Fall 2020 Reading Challenge

"Read the World Challenge" with books and globe on shelf

For All Ages

Sept. 15 - Nov. 15, 2020

Supported by the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation.

 

Print the Challenge here >>

At Ames Public Library, we celebrate all the ways our differences come together to make our community a better place to grow and thrive. 

This fall, we encourage you join us in exploring the richness of our world by reading books and stories from and about cultures different from your own! 

Suggested Authors

What do the letters mean?

E stands for Easy and refers to the picture book collection for children.
J stands for Juvenile and is written for children reading independently.
​​​​YA stands for Young Adult and is aimed at teenagers.

Easy

  • Atinuke (Nigeria) - E Fiction, J Fiction
  • Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu (Nigeria) - E Fiction, YA Fiction, Adult Fiction, Nonfiction, and Graphic Novels

Juvenile

  • Chinua Achebe (Nigeria) - J Nonfiction and Adult Fiction
  • Marguerite Abouet (Ivory Coast) - J Graphic Novels
  • Atinuke (Nigeria) - E Fiction, J Fiction
  • Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (Nigeria) - J Fiction

Young Adult

  • Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria) - YA Fiction, Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Jordan Ifueko (Nigeria) - YA Fiction
  • Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu (Nigeria) - E Fiction, YA Fiction, Adult Fiction, Nonfiction, and Graphic Novels

Adult

  • Leila Aboulela (Sudan) - Adult Fiction
  • Chinua Achebe (Nigeria) - J Nonfiction and Adult Fiction
  • Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria) - YA Fiction, Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Lauren Beukes (South Africa) - Adult Fiction
  • Nadine Gordimer (South Africa) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Yaa Gyasi (Ghana) - Adult Fiction
  • Laila Lalami (Morocco) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Dinaw Mengestu (Ethiopia) - Adult Fiction
  • Ben Okri (Nigeria) - Adult Fiction
  • Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, (Nigeria) - E Fiction, YA Fiction, Adult Fiction, Nonfiction, and Graphic Novels
  • Chibundu Onuzo (Nigeria) - Adult Fiction
  • Helen Oyeyemi (Nigeria) - Adult Fiction
  • Abraham Verghese (Ethiopia) - Adult Fiction

Easy

  • Julia Alvarez (Dominican Republic) - E, J, YA, and Adult Fiction
  • Joseph Bruchac (United States - Abenaki Tribe) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction, Adult Nonfiction
  • Susan Choi is (United States – Korean American) - E and Adult Fiction
  • Misty Copeland (United States – African American) - E Fiction, J and Adult Nonfiction
  • Edwidge Danticat (Haiti) - E Fiction, YA Fiction, Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Taye Diggs (United States – African American) - E and J Fiction
  • Nikki Grimes (United States – African American) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Cynthia Leitich Smith (United States - Muscogee Creek Nation) - E Fiction, J Fiction, YA Fiction and Graphic Novels
  • Grace Lin (United States – Taiwanese American) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Juana Martinez-Neal (Peru) - E Fiction
  • Yuyi Morales (Mexico) - E Fiction
  • Toni Morrison (United States – African American) - E Fiction, Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Linda Sue Park (United States –Korean American) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction
  • Isabel Quintero (United States – Mexican American) - E Fiction, YA Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Traci Sorell (United States - Cherokee Nation) - E Fiction, J Fiction
  • Sonia Sotomayor (United States – Puerto Rican American) - E Fiction and Adult Nonfiction
  • Richard Van Camp (Canada - Tlicho Nation) - E Fiction
  • Alice Walker (United States – African American) - E Poetry, Adult Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
  • Rita Williams-Garcia (United States – African American) - E Fiction, J Fiction, YA Fiction

