If you think biographies are just for school reports on famous (mostly dead) people, I’m here to tell you – they are so much more!
The biography section of the library is full of tales that will inspire, excite, inform, and delight readers of all ages. And they are all true! Biographies provide material for students just learning how to write reports, students exploring areas of interest, and for older students discovering lives that could influence their future careers.
Some of the best new books being published are beautifully illustrated biographies. These books introduce us to inspiring people whose stories may not have been told before. Reading about people who have a different life experience builds empathy and creates awareness of a world beyond what you experience every day.
The popular “Who Was…” series covers a wide range of subjects you can explore. If you like that biography series, She Persisted, Little People Big Dreams, and Ordinary People Change the World are newer series that are great sources for inspiration and learning.
One of my favorite biographies is an autobiography written in verse by the wonderful author Jacqueline Woodson. Her book won multiple awards including a Coretta Scott King, National Book, and Newbery Award. It’s a moving story of a young woman growing up dividing her time between South Carolina and New York in the 1960s and 1970s amid Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights movement. Her rich experiences inform her autobiography as well as her many other books for children and adults. Jacqueline Woodson was born to write, and we are lucky to get to read her work.
Find this, and many other excellent books for all ages, when you explore the biography wall in the Youth Department. Take a look at the New books on display as well as the rotating display highlighting new subjects every month.