Abraham, P. (2002). Amelia Earhart. New York, NY: Rosen Book Works, Inc. A super simple biography for beginners. This series is a great introduction to early readers to the genre of biographies. Amelia Earhart's life is briefly highlighted without mentioning her untimely death. K-2nd readers. Good for introducing the concept of biographies to early readers.
Farris, C. (2003). My brother Martin: A sister remembers growing up with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Illustrations by Chris Soentpiet. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s sister Christine pays tribute to her brother in this remembrance from their childhood. One specific, pivotal moment is shared when two neighbor boys announce that they can't play with Martin and Christine anymore because they are "Negroes." Dramatic, luminous illustrations enhance the story that is recommended for all ages. Good to read during Black History Month or for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations.
Gerstein, M. (2003). The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press. This is the story of Philippe Petit's tight rope walk between the World Trade Center towers in 1974. The inventive foldout tracking Philippe's progress across the wire offers a view of the city below; the next page shows the aerialist from the street below. The artist's paintings give a breathtaking view of the memory of the towers on the final page. This book is great for all ages to show the towers before and after the 2001 disaster. It won the Caldecott Medal in 2004.Good to read on the anniversary of the World Trade Center disaster.
Grimes, N. (2002). Talkin' bbout Bessie. New York, NY: Orchard Books. A fictionalized biography of Bessie Coleman's life takes us to her funeral where 20 of her mourners speak of her life. Brilliant illustrations by E.B. Lewis and B. Moser are watercolors with sepia-toned outlines bring the character to life. This book won a Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award as well as the Illustrator Award for 2003. Good choice for biography study.
Levine, K. 2002). Hana's suitcase. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company. This book tells the story of Hana Brady, a girl killed at Auschwitz, and how her suitcase came to be a part of the Tokyo Holocaust Education Resource Center. While a sad story, it ends on a positive note with the Japanese children learning about the Holocaust. The book goes back and forth between Hana's life in Czechoslovakia and to the teacher in Japan teaching her class about Hana. Photographs of Hana and her family and of the teacher and children in Japan make this a great way to teach the topic of the Holocaust. Upper level readers. A wonderful choice for fifth graders studying the Holocaust.
Martin, J. (1998). Snowflake Bentley. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. Illustrated by Mary Azarian. Readers will be very interested in the life of Wilson Bentley who perfected the art of snowflake photography through amazing trial and error. They will marvel at his determination and hard work while hardly making enough money to continue his art--good lessons for today's children. **Caldecott Medal Winner** Great to use to extend study of snowflakes in science unit. To take a quiz about Snowflake Bentley, click here: Snowflake Bentley Test.To make snowflakes online, click here: Snowflakes Online
Ryan, P. (2002). When Marian sang. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. Illustrations by Brian Selznick. Singer Marian Anderson was a huge success in Europe while hardly known here in America because of racism. Unable to appear at the Metropolitan Opera until she was 57, this book tells of her frustration and confusion at America's treatment of her and her amazing talent. The illustrations are striking, especially the two-page spread of her appearance at the Lincoln Memorial in 1939. Middle readers. A good choice for a middle grade biography study. To hear an audio clip of Marian Anderson, click here:Marian Anderson at Lincoln Memorial
