“What is the What” by David Eggars.
This epic story of Valentino Achak Deng, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, puts the origins and the tragedy of Darfur into a very readable perspective. It is a must read for everyone and should probably be front and centre on every school board’s required reading lists for grade eight’s in order to put their own lives, prejudice and/or perceived realities of the world they live in into context.
Honourable Mention: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J.K. Rowling smashed US sales records when it sold 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours after its release. It represented a fun and nicely knotted, albeit, at times long-winded and thick, end to the series (however, it will probably play better on the big screen).