Juvenile

  • Julia Alvarez (Dominican Republic) - E, J, YA, and Adult Fiction
  • Shonto Begay (United States – Navajo Nation) - J Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Monica Brown (United States –Peruvian American) - J Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Joseph Bruchac (United States - Abenaki Tribe) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction, Adult Nonfiction
  • Angela Cervantes is (United States – Mexican American. - J Fiction
  • Misty Copeland (United States – African American) - E Fiction, J and Adult Nonfiction
  • Taye Diggs (United States – African American) - E and J Fiction
  • Charles A. Eastman (United States - Santee Dakota Tribe) - J and Adult Nonfiction
  • Louise Erdrich (United States - Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians) - J and Adult Fiction
  • Nikki Grimes (United States – African American) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Cynthia Leitich Smith (United States - Muscogee Creek Nation) - E Fiction, J Fiction, YA Fiction and Graphic Novels
  • Grace Lin (United States – Taiwanese American) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Linda Sue Park (United States –Korean American) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction
  • Traci Sorell (United States - Cherokee Nation) - E Fiction, J Fiction
  • Nic Stone (United States – African American) - J and YA Fiction
  • Rita Williams-Garcia (United States – African American) - E Fiction, J Fiction, YA Fiction

Young Adult

  • Julia Alvarez (Dominican Republic) - E, J, YA, and Adult Fiction
  • Joseph Bruchac (United States - Abenaki Tribe) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction, Adult Nonfiction
  • Sandra Cisneros (United States – Mexican American) - YA Fiction, Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Edwidge Danticat (Haiti) - E Fiction, YA Fiction, Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Eric Gansworth (United States - Onondaga Nation) - YA Fiction
  • Nikki Grimes (United States – African American) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Cynthia Leitich Smith (United States - Muscogee Creek Nation) - E Fiction, J Fiction, YA Fiction and Graphic Novels
  • Patrick Ness (United States – White) - YA Fiction, Adult Fiction
  • Linda Sue Park (United States –Korean American) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction
  • Isabel Quintero (United States – Mexican American) - E Fiction, YA Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Nic Stone (United States – African American) - J and YA Fiction
  • Angie Thomas (United States – African American) - YA Fiction
  • Jenny Torres Sanchez (United States -  Guatemalan American) - YA Fiction
  • Rita Williams-Garcia (United States – African American) - E Fiction, J Fiction, YA Fiction
  • Ibi Zoboi (Haiti) - YA Fiction

