Mookini Library

In the Nonfiction section, there are over 30 books listed in alphabetical order by title. Scroll down the page and find the title that interests you. Permission to scan the cover of TSUNAMI!, by Walter Dudley and Min Lee (University of Hawaii Press, 1988) was granted by the University of Hawaii Press. No other use of this image, including electronic transmission, is allowed without express permission from the publisher.

(last updated, 8-26-05)

Books about Hawai`i are marked with a palm tree
 
• Aloha Cowboy, by Virginia Cowan-Smith and Bonnie Domrose Stone. 1988

history of Hawaii's cowboys (paniolo) from 1803 to the present
• Always Running: La Vida Loca--Gang Days in L.A., by Luis Rodriguez. 1993.

as a 12 year old, the author was already a veteran East L.A. gang member; his story continues through his son's gang involvement
• Amazing But True Fishing Stories, by Bruce M. Nash and Allan Zullo. 1993.

"astounding records, crazy catches, and thrilling duels from the world of fishing"
• American Grand Prix Racing: A Century of Drivers and Cars, by Tim Considine. 1997.

biographies about some of the 140 American Grand Prix racers from 1906 to present as well as interesting facts
• Anasazi: Ancient People of the Rock, by Donald G. Pike and David Muench. 1976.

"Archeological evidence and the written records of Spanish explorers reveal the history of an ancient people"
• Ancient Sites of Hawaii: Archaelolgical Places of Interest on the Big Island, by Van James. 1995.

a guidebook with descriptions of places and their legends
• The Book of Boxing, edited by W.C. Heinz and Nathan Ward. c1999.

collection of essays by some of the best sports writers and reporters about the history of boxing, both fact and fiction, the positive and negative
• A Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy, by Miyamoto Musashi and translated from the Japanese by Victor Harris. 1645, 1974.

Japanese swordfighting, or Kendo, is described by the samurai warrior, Musashi
• The Book of Hopes + Dreams for Girls and Young Women: Notable Women Share Their Experiences and Wisdom, 1999.


• The Book of Waves, by Drew Kampion. 1998.
  the ocean--and the essence of her beauty in waves--is captured in this collection of photographs and explanatory text
• Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds, by Joy Adamson. 1960.

the infant lioness Elsa is raised by humans and then returned to the wild
• By Wind, By Wave: An Introduction to Hawai`i's Natural History, by David L. Eyre. 2000.

stories of 17 animals and their complex connections to land, ocean, plants, other animals and people with extinction as the central theme
• China Men, by Maxine Hong Kingston. 1980.

describes "lives of several generations of Chinese males", creating an understanding of experiences of Chinese immigrants
• Coping with Date Rape and Acquaintance Rape, by Andrea Parrot. 1988.

"Both men and women can use these suggested techniques for avoiding date and aquaintance rape"
• Cowabunga: The Complete Book of Surfing, by Lee Wardlaw. 1991.

"from the latest gear to the best places to catch a wave"
• Cruising in Seraffyn, by Lin and Larry Pardey. c1976, 1992.

a couple builds a 24 foot cutter-rigged sailboat and begins a 7 year voyage to sail around the world
• Day of Infamy, by Walter Lord. 1957.

account of Pearl Harbor attack
• Dove, by Robin Lee Graham. 1972.

a 16 year old boy begins a solo sail around the world in a 24 foot sailboat that ends 5 years and 33,000 miles later
• Euthanasia: The "Right to Die" Issue, by Daniel Jussim. 1993.

"Discusses passive and active euthanasia and some ethical and moral issues surrounding the topic"
• Farewell to Manzanar, by Daniel Jussim. 1993.

"a true story of Japanese American experience during and after the World War II internment"
• Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater: The House and Its History, by Donald Hoffmann. 1993.

the background of one of Wright's most famous architectural creations, built in the 1930's and perched over a waterfall at Bear Run in Western Pennsylvania
• From the Land of Morning Calm: The Koreans in America, by Ronald Takaki. 1995.

beginning in 1890 with the Japanese invasion of Korea, immigrants came to Hawaii and then to the mainland to find Choson, the land of morning calm
• From the Mountains to the Sea: A Hawaiian Lifestyle (Early Hawaiian Life), by Julie Stewart Williams. 1997.

ancient Hawaiian culture is described with illustrations
• Gettysburg: The Pivotal Battle of the Civil War, by Captain R.K. Beecham. 1994.

personal narrative of the Gettysburg Battle
• Growing Native Hawaiian Plants: A How-To Guide for the Gardener, by Heidi Leianuenue Bornhurst. 1996.

step-by-step directions for helping preserve native Hawaiian plants that are threatened by extinction. `Ilima, mamaki, and kou are but a few of the plants described and are easy to grow; color photographs are included
• Hawaii and Points South: True Island Tales, by A. Grove Day. 1992.

a collection of fact-based stories about Hawaii and the South Pacific
• The Hawaiian Canoe, by Tommy Holmes. c1981, 1993.

