sounded like a good personal challenge. i don't think i have ever read a book that took place in south america for instance. I am going to check out the group to get some ideas.

For a book from New Mexico I would recommend Death Comes for the Archbishop. Some of New Mexico still looks as it did in the 1800s. Might be a bit dry though for high school students.

Elizabeth wrote: "I was just thinking this sounded like a good personal challenge. i don't think i have ever read a book that took place in south america for instance. I am going to check out the group to get some..."


Ooh, Elizabeth, you might check out The Motorcycle Diaries Notes on a Latin American Journey for South America (as well as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, Roberto Bolano, Pablo Neruda - just for some ideas).

I recommend The Motorcycle Diaries for Carol's students also as it does cover geography as well as political history.

El wrote: "Carol, I love your idea; it will help picque students' interest in both travel and reading, two of my favorite activities! I saw some great suggestions here and just wanted to add that there is a ..."

Thanks, El, I've joined that group!

Great idea for a class...........Personally, I think every one should read "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" as one for the United States and how geography played a major role in the reservation system for the Native American Indian tribes.

"Sacagawea" by Anna Lee Waldo is an EXCELLENT historical fiction of the Lewis and Clark expedition told from the point-of-view of their Shoshone Indian guide. Excellently researched and is definitely a geography lesson of the exploration of the West.

James Michener wrote many novels of countries all over the world and even won a Pulitzer Prize for "Tales of the South Pacific." He is known for his extensive research and has books for many countries..."Mexico" and "Poland" just to name a couple...

What a wonderful idea....be sure to post your final decisions on books when it comes to that. I'd love to partake in the adventure in spirit!!!

How about Arundati Roy's The God of Small Things. It is a love story, set in India, quite short, and a wonderful insight into the geography and culture of South India.I was a teacher for many years. This one will work.
Great idea. You must be a fine teacher.

Pamela wrote: "What a wonderful idea....be sure to post your final decisions on books when it comes to that. I'd love to partake in the adventure in spirit!!! "

I second the request.

West With the Night takes place in Africa, and in that book you get a pilot's view of the place, plus the culture.

Winterdance is about the Iditarod in Alaska.

The Mermaids of Chenonceaux is a sort of historical guide to Europe. It's mostly very short anecdotes, though, so that might be better for one class fillers between larger projects.

Hope some of those help! I love this idea, and wish I had cool teachers like you when I was in high school.

American Shaolin by Matthew Polly is an interesting look at China that might appeal to your male students (or female, I did after all enjoy it).

Also, A Course Called Ireland by Tom Coyne is about traveling through Ireland to play at every golf course.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, all about travel through Spain and Northern Africa.

The Thread That Runs So True by Jesse Stuart, about a teacher in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky.

The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan, about an historical Indian empress, historical fiction and includes descriptions of the different areas of the Mughal Empire.

Also, there's Shipwreck A Saga of Sea Tragedy and Sunken Treasure, which has two shipwrecks, one near Ecuador and one in the Bahamas, in case you want to add bodies of water to the course. Maps are included. That book is a told from the point of view of a Spanish Padre, which is interesting in it's own right.

Okay, I'm done now!

There is a great - realtively unknown book - for China called "A Small woman" it is about the life of Gladys Allywood. There is also a FANTASTIC movie called "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" with Ingrid Bergman. She (Gladys) is a remarkable woman that during a Japaneese invasion led several hundred children on a march to safety - it is highly recommeded.

Historical fiction is often better for middle and high school readers, Here are some of the books I've had my students read

In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez about Dominican Republic and Trujillo
This is historical fiction very well researched

La Vida by Oscar Lewis (Puerto Rico)

Becoming Madame Mao by Anchee Min excellent historical fiction also well researched

Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Sijie
Post revolution China also historical fiction

Reading Lolita in Tehran
Non-Fiction

An Ordinary Man by Rusinabagina about Rwanda. The students can also see the movie Hotel Rwanda

The Bookseller of Kabul (Afghanistan) and One Hundred and one Days (Iraq) by Seierstad
Both Non-fiction

The Haj, Trinity, Exodus Excellent historical fiction by Leon Uris Any Michener historical fiction like Mexico

The Kite Runner by Hosseini

Nicholas and Alexandra by Massie non-fiction
Gulag Archipeligo by Solzinitzen non-fiction

Achebe's historical fiction Things Fall Apart

Cry the Beloved Country by Paton historical fiction about Apartheid
Poisonwood Bible by kingsolver. Historical fiction

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families by Gourevich Non-fiction on Rwanda

Ismael Baeh A Long Way Gone Non-fiction on the Sudan

What is the What by Eggers on Sudan

See the movie Black Hawk Down on Mogadishu

See the movie The Last Emperor on China

All's Quiet on the Western Front by Remarque Historical Fiction

Have every student read a different book and share a power point presentation to entice people to read what they enjoyed during the presentations.

Read O'Brien's The Things They Carried about Vietnam and read Myers' The Glory Field (Vietnam) (or Sunrise Over Fallujah- on Iraq) and see the movie Coming Home, Apocalypse Now, The Deerhunter, Full Metal jacket or Platoon.Also, Miss Saigon. Also see or read The Killing Fields about Cambodia.
Good luck

Arundhati Roy's brilliant disturbing "The God of Small Things" takes place in the Kerala state of India.

Paul Bowle's "The Sheltering Sky" in North Africa

"The Hotel New Hampshire" has most of it's action in Vienna, Austria

The DaVinci Code...set mostly in Italy, facts on Leonardi DaVinci.

As you are catering to high school audience, have you thought about incorporating a few young adult novels? That might make it a bit more relevant to them. For example, Homeless Bird (a national book award winner) takes place in India and gives a very telling look into Indian culture through the eyes of a teenager.

Donna Jo Napoli also does her homework in creating interesting stories that have very strong references to what the culture is like surrounding the characters. Examples: Hush An Irish Princess' Tale (Ireland), Zel (Switzerland), and Beast (Persia/France).

I would also recommend Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance for a gripping nonfiction book on the landscape of Antarctica.

Kim wrote: "The DaVinci Code...set mostly in Italy, facts on Leonardi DaVinci. "

I just wanted to offer a word of caution against using the Da Vinci Code for its factual information about Leonardo. The book is filled with factual inaccuracies, which doesn't harm the novel in any way, but which I think would give me pause before using it as part of a curriculum.

Kim wrote: "The DaVinci Code...set mostly in Italy, facts on Leonardi DaVinci. "

Why does the book description reference France?? Italy is where I would have guessed the setting is..

The DaVinci Code is set in France and England. Angels and Demons, the first book to feature that main character, is actually set in Rome.