Biographies

Learn more about Napoleon Bonaparte, the decorated French military leader who conquered much of Europe in the early nineteenth century. Born in the Mediterranean island of Corsica, Napoleon Bonaparte felt like an outsider once his family moved to France...

Get ready for the electrifying biography of Nikola Tesla--part creative genius, part mad scientist, and 100% innovator. When Nikola Tesla arrived in the United States in 1884, he didn't have much money, but he did have a letter of introduction to...

Learn how Judy Blume went from a stay-at-home mother to one of the most beloved American authors of the twentieth century. Readers adore Judy Blume for her personal stories about the journey from childhood to adolescence. She has always been an...

By popular demand, the 100th Who Was...? subject is Steve Irwin! Steve Irwin did not have a typical childhood. Born in Melbourne, Australia, on February 22, 1962, he was raised on the wildlife park his parents owned. He cared for the animals and...

A Caldecott Honor Book Vasya Kandinsky was a proper little boy: he studied math and history, he practiced the piano, he sat up straight and was perfectly polite. And when his family sent him to art classes, they expected him to paint pretty houses and...

From Michelle Markel, the award-winning author of Brave Girl, and acclaimed illustrator Alejandro Mesa comes a spirited and inspiring picture book biography of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.Before she became First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt was a girl trying...

Lauren Hogg, one of the survivors of the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school in Parkland, Florida, dramatically tells her story in graphic novel form. The tragedy of yet another mass shooting has galvanized the young people of the country,...

Michael L. Printz Honor BookRobert F. Sibert Honor BookBoston Globe/Horn Book Nonfiction Honor BookArnold Adoff Poetry Award for Teens Six Starred Reviews--★Booklist ★BCCB ★The Horn Book ★Publishers Weekly ★School Library...

2019 Eisner Award Winner for Best U.S. Edition of International Material Throughout history and across the globe, one characteristic connects the daring women of Brazen: their indomitable spirit. With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings,...

Yummy author G. Neri returns to graphic novels with the powerful story of his cousin Gail Ruffu, who stole a racehorse in order to save it, and ended up fighting the whole racing industry for the humane treatment of animals.Gail Ruffu was a rookie...

Winner of the 2023 Gold Moonbeam Children's Book Award in Non-Fiction: Chapter Book Commended as a "moving and hopeful story of courage and perseverance" in a starred review by Booklist, American Shoes is a profound mosaic of memories recounting...

Fannie Sellins (1872-1919) lived during the Gilded Age of American Industrialization, when the Carnegies and Morgans wore jewels while their laborers wore rags.Fannie dreamed that America could achieve its ideals of equality and justice for all, and she...

A national bestseller and American Book Award winner, The Best We Could Do is an intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family's journey from war-torn Vietnam from debut author Thi Bui. In what Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Viet Thanh...

Now adapted for young adults--the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, which Toni Morrison called "quite extraordinary," offers an intimate look at Barack Obama's early days. This is a compelling journey tracing the future 44th president's odyssey...

From ND Stevenson, the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of Nimona, comes a captivating, honest illustrated memoir that finds him turning an important corner in his creative journey--and inviting readers along for the ride.In a collection of...

From ND Stevenson, the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of Nimona, comes a captivating, honest illustrated memoir that finds him turning an important corner in his creative journey--and inviting readers along for the ride.In a collection of...

On October 5, 2022, Nicole Aunapu Mann rode the SpaceX Dragon Endurance space shuttle and became the first Native American woman to reach space. For 157 days, Mann lived and worked on the International Space Station.Growing up, Mann never imagined she...

Major League Baseball (MLB) is a diverse sport played by athletes from around the world. But in the late 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, MLB was mostly segregated. Black players and coaches were not welcome. The Negro Leagues gave these players...

Told for the first time in a graphic novel, this is the exciting life story of John Muir--who sailed to America as a boy and ended up changing the world. John Muir led an adventurous life, starting with his wild and playful boyhood in Scotland and...