thorough coverage of racing, paddling and sailing outrigger canoes; ancient and modern building, etc.
• The Hawaiian Voyages of the Ono Jimmy, by Steve Dixon. c1998.

adventures of various sailing trips around the Hawaiian islands
• The Hawaiians, an Island People, by Helen G. Pratt. c1963.

each chapter covers different aspects of Hawaiian culture, with illustrations and photographs; poetry and legends are included in the Appendix
• The Hawaiians of Old, by Betty Dunford. c1980.

brief descriptions of daily life and activities of ancient Hawaiians; includes illustrations
• Hawaii's Beautiful Birds, text by H. Douglas Pratt and photographs by Jack Jeffrey and H. Douglas Pratt. 1996.

color photographs show Hawaii's native birds, many threatened by extinction because of introduced pests such as the pig, rat and weeds
• Hawaii`s Humpback Whales, by Gregory Kaufman and Paul Forestell. 1986.

describes the most famous and largest of Hawaii`s marine mammals
• Hawaii's Royal History, by Helen Wong and Ann Rayson. 1987.

"the story of Hawaii, the place and the peoples"
• Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen, by Liliuokalani. 1898, 1990.

Queen Liliuokalani's plea for justice during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy
• Here's Hawaii, by Bob Krauss. c1960.

a collection of factual stories previously published in the Honolulu Advertiser; the author stills writes for the newspaper
• The Hilo Massacre: Hawaii's Bloody Monday, August 1st, 1938. 1988.

Hilo workers sympathetic to a Honolulu strike were the target of police brutality
• Hiroshima, by John Hersey. 1946.
  recounts the horror of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima
• Honolulu Homicide: Murder and Mayhem in Paradiseby Gary Dias and Robbie Dingeman. 2003.
  a retired Honolulu Polic Department major and a Honolulu Advertiser reporter "provide inside information about some of O`ahu's most disturbing crimes"
• I Am An American: A True Story of Japanese Internment, by Jerry Stanley. 1994.

after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, 120,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned -- this is their story
• "I Can Never Forget": Men of the 100th/442nd, by Thelma Chang. 1991.

Japanese American soldiers made up one of the most highly decorated units in World War II
• In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote. 1965, 1992.

a brutal murder case is described in this captivating, contemporary classic
• In the Heart of Filipino America: Immigrants From the Pacific Isles, by Ronald Takaki. 1994.
• In the Shadow of Man, by Jane Goodall. 1983.

the author describes her experiences with chimpanzees she studied in the Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanzania
• India From Mughal Empire to British Raj, by Paul Goalen. 1992.

the history of India from the sixteenth century to the end of British rule in 1947
• Iron and Silk, by Mark Salzman. 1986.

martial arts in China
• Issei and Nisei: The Settling of Japanese America, by Ronald Takaki. 1994.

from 1880 to 1920 many Japanese immigrants came to Hawaii and the mainland to escape the devastating effects of Japan's new taxes
• James Herriot's Cat Stories, by James Herriot. 1994.

delightful stories of cat patients treated by an English veterinarian
• Jumping Fire: A Smokejumper's Memoir of Fighting Wildfire, by Murry A. Taylor. 2000.


• Kanaka: the Untold Story of Hawaiian Pioneers in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest , by Tom Koppel. c1997.

fascinating stories of Hawaiians who left the Islands in the 1800's to work in the fishing and logging industries in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia
• Kon-Tiki: Across the Pacific by Raft, by Thor Heyerdahl. 1950.

a true story of a trans-Pacific sail in a 40 foot raft to show "that the ancient Peruvians could have made the 4,300 mile voyage to the Polynesian islands"
• Land, Liliuokalani and Annexation, by Russ and Peg Apple. 1979.

reprints of articles by the Apples that first appeared in the Honolulu Star Bulletin
• The Long Road to Gettysburg, by Jim Murphy. 1992.
• The Man-eaters of Tsavo, by John Henry Patterson. c1986.

the movie, THE GHOST AND THE DARKNESS, was based on this true story of lion attacks in Uganda during the early 20th century when railroad building was booming 
• My Moloka`i, by Gordon Morse. 1990.

the author, who grew up on Molokai, tells about the friendly isle's past and present
• My Old Man and the Sea: A Father and Son Sail around Cape Horn, by David Hays and Daniel Hays.

a father and son brave storms and confinement in their modern-day sailing adventure around the southern tip of Chile
• Never Cry Wolf, by Farley Mowat. 1979.

a scientist studies wolves in the wilderness and becomes their defender
• Niihau: the Traditions of a Hawaiian Island, by Rerioterai and Moses K. Keale, Sr. c1989.

past and present ways of life; includes mele and legends
• The Niihau Incident, by Allan Beekman. 1982.