Adult

  • Daniel Alarcón (Peru) - Adult Fiction
  • Sherman Alexie (United States -  Spokane and Coeur d’Alene Tribes) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Isabel Allende (Chile) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Julia Alvarez (Dominican Republic) - E, J, YA, and Adult Fiction
  • James Baldwin (United States – African American) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Brit Bennett (United States – African American) - Adult Fiction
  • Joseph Bruchac (United States - Abenaki Tribe) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction, YA Fiction, Adult Nonfiction
  • Octavia Butler (United States – African American) - Adult Fiction
  • Janet Campbell Hale (United States - Coeur d'Alene Tribe) - Adult Fiction
  • Susan Choi is (United States – Korean American) - E and Adult Fiction
  • Sandra Cisneros (United States – Mexican American) - YA Fiction, Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Tiana Clark (United States – African American) - Adult Poetry
  • Chanel Cleeton (United States - Cuban American) - Adult Fiction
  • Ta-Nehisi Coates (United States – African American) - Adult Graphic Novels, Fiction, and Nonfiction
  • Paulo Coelho (Brazil) - Adult Fiction
  • Misty Copeland (United States – African American) - E Fiction, J and Adult Nonfiction
  • Edwidge Danticat (Haiti) - E Fiction, YA Fiction, Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Vine Deloria Jr. (United States - Standing Rock Sioux Tribe) - Adult Nonfiction
  • Nicole Dennis-Benn (Jamaica) - Adult Fiction
  • Junot Díaz (United States – Dominican American) - Adult Fiction
  • Charles A. Eastman (United States - Santee Dakota Tribe) - J and Adult Nonfiction
  • Ralph Ellison (United States – African American) - Adult Fiction
  • Louise Erdrich (United States - Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians) - J and Adult Fiction
  • Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia) - Adult Fiction
  • Stephen Graham Jones (United States – Blackfeet Tribe) - Adult Fiction
  • Jasmine Guillory (United States – African American) - Adult Fiction
  • Brandon Hobson (United States - Cherokee Nation) - Adult Fiction
  • Marlon James (Jamaica) - Adult Fiction
  • N.K. Jemisin (United States – African American) - Adult Fiction
  • Winona LaDuke (United States - Ojibwe Tribe) - Adult Nonfiction
  • Jhumpa Lahiri (United States – Indian American) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Layli Long Soldier (United States - Oglala Lakota Tribe) - Adult Poetry
  • Valeria Luiselli (Mexico) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Leslie Marmon Silko (United States -Laguna Pueblo Tribe) - Adult Fiction
  • N. Scott Momaday (United States - Kiowa tribe) - Adult Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
  • Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Mexico) - Adult Fiction
  • Toni Morrison (United States – African American) - E Fiction, Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Patrick Ness (United States – White) - YA Fiction, Adult Fiction
  • Celeste Ng (United States – Hong Kongese American) - Adult Fiction
  • Tommy Orange (United States - Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations) - Adult Fiction
  • Ingrid Rojas Contreras (Colombia) - Adult Fiction
  • Samanta Schweblin (Argentina) - Adult Fiction
  • Danez Smith (United States – African American)  - Adult Poetry
  • Octavio Solis (United States – Mexican American) - Adult Fiction
  • Sonia Sotomayor (United States – Puerto Rican American) - E Fiction and Adult Nonfiction
  • David Treuer (United States Ojibwe Tribe) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • James Welch (United States - Blackfeet Nation and Gros Ventre Tribe) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Alice Walker (United States – African American) - E Poetry, Adult Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry
  • Jesmyn Ward (United States – African American) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Colson Whitehead (United State –African American) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction

Easy

  • Wenxaun Cao (China) - E Fiction
  • Nidhi Chanani (India) - E Fiction, YA Graphic Novels
  • Minfong Ho (Myanmar) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Poetry
  • Uma Krishnaswami (India) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Allen Say (Japan) - E Fiction, J Nonfiction, YA Nonfiction

Juvenile

  • Minfong Ho (Myanmar) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Poetry
  • Uma Krishnaswami (India) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Allen Say (Japan) - E Fiction, J Nonfiction, YA Nonfiction
     

Young Adult

  • Nidhi Chanani (India) - E Fiction, YA Graphic Novels
  • Sayantani DasGupta (India)
  • Allen Say (Japan) - E Fiction, J Nonfiction, YA Nonfiction
    YA Fiction
  • Nahoko Uehashi (Japan) - YA Fiction
     

Adult

  • Yangsze Choo (Malaysia - Chinese) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Sonali Dev (India) - Adult Fiction
  • Han Kang (South Korea) - Adult Fiction
  • Rupi Kaur (India) - Adult Poetry
  • Kevin Kwan (Singapore) - Adult Fiction
  • Jean Kwok (Hong Kong) - Adult Fiction and Poetry
  • Min Jin Lee (South Korea) - Adult Fiction
  • Cixin Liu (China) - Adult Fiction
  • Megha Majumdar (India) - Adult Fiction
  • Haruki Murakami (Japan) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Viet Thanh Nguyen (Vietnam) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Ocean Vuong (Vietnam) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Jeong You-Jeong (South Korean) - Adult Fiction

Easy

  • Graeme Base (Australia) - E Fiction, J Nonfiction
  • Joy Cowley (New Zealand) - E Fiction, J Nonfiction
  • Mem Fox (Australia) - E Fiction
  • Bob Graham (Australia) - E Fiction
  • Alison Lester (Australia) - E Fiction, J Fiction
  • Joy Murphy Wandin (Australia- Wurundjeri Elder) - E Fiction

