Easy Biographies

Here are some easy reading biographies for kids!

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A Ben Of All Trades : The Most Inventive Boyhood Of Benjamin Franklin

Author(s):

Michael J. Rosen
Matt Tavares

Description:

"Young Benjamin Franklin wants to be a sailor, but his father won't hear of it. The other trades he tried bored him through and through. But each time he fails to find a career, he took some important bit of knowledge with him, and that tendency is exactly what made him the versatile genius we remember today." -- inside front jacket flap.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Ros

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Bartali's Bicycle : The True Story Of Gino Bartali, Italy's Secret Hero

Author(s):

Megan Hoyt
Iacopo Bruno

Description:

Gino Bartali pedaled across Italy for years, winning one cycling race after another, including the 1938 Tour de France. Gino became an international sports hero! But the next year, World War II began, and it changed everything. Soldiers marched into Italy. Tanks rolled down the cobbled streets of Florence. And powerful leaders declared that Jewish people should be arrested. To the entire world, Gino Bartali was merely a champion cyclist. But Gino's greatest achievement was something he never told a soul--that he secretly worked with the Italian resistance to save hundreds of Jewish men, women, and children, and others, from certain death, using the one thing no authority would question: his bicycle.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Hoy

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Changes : An Oral History Of Tupac Shakur

Author(s):

Sheldon Pearce
Heather Alicia Simms
Robin Miles
Fred Sanders
Cary Hite

Description:

An intimate, revealing account of Tupac Shakur's life and legacy, timed to the fiftieth anniversary of his birth and twenty-fifth anniversary of his death. In the summer of 2020, Tupac Shakur's single "Changes" became an anthem for the worldwide protests against the murder of George Floyd. The song was vaulted back onto the iTunes charts more than twenty years after its release--making it clear that Tupac's music and the way it addresses systemic racism, police brutality, mass incarceration, income inequality, and a failing education system is just as important now as it was back then. Sheldon Pearce interviews dozens who knew Tupac throughout various phases of his life. The book focuses on the individuals who are lesser known and offer fresh stories and rare insight. Their voices combine to portray Tupac in all his complexity and contradiction. This book illustrates not only how he changed during his brief twenty-five years on this planet, but how he forever changed the world-- From publisher's website.

Format:

Audiobook

Call Number:

781.649 Pea

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Dream Builder : The Story Of Architect Philip Freelon

Author(s):

Kelly Starling author Lyons
Laura (Illustrator) Freeman
Philip G. Freelon

Description:

"A biography of Philip Freelon, whose rich family history and deep understanding of Black culture brought him to the role of lead architect for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture"-- Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Lyo

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Finish Strong : Seven Marathons, Seven Continents, Seven Days

Author(s):

Dave McGillivray
Nancy Feehrer
illustrator Shululu (Hui Li)

Description:

"Finish Strong: Seven Marathons on Seven Continents in Seven Days is the inspiring true story of Dave McGillivray's epic marathon experience! In 2018, McGillivray formed a team called "Hold the Plane" to enter the World Marathon Challenge. The first stop was a desert. And not the kind of desert that has lots of sand and cacti. No, the first marathon took place in Antarctica! From there, Team Hold the Plane flew to Cape Town, South Africa; Perth, Australia; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Lisbon, Portugal; Cartagena, Columbia; and finally, Miami, Florida, United States!"--Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E McG

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If You Want A Friend In Washington

Author(s):

Erin McGill

Description:

"A clever, funny, and informative look at the pets--from Calvin Coolidge's wallaby to Teddy Roosevelt's flying squirrels--that have passed through the White House gates."-- Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E McG

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June Almeida, Virus Detective! : The Woman Who Discovered The First Human Coronavirus

Author(s):

Suzanne Slade
Elisa Paganelli

Description:

"Scientist June Almeida's skill in using the electron microscope helped identify viruses, and when she was 34 years old, she discovered the first human coronavirus"-- Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Sla

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Just Being Dalí : The Story Of Artist Salvador Dalí

Author(s):

Amy Guglielmo
Brett Helquist

Description:

"Salvador Dalí struggles to follow the rules and fit in with his peers, until one day he realizes that artists can be and do anything they like. This realization gives him the freedom to truly be himself"-- Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Gug

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Kate's Light : Kate Walker At Robbins Reef Lighthouse

Author(s):

Elizabeth Spires
Emily Arnold McCully

Description:

"When Kate Kaird immigrated with her young son Jacob from Germany to America in 1882, she couldn't have predicted the surprising turn her life would take. She soon met and married John Walker, keeper of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse. They moved to Robbins Reef Lighthouse in New York Harbor in 1885 and she became assistant keeper. At first Kate wondered if she could live in such a lonely place, but she gradually grew to love life at Robbins Reef. When her husband died several years later, she was determined to stay on. After convincing the Lighthouse Board that she could do the job alone, Kate was appointed permanent keeper of the lighthouse, becoming one of the first women on the Eastern seaboard to be put in charge of an offshore lighthouse. She lived there 34 years and was known for her many rescues." -- Amazon.com.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Spi

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Lady Bird Johnson, That's Who! : The Story Of A Cleaner And Greener America

Author(s):

Tracy Maurer
Ginnie Hsu

Description:

"A lively picture book biography of Lady Bird Johnson, with a focus on her environmentalist passion and legacy as First Lady"-- Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Mau

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Little Audrey's Daydream : The Life Of Audrey Hepburn

Author(s):

Sean Hepburn Ferrer
Karin Hepburn Ferrer
Dominique Corbasson
François Avril

Description:

"Meet Audrey Hepburn as you've never seen her before in Little Audrey's Daydream: The Life of Audrey Hepburn, an empowering children's book by her son and daughter-in-law, Sean and Karin Hepburn Ferrer. Little Audrey's Daydream tells the story of Audrey Hepburn's life from her own perspective as a child growing up in Belgium and Holland, and into her adult life as an actress, mother, and humanitarian. Little Audrey's Daydream is an essential addition to the library of all Audrey Hepburn fans and a beautiful introduction to the life of Audrey Hepburn for children." -- Amazon.com

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Fer

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Megan Rapinoe

Author(s):

Ma Isabel (María Isabel) Sánchez Vegara
Pauline Morgan

Description:

Discover the life of Megan Rapinoe, the world record-breaking footballer and activist. Chasing a ball in the school playground, Megan discovered her calling at a young age. Even if she didn't always fit in at school, she was a star on the field- and her teammates thought so too. Her passion, skill and leadership took Team USA to Olympic Gold and a World Cup victory, while she continues to champion women's and LGBTQ+ rights and representation in sport.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E San

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Nicky & Vera : A Quiet Hero Of The Holocaust And The Children He Rescued

Author(s):

Peter Sís

Description:

"In 1938, twenty-nine-year-old Nicholas Winton saved the lives of almost 700 children trapped in Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia-a story he never told and that remained unknown until an unforgettable TV appearance in the 1980s reunited him with some of the children he saved. Czech-American artist, MacArthur Fellow, and Andersen Award winner Peter Sís dramatizes Winton's story in this distinctive and deeply personal picture book. He intertwines Nicky's efforts with the story of one of the children he saved-a young girl named Vera, whose family enlisted Nicky's aid when the Germans occupied their country."-- Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Sis

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Osnat And Her Dove : The True Story Of The World's First Female Rabbi

Author(s):

Sigal Samuel
Vali Mintzi

Description:

Osnet, the world's first female rabbi, was born almost five hundred years ago, during a time when few girls were allowed to read. Her father was a great scholar whose house was filled with books, and she convinced him to teach her. She grew up to teach others, becoming a wise and famous scholar in her own right. -- adapted from inside front jacket flap and Amazon.com.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Sam

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Secrets Of The Sea : The Story Of Jeanne Power, Revolutionary Marine Scientist

Author(s):

Evan Griffith
Joanie Stone

Description:

The biography of Jeanne Villepreux-Power, whose curiosity about undersea life led her to pioneer the use of glass tanks for research.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Gri

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She Caught The Light : Williamina Stevens Fleming : Astronomer

Author(s):

Kathryn Lasky
Julianna Swaney

Description:

"Ever since Williamina Fleming was little she was curious, and her childhood fascination with light inspired her life's work. Mina became an astronomer in a time when women were discouraged from even looking through telescopes. Yet Mina believed that the universe, with its billions of stars, was a riddle--and she wanted to help solve it. Mina ultimately helped to create a map of the universe that paved the way for astronomers." -- Amazon.com.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Las

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Stompin' At The Savoy : How Chick Webb Became The King Of Drums

Author(s):

Moira Rose Donohue
Laura (Illustrator) Freeman

Description:

"Black American jazz drummer William Henry "Chick" Webb led one of the big bands of the swing era, earning him the nickname the "King of the Savoy.""-- Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Don

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The Aquanaut

Author(s):

Jill Heinerth
Jaime Kim

Description:

"A picture book autobiography about Jill Heinerth's experiences as a female diver, exploring life under the water."-- Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Hei

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The Boy Who Thought Outside The Box : The Story Of Video Game Inventor Ralph Baer

Author(s):

Marcie Wessels
Beatriz Castro

Description:

"A picture book biography of Ralph Baer, nicknamed "The Father of Videogames," which shows how a great inventor found a way to transform the early television set into a vehicle for gaming"-- Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Wes

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The Boy Whose Head Was Filled With Stars : A Life Of Edwin Hubble

Author(s):

Isabelle Marinov
Deborah Marcero

Description:

"How many stars are in the sky? How did the universe begin? Where did it come from? This is the story of Edwin Hubble, a boy fascinated by the stars who surmounted many hurdles to follow his dreams of becoming an astronomer. Using the insights of great mathematicians and endlessly observing the sky, he succeeded in confirming two things that altered human life forever: that there are more galaxies than our own, and that the universe is always expanding. Hubble's message to us is to find peace in the vastness of the mystery surrounding us, and to be curious. "We do now know why we are born into the world," he said, "but we can try to find out what sort of world it is.""-- Provided by publisher.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Mar

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The Fearless Flights Of Hazel Ying Lee

Author(s):

Julie Leung
Julie Kwon

Description:

An inspiring picture book biography about Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the US military.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Leu

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The Leaf Detective : How Margaret Lowman Uncovered Secrets In The Rainforest

Author(s):

Heather Lang
Jana Christy

Description:

"Meg Lowman was always fascinated by the natural world above her head. The colors, the branches, and, most of all, the leaves and mysterious organisms living there. As a scientist, Meg set out to climb up and investigate the rain forest tree canopies-- and to be the first scientist to do so. But she encountered challenge after challenge. Male teachers would not let her into their classrooms, the high canopy was difficult to get to, and worst of all, people were logging and clearing the forests. Meg never gave up or gave in. She studied, invented, and persevered, not only creating a future for herself as a scientist, but making sure that the rainforests had a future as well."-- Publisher's description.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Lan

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There Goes Patti Mcgee! : The Story Of The First Woman's National Skateboard Champion

Author(s):

Tootie Nienow
Erika Medina

Description:

Brought to life by Erika Medina's dynamic and joyful illustrations, There Goes Patti McGee! walks us through Patti first place win in the women's division of the 1964 National Skateboard Championship. She wowed the judges with with what would become her signature move--the rolling handstand. Inspiring and unapologetic, Patti McGee proves that anyone can skate.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

E Nie