Tag Archives: Biography

Elem. – I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams

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Moore, Tunisia. I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams. Illustrated by Robert Paul, Jr. Scholastic Press, 2023. 978-1-338-776171. 32 p. $19.99. Grades K-3.

This book follows a young boy as he meets 10 black heroes, both historical and more contemporary. As the main character goes through the book and meets each of these people, he discusses characteristics from each person. He channels his inner Mamba, like Kobe Bryant; he channels his inner Black Panther like Chadwick Boseman. At the end of this book, there is a short biography of each figure that is mentioned in the book. There also is an author’s note as well which gives more context to the book.

THOUGHTS: Overall, this is a wonderful book that is a great addition to any elementary school collection. There also is a female centered book coming from this author, as mentioned in the beginning of the book as this title only has male figures.

Picture Book

YA – Rise Up and Sing: Power, Protest, and Activism in Music

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Warner, Andrea. Rise Up and Sing: Power, Protest, and Activism in Music. Greystone Kids, 2023. 978-1-77164-898-1. 299 p. $19.95. Grades 6-12.

This book is a collection of musicians as role models through highlighting the power of music to help change the world. Some of the artists featured are: Bob Dylan, Billie Elish, Beyonce, Lil Nas X, Lady Gaga, Bob Marley, and more. The book covers the social and environmental issues that each artist has brought to the attention of their fans. Climate change, the environment, decolonization, indigenous rights, civil rights, racial justice, disability rights, feminism, gender equality, nonbinary folks, anti-war movement, and human rights are all discussed through the artists’ lyrics and dedication to bring these issues to the forefront of their listeners.

THOUGHTS: An impressive collection of artists and their quest to bring awareness and justice to the world we live in are shared in this title.

781.64 Western Popular Music

Elem. – Cookie Queen: How One Girl Started Tate’s Bake Shop

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King, Kathleen, and Lowey Bundy Sichol. Cookie Queen: How One Girl Started Tate’s Bake Shop. Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki. Random House, 2023. 978-0-593-48566-1. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

Who doesn’t love to eat a good treat, especially a freshly baked cookie? Young readers will learn a lot about persistence from eleven year old Kathleen Tate’s (founder of Tate’s Bake Shop) determination to bake the perfect cookie. Kathleen’s father makes her a deal where she can keep the money she earns. All she has to do is bake and sell cookies at their farm stand every day that summer. With a desire to create the perfect thin and crispy cookie and motivation to use her earnings to get new clothes for school, Kathleen tweaks the recipe each day with “A little more flour. A lot more salt. A little less sugar.” When the recipe was “Still not right….she tried again.” All along the way Kathleen’s dad Tate supports and encourages her quest for the right recipe. Tasting cookies from every farm stand gives Kathleen the perfect idea, but how will she execute her plan, and will customers like them?

THOUGHTS: Young readers will be hungry for a warm chocolate chip cookie after reading this book. This picture book biography is a great addition for elementary collections, especially those looking for unique biography subjects not commonly featured. Readers will be inspired by Kathleen’s entrepreneurship, which begins at a young age and eventually leads to her successful business.

Picture Book

Elem – Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood

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Marshall, Linda Elovitz. Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood. Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. 978-0-593-37759-8. Unpaged. Grades 2-5. $18.99.

Although many are familiar with the scientist Marie Curie, few know the accomplishments of her older sister Bronia. The girls grew up in Poland and loved learning. They even went to a secret university, since women were not allowed to attend college at that time. Eventually, they were accepted at the Sorbonne in Paris, but they could not afford to go together. The siblings made a pact and agreed that Bronia would go first to study medicine and after her studies were finished, it would be Marie’s turn. Marie loved her time in Paris and enjoyed studying chemistry, physics, and math. After graduation, she shared a laboratory with another scientist, Pierre Curie, and they eventually married. Together they ascertained the process of radioactivity for which the couple and another scientist won the Nobel Prize in Physics. Later the widowed Marie won her second Nobel Prize, this one in chemistry, for discovering two new elements.  Bronia and her husband returned to Poland and opened a hospital. Then Marie invented the X-Ray machine, which both she and Bronia used during WWI to help soldiers with their gunshot wounds and other injuries. After the war, Curie opened a Radium Institute in Paris and later another one in Bronia’s hospital in Warsaw, both designed to treat patients with cancer. These two sisters made a pact and overcame adversity to make advancements in both science and medicine. The back matter includes a timeline, a list of suggested print and digital resources, and an author’s note. Interestingly, the illustrations were created by Anna and Elena Balbasso, who happen to be twin sisters from Italy. The award-winning pair uses a variety of media in their detailed drawings, which help make the storyline come alive. 