Juvenile

  • Graeme Base (Australia) - E Fiction, J Nonfiction
  • Joy Cowley (New Zealand) - E Fiction, J Nonfiction
  • Andy Griffiths (Australia) - J Fiction
  • Jacqueline Harvey (Australia) - J Fiction
  • Alison Lester (Australia) - E Fiction, J Fiction

Young Adult

  • John Flanagan (Australia) - YA Fiction
  • Alison Goodman (Australia) - YA Fiction
  • Garth Nix (Australia) - Ya Fiction
  • Markus Zusak (Australia) - YA Fiction

Adult

  • Geraldine Brooks (Australia) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Jane Harper (Australia – British Australian) - Adult Fiction
  • Thomas Keneally (Australia) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Liane Moriarty (Australia) - Adult Fiction
  • Kate Morton (Australia) - Adult Fiction
  • Matthew Reilly (Australia) - Adult Fiction
  • Tara June Winch (Australia - Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander) - Adult Fiction

Easy

  • Sibylle Delacroix (France) - E Fiction
  • Werner Holzwarth (Germany) - E Fiction
  • Bagram Ibatoulline (Russia) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Lena Landstrom (Sweden) - E Fiction

Juvenile

  • Timothée de Fombelle (France) - J Fiction, YA Fiction
  • Emmanuel Guibert (France) - J Graphic Novels, YA Graphic Novels, Adult Fiction
  • Bagram Ibatoulline (Russia) - E Fiction, J Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Jo Nesbø (Norway) - J Fiction, Adult Fiction

Young Adult

  • Malorie Blackman (Great Britain – British Barbadian) - YA Fiction
  • Timothée de Fombelle (France) - J Fiction, YA Fiction
  • Emmanuel Guibert (France) - J Graphic Novels, YA Graphic Novels, Adult Fiction
  • Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Spain) - YA Fiction, Adult Fiction

Adult

  • Jussi Adler-Olsen (Denmark) - Adult Fiction
  • Hanan al-Shaykh (Lebanon) - Adult Fiction
  • Rabih Alameddine (Lebanon) - Adult Fiction
  • Susan Albuhawa (Palestine) - Adult Fiction
  • Anton Chekhov (Russia) - Adult Fiction
  • Joël Dicker (Switzerland) - Adult Fiction
  • Fyodor Dostoevsky (Russia) - Adult Fiction
  • Elena Ferrante (Italy) - Adult Fiction
  • Emmanuel Guibert (France) - J Graphic Novels, YA Graphic Novels, Adult Fiction
  • Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan) - Adult Fiction
  • Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland) - Adult Fiction
  • Kazuo Ishiguro (Japanese-British) - Adult Fiction
  • Jonas Jonasson (Sweden) - Adult Fiction
  • Franz Kafka (Czech Republic) - Adult Fiction
  • Karl Ove Knausgård (Norway) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Herman Koch (Netherlands) - Adult Fiction
  • Hari Kunzru (Great Britain – British Indian) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Stieg Larsson (Sweden) - Adult Fiction
  • Margaret Mazzantini (Italy) - Adult Fiction
  • Azar Nafisi (Iran) - Adult Nonfiction
  • Jo Nesbø (Norway) - J Fiction, Adult Fiction
  • Orhan Pamuk (Turkey) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Elif Shafak (Turkey) - Adult Fiction
  • Zadie Smith (Great Britain – British Jamaican) - Adult Fiction and Nonfiction
  • Alexander Solzhenitsyn (Russia) - Adult Fiction and Nonficiton
  • Leo Tolstoy (Russia) - Adult Fiction
  • Samar Yazbek (Syria) - Adult Nonfiction
  • Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Spain) - YA Fiction, Adult Fiction