The exciting life story of John Muir--who sailed to America as a boy and ended up changing the world; told for the first time in a graphic novel.John Muir led an adventurous life, starting with his wild and playful boyhood in Scotland to his legendary...

From acclaimed author and illustrator pairing comes a beautiful picture book biography about the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin and how she fought for respect throughout her life. Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul, a legend. But before she became a...

In this lustrous nonfiction picture book biography, meet Black fashion icon and design pioneer Zelda Wynn Valdes, whose dresses, gowns, and costumes helped make people shine. Zelda grew up watching her grandmother at the sewing machine, until she decided...

This inspirational and dazzlin' story of Dolly Parton--noted singer, songwriter, and humanitarian--follows her rise to fame, from her beginnings in East Tennessee to performing to thousands at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Dolly is a little girl with...

Young readers of all ages will love this story about President Thomas Jefferson, who found his passion as soon as he learned to read: books, books, and more books! Before, during, and after the American Revolution, Jefferson collected thousands of books...

2025 Rise: A Feminist Book Project Title2025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book Winner Young readers will root for Toni "Tomboy" Stone, the first woman (and the first Black woman) to break into professional baseball--taking over Hank Aaron's roster...

A Robert F. Sibert Honor BookALSC Notable Children's BookA BCCB Blue RibbonHorn Book Fanfare 20242025 NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Book WinnerNPR's Books We Love List 2024New York Public Library Best Book 2024Chicago Public Library Best of the Best...

A picture book that tells the important story of Chico Mendes, who led the fight to protect the Amazon rainforest and demand fair treatment for the people whose livelihoods depended on it Chico Mendes lived in the depths of the Amazon rainforest where...

An inspiring picture book about Rosa Bonheur, the most famous female painter of her century, published to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the artist's birth In a stunning ode to underrepresented women everywhere, award-winning illustrator Ruth...

A picture book that tells the important story of Chico Mendes, who led the fight to protect the Amazon rainforest and demand fair treatment for the people whose livelihoods depended on it. Chico Mendes lived in the depths of the Amazon rainforest where...

The inspiring true story of Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who has become an international activist for universal education, with beautiful collage illustrations by award-winning artist Susan L. Roth.Growing up in the Swat Valley of Pakistan,...

The story of how Ashoka the Fierce became known as Ashoka the Great. As a boy, Ashoka was overlooked as a successor to his father, the emperor. He grew to become arrogant, impatient, and above all, angry. Wanting nothing more than to be king, Ashoka...

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award Honor - American Library Association (ALA) NAACP Image Awards Nominee - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)A biography of African American jazz virtuoso Melba Doretta Liston, a...

Hilarious childhood biographies and full-color illustrations show how Tiger Woods, Gabby Douglas, Bruce Lee, Billie Jean King, and other budding sports champions faced kid-sized challenges growing up. Forget the gold medals, the championships, and the...

This groovy, bebopping, music picture book biography chronicles legendary jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins's search for inspiration on the Williamsburg Bridge after quitting the jazz scene in 1959. Rollins is one of the most prolific sax players in the...

With evocative black-and-white illustrations and moving prose, readers are introduced to jazz-music legend and civil-rights activist Nina Simone. A stunning picture-book biography of the High Priestess of Soul and one of the greatest voices of the 20th...

George loved words. Enslaved and forced to work long hours, he was unable to attend school or learn how to read. But he was determined―he listened to the white children's lessons and learned the alphabet. Then he taught himself to read. Soon, he...

This autobiographical, bilingual picture book recounts the author's rise from migrant farm worker to astronaut!

In luminous paintings and arresting poems, two of children's literature's top African-American scholars track Arturo Schomburg's quest to correct history. Where is our historian to give us our side? Arturo asked. Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and...

Caldecott Medal winner Emily Arnold McCully delivers a charming picture book following the life of prolific composer and musician Franz Schubert through the eyes of the friends who helped him find success. Franz Schubert was only eleven when he...

Little Leaders meets Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls in this gorgeous nonfiction picture book that introduces readers to nineteen powerhouse Muslim women who rose up and made their voices heard. Long ago, Muslim women rode into battle to defend their...