THOUGHTS: The story of the lives of these sisters shows the power of science and working together. It is a good choice in science or STEM units and as a read aloud during Women’s History Month. Perhaps their story will inspire children to work hard to achieve their dreams. Highly recommended for elementary collections.

Picture Book Biography
540.92 Chemistry-Biography

Elem. – Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar: The Musical Story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Woman Who Invented Rock and Roll. 

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Barlow, Charnelle Pinkney. Little Rosetta and the Talking Guitar: The Musical Story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, the Woman Who Invented Rock and Roll. Doubleday Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-593-57106-4. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-2.

Born in Arkansas in 1915, Rosetta Tharpe grew up surrounded by music. Her mother, a preacher, sang and played the mandolin and piano at home and at church. Her small rural town held weekly concerts where the young African-American girl enjoyed “clappin’ and twirlin’, dancin’ and singin’ “ to the rhythm of the music. When she was four, her mother gave her an acoustic guitar. Little Rosetta began to practice day and night by mimicking the sounds she heard around  her, such as  the “whirrrr” of a sewing machine, the clank of pots and pans and the “rummmmm” of a vacuum. She carried the guitar everywhere, and soon the efforts of all her hard work began to show. Rosetta was making music and people in town began tapping, humming, and snapping to the rhythm that her fast fingering made on the guitar. Within two years, she was a skilled acoustic guitarist. Sister Tharpe, as she later was known, began traveling around the world playing her unique style of music – a little bit Gospel, a little bit Jazz, and a little bit of Blues. She made the guitar “talk” by her incomparable style of fingerpicking. Her hit called “Rock Me” influenced other musicians like Elvis Presley and Rosetta became known as the “Godmother of Rock and Roll.” The author’s note gives more details of the guitarist’s life and includes a photo. Barlow has created striking colorful images using painted paper collage and adding pieces of cotton string for the guitar.

THOUGHTS: This gem of a book shines the light on a musical artist who has not always received the recognition she deserves. Her perseverance and passion for music may inspire budding young musicians, who would enjoy watching a portion of her “Didn’t It Rain” live performance from 1964. Pair this picture book with Troy Andrews’s Trombone Shorty for a truly musical storytime. Highly recommended.

Picture Book Biography
787.87166 Guitars, 921

Elem. – Ketanji Brown Jackson: A Justice for All

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Charles, Tami. Ketanji Brown Jackson: A Justice for All. Illustrated by Jemma Skidmore. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-6659-3526-5. $18.99. Grades K-3. Unpaged.

In 2022, Ketanji Onyika Brown Jackson became the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. In this picture book biography, the author has outlined Jackson’s life from childhood to law school to her appointment to the Supreme Court. She faced obstacles along the way, including a guidance counselor who discouraged her from applying to Ivy League schools. However, she persevered as her ancestors did before her, and she eventually succeeded. There are several direct quotes incorporated throughout the story, and important figures who paved the way for Ketanji are acknowledged. End matter includes an author’s note, important dates, brief biographies of other important figures mentioned in the story, brief descriptions of relevant court cases, and a bibliography. Colorful, eloquent illustrations done in gouache and wax pencil perfectly complement this inspirational biography.

THOUGHTS: The historic significance of Ketanji’s appointment alone gives this title merit as a consideration for purchase. The book is also perfect for elementary libraries looking to diversify their biography section.

347.73 Law, Procedure and Courts
Biography

Elem. – The First Woman Cherokee Chief Wilma Pearl Mankiller

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Buckley, Patricia Morris. The First Woman Cherokee Chief Wilma Pearl Mankiller. Random House, 2023. 978-0-593-56850-7. 48 p. $5.99. Grades 1-3. 