"The true story of the Japanese fighter pilot who, after the Pearl Harbor attack, crash-landed on the Hawaiian Island of Niihau and terrorized the residents"
• North Shore Chronicles: Big-Wave Surfing in Hawaii, by Bruce Jenkins. 1990.

interviews with some contemporary big-wave surfers
• Our House Divided: Seven Japanese American Families in World War II, by Tomi Kaizawa Knaefler. 1991.

struggles of identity and loyalty experienced by 7 different families -- first and second generation Japanese Americans; the author grew up in Pahoa
• Over the Reefs, by Robert Gibbings. 1948.

after WW II, the author traveled to Tonga, Tahiti and other South Pacific islands, was accepted by the villagers he met, and was even made chief in one village
• Pacific Voyages: the Encyclopedia of Discovery and Exploration. 1971.

how Asia, Oceania, Polynesia and other Pacific areas were first discovered
• Pioneers of Flight: A Documentary History, by Phil Scott. 1999.

words and experiences are taken from actual experiences
• The Planets, by David McNab and James Younger. 1999.

"this popular treatment jumps right into the drama of space exploration: Kansas farm-boy turned astronomer Clyde Tombaugh's discovery of Pluto, the first close-up views of Mercury and the moon, and the Hubble telescope's first images of starbirth in the Orion nebula"
• Plants of Old Hawaii, by Lois Lucas. c1982.

About 450 A.D., the ancient Hawaiians settled Hawaii and brought 20 plants with them from the South Pacific. Information, drawings and a poem about each plant are included
• The Price of Paradise, Volumes I and II, edited by Randall W. Roth. 1992, 1993.

various experts give views on Hawaii issues including pollution, property tax, affordable housing, etc.
• Raising Cane: The World of Plantation Hawaii, by Ronald T. Takaki. 1994.

history of plantation workers brought to Hawaii
• Rescue: The Story of How Gentiles Saved Jews in the Holocaust, by Milton Meltzer. 1988.

"Many people risk their lives to save others during the Holocaust"
• A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold. 1949.

essays on nature and conservation
• Separating Sickness: Ma`i Ho`oka`awale, by Ted Gugelyk and Milton Bloombaum. 1996.

"Interviews with Exiled Leprosy Patients at Kalaupapa, Hawaii"
• Shark Bites: True Tales of Survival , by Greg Ambrose. 1996.

educational and true encounters of shark attacks at different locations around the world
• Sharks of Hawaii: Their Biology and Cultural Significance, by Leighton Taylor. 1993.

fascinating accounts of shark attacks are combined with science and folklore
• Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson. 1994.

a reprint of the classic book about pesticides and pollution; it helped launch the environmental movement
• The Soviet Union Today, edited by the National Geographic Society. 1990.

a collection of writings about the diverse cultures in the former Soviet Union
• Stinging Trees and Wait-a-whiles: Confessions of a Rainforest Biologist, by William Laurance. 2000.

an Australian scientist's field notes provide an insightful glimpse of biodiversity and the need to conserve natural resources
• Surfing: A History of the Ancient Hawaiian Sport, by Ben Finney and James D. Houston. c1996.

an updated edition of a comprehensive history of surfing in Hawaii
• Surfriders: In Search of the Perfect Wave, by Matt Warshaw. c1997.

the former editor of Surfer Magazine includes the history of surfing around the world with excellent photography
• The Three Faces of Eve, by Corbett Thigpen and Hervey Cleckley. 1992.

the case of a woman with multiple personalities
• The Trail of Tears Across Missouri, by Joan Gilbert. c1996.

1837-1838 marked the brutal removal of an otherwise passive tribe, the Cherokees, from southeastern United States into Oklahoma
• Tsunami, by Walter Dudley and Min Lee. 1998.

fascinating history of the tsunamis that have struck the Hawaiian islands
• Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana. 1984.

in the 1800's, a Harvard University student decides to sail to California and writes about his adventures at sea. He even met some Kanakas in San Diego and describes his friendship with them
• The Uncertain Journey, by Margaret Poynter. 1992.

12 stories of illegal aliens from Mexico, South and Central America, and the Caribbean
• Volcanic Visions: Encounters With Other Worlds, by Michele Jamal. 1991.

encounters with Pele and an UFO are only a few of the author's experiences on the Big Island
• Waianae Book of Hawaiian Health, edited by Terry Shintani and Claire Hughes. 1991.

a wholistic, contemporary approach to Native Hawaiian diet, and mental and physical health
• Waianae Diet Cookbook: Elue. Volume II, by Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center. 1995.

more of Dr. Shintani's recipes and ideas for healthier eating
• A Whale for the Killing, by Farley Mowat. 1972.

a conservationist pleads with the world to stop the wholesale destruction of whales
• Yankees in Paradise; the New England Impact on Hawaii, by Bradford Smith, [1956].

covers the missionaries' arrival in Hawaii and the everlasting effect they have had
• Your Future Self: A Journey to the Frontiers of Molecular Medicine, by Hank Whittemore. 1998.

a beautifully illustrated book for nonscientists to see the "inner universe" of our bodies

Biography
Fiction  (A-K)
Fiction (L-Z)
Mythology/Legends/Folktales/Ghost Stories
Poetry/Songs/Chants
Short Stories

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