Picture Book Biographies

Summer Reading List
PICTURE BOOK BIOGRAPHIES
These nonfiction titles are great choices for ALL levels – for sharing aloud or
independent reading!
Prepared by: Haviva Donin Peters, Head Librarian, Ramaz Lower School
Adler,DavidA.America'schampionswimmer:GertrudeEderle.Orlando,Fla.:Harcourt,Inc.,
2005.Summary:DescribesthelifeandaccomplishmentsofGertrudeEderle,thefirstwomanto
swimtheEnglishChannelandafigureintheearlywomen'srightsmovement.
Adler,DavidA.LouGehrig:theluckiestman.SanDiego:GulliverBooks,1996.Summary:Traces
thelifeoftheYankees'starballplayer,focusingonhischaracterandhisstrugglewiththe
terminaldiseaseamyotrophiclateralsclerosis.
Berne,Jennifer.Manfish:astoryofJacquesCousteau.SanFrancisco:ChronicleBooks,c2008.
Summary:AbiographyofoceanographerJacquesCousteaufeaturingcolorfulfull-page
illustrations.Describeshowhismoviesabouttheunderwaterworldraisedawarenessabout
savingtheoceans.
Bowen,Fred.Noeasyway:thestoryofTedWilliamsandthelast.400season.NewYork:
DuttonChildren'sBooks,c2010.Summary:Anillustratedaccountofthe1941seasonwhen
baseballplayerTedWilliamshit.406,afeatthathasn'tbeenrepeatedsince.Describesthe
pressureonhimduringthelastdaysoftheseasonandhowhedecidednottotaketheeasyway
out.
Bryant,Jennifer.Ariverofwords:thestoryofWilliamCarlosWilliams.GrandRapids,Mich.:
EerdmansBooksforYoungReaders,2008.Summary:ThispicturebookbiographyofWilliam
CarlosWilliamstraceschildhoodeventsthatleadhimtobecomeadoctorandapoet.
Crowe,Ellie.Surferofthecentury:thelifeofDukeKahanamoku.NewYork:Lee&LowBooks,
c2007.Summary:Exploresthelife,courage,andsportsmanshipofHawaiiansurferDuke
Kahanamoku.
D'Agnese,Joseph.Blockhead:thelifeofFibonacci.NewYork:HenryHolt,2010.Summary:
TellsthestoryofLeonardoFibonacci,aboywhowasoncecalleda"blockhead"forhishabitof
daydreaming,andhisgreatmathematicaldiscoveries.
Davis,Kathryn.Mr.Ferrisandhiswheel.NewYork,NewYork:HoughtonMifflinHarcourt,
[2014].Summary:PresentsapicturebookstoryaboutGeorgeWashingtonGaleFerrisandthe
oppositionhefacedonthewaytoinventinghisfamousFerriswheel.
Glaser,Linda.Emma'spoem:thevoiceoftheStatueofLiberty.Boston[Mass.]:Houghton
MifflinBooksforChildren/HoughtonMifflinHarcourt,2010.Summary:ThestoryofEmma
Lazarus,who,despiteherlifeofprivilege,becameatirelessadvocatefortheimmigrantswho
arrivedinNewYorkCityinthe1880sandwroteafamouspoemfortheStatueofLiberty.
Golenbock,Peter.HankAaron:braveineveryway.Orlando:VoyagerBooks,2005.Summary:
AbiographyoftheHallofFamebaseballplayerwhobrokeBabeRuth'scareerhomerunrecord.
Greenberg,Jan.ActionJackson.NewYork:SquareFish,2007.Summary:ImaginesJackson
Pollockatworkduringthecreationofoneofhispaint-swirledandsplatteredcanvasses.
Heiligman,Deborah.Theboywholovedmath:theimprobablelifeofPaulErdos.NewYork,
NewYork:RoaringBrookPress,[2013].Summary:PresentsabiographyofPaulErdos,exploring
hisloveofmathandnumbersandrevealinghowheeventuallybecameoneoftheworld'smost
accomplishedmathematicians.
Landmann,Bimba.IamMarcChagall.GrandRapids,Mich.:EerdmansBooksforYoungReaders,
2006.Summary:Picturebookbiographytracingthelifeoftwentieth-centurypainter,Marc
Chagall.ChartshislifefromhischildhoodinVitebsk,Russiaandhis1941emigrationtotheU.S.
throughhisreturntoFranceafterthewarandhisworkinNice,Jerusalem,Chicago,andNew
York.Includesthree-dimensionalillustrationshighlightingkeyinfluencesonhislifeandart.
Macy,Sue.Basketballbelles:howtwoteamsandonescrappyplayerputwomen'shoopsonthe
map.NewYork:HolidayHouse,c2011.Summary:DescribeshowAgnesMorleyledher
StanfordUniversitybasketballteamtothefirsteverwomen'scollegebasketballchampionship.
Includesatimeline,author'snote,andfurtherresources.
Malaspina,Ann.Heartonfire:SusanB.Anthonyvotesforpresident.Chicago,Ill.:Albert
Whitman&Co,2012.Summary:ShowcasesSusanB.Anthony'sillegalvotinginthepresidential
electionof1872andexamineshowhersubsequentarrestandtrialhelpedshapethesuffrage
movement.
McCarthy,Meghan.Strongman:thestoryofCharlesAtlas.NewYork:A.A.Knopf,c2007.
Summary:Usesacomicstripformatandsimplesentencestopresentthelifeofstrongman
CharlesAtlas.Focusesonhischildhood,friendships,lifeonthestreets,smallsize,andhowhe
trainedtogetstrongerbuildinghisownweightsanddevelopinghisownexercisesLateronAtlas
enteredseveralcompetitionsanddevelopedhisownfitnesssystemknownas"Dynamic
Tension."
McCully,EmilyArnold.MarvelousMattie:howMargaretE.Knightbecameaninventor.New
York:FarrarStrausGiroux,2006.Summary:Althoughshelivedinatimewhenpeoplebelieved
thatwomencouldn'tunderstandmechanicalequipment,MattieKnightinventedandpatenteda
machinethatmadepaperbagswhicharestillprocessedtoday.
Moss,Marissa.Nurse,soldier,spy:thestoryofSarahEdmonds,aCivilWarhero.NewYork:
AbramsBooksforYoungReaders,2011.Summary:PresentsthestoryofSarahEmmaEdmonds,
awomandisguisedasamanwhojoinedtheMichiganinfantryduringtheCivilWarandbecame
aspyfortheUnionArmy.IncludesphotosofSarahdressedinawoman'sclothingandalsoas
themanknownasFrankThompson.Providesaglossaryandanindex.
Murphy,ClaireRudolf.MarchingwithAuntSusan:SusanB.Anthonyandthefightforwomen's
suffrage.Atlanta:Peachtree,c2011.Summary:Notallowedtogohikingwithherfatherand
brothersbecausesheisagirl,Bessielearnsaboutwomen'srightswhensheattendsasuffrage
rallyledbySusanB.Anthony.
Nivola,ClaireA.PlantingthetreesofKenya:thestoryofWangariMaathai.NewYork:Farrar,
Straus,andGiroux,2008.Summary:PresentsthestoryofWangariMaathaiwholeftKenyato
gotocollegeinAmerica.Whenshereturnedhomeshewasstruckbyhowtheclearingofland
hadharmedboththelandandthepeopleofKenya.Shestartedamovementtoreforestthe
nation.
Pinborough,Jan.MissMoorethoughtotherwise:howAnneCarrollMoorecreatedlibrariesfor
children.Boston:HoughtonMifflinBooksforChildren,2013.Summary:Presentsapicturebook
biographyofAnneCarrollMoorewhopromotedtheideaofachildren'sroominNewYork
publiclibraries.Describesherpioneeringeffortsandlegacytoday.
Pinkney