For many years, before European settlers arrived in America, Cherokee men and women equally shared the leadership of their nation. This created balance, which is an important idea in Native cultures. White settlers told Native people that only men should be leaders, and this shifted the balance of power for generations. Wilma Pearl Mankiller believed that the chief should be the person best suited for the job, no matter whether they were a man or a woman. Pearl was born in 1945 in Oklahoma and lived on Cherokee lands. She felt a strong connection to the natural world around her and had a hard time adjusting to her new life when her family moved to the city. After graduating from college, she made a career of helping Native people stand up for their rights. She helped Cherokee families improve their communities by fixing up houses, installing running water, and founding Native American Youth Centers. In 1987, Pearl ran for Cherokee Nation chief. Although some people did not want a female leader, she reminded them how women once had equal responsibilities in running the tribe. She ultimately was elected the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. During her ten years as chief, she welcomed new businesses, oversaw the construction of health clinics and job training centers, and built day care centers and schools.

THOUGHTS: This easy reader biography reminds young readers that anyone can be a leader and inspires them to think about how they can bring positive changes to their own communities. This title will be a solid addition to biography collections, particularly for schools trying to increase their texts on underrepresented populations.

973.04 Native Peoples in United States
Biography

YA – Work With What You Got: A Memoir

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Clark, Zion, and James S. Hirsch. Work With What You Got: A Memoir. Candlewick Press, 2023. 978-1-536-22421-4. 232 p. $18.99. Grades 7-12.

Born in prison with a rare congenital condition that left him without legs, and given up by his drug-addicted mother, Zion Clark faced a lifetime of bias and underestimation.  However, he maintains that negative stereotypes of being African American and being part of the foster care system were also large obstacles in his life.  The instability and the lack of training and oversight are two problems plaguing the foster care system, where the reality is, “who’s going to listen to a ten-year-old?” He acknowledges the help of some amazing people as he grew up: his first two foster families, his wrestling coach, and his adoptive mom. Their combined messages supporting his self-worth; determination; and hard work; combined with the outlets of music, athletics and faith, led Clark away from a gang and crime. Clark became a formidable athlete, first in wrestling, then in wheelchair road racing. Now a motivational speaker, Clark inspires others with his life story and overcomer attitude.

THOUGHTS: This honest memoir is riveting reading, appropriate for middle and high school.        

Biography

Elem. – Justice Rising: 12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement

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Russell-Brown, Katheryn. Justice Rising: 12 Amazing Black Women in the Civil Rights Movement. Viking, Illustrated by Kim Holt. 2023. 978-0-593-40354-9. unpaged. $18.99. Grades 3-5.

This biography compilation tells the story of thirteen women who were the backbone of The Civil Rights Movement. It includes a short introduction to what the movement stood for along with thirteen short biographies of women who were instrumental in the movement. We’ve all heard of Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King, but this picture book includes women such as Bernice Jognson Reagon, Gloria Richardson, and Jo Ann Robinson along with other lesser known Civil Rights figures. Includes quotes from many of the women featured as well as sources for each woman.

THOUGHTS: This is a great starting point for students interested in The Civil Rights Movement.  The illustrations are clear and bright and the information is provided in a way that makes it accessible for many.

323 Civil and Political Rights
Picture Book 

Elem. – All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson

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Weatherford, Carole Boston. All Rise: The Story of Ketanji Brown Jackson. Illustrated by Ashley Evans. Crown Books for Young Readers.  978-0-593-65016-5. 36 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

“Whatever she did, wherever she was, Ketanji Brown Jackson rose to the top.” Grounded in the refrain “she rose,” this title outlines Ketanji Brown Jackson’s journey from school girl to the first Black woman to serve as an associate justice in the U.S. Supreme Court. She learned the value of education from her parents, who always encouraged her to work hard and believe in herself. She rose to student government leadership positions in her middle school and high school, and she gained confidence as a public speaker by participating in the debate club. After graduating with honors from Harvard and continuing on to Harvard Law School, Ketanji eventually rose to her goal of becoming a federal judge. In 2022, President Biden nominated her to serve on the Supreme Court. Carole Boston Weatherford’s lyrical text is punctuated by Ashley Evans’ vibrant full-spread digital illustrations. Backmatter includes “A Letter to My Granddaughter and All of Our Daughters” by Carole Boston Weatherford and a timeline. 

THOUGHTS: This book is a nod to Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise,” and Angelou, as well as other Black women including Constance Baker Motley, Shirley Chisholm, and Mae Jemison are referenced as well. This will be a valuable and timely addition to all elementary collections. 

347.73 Civil Procedure & Courts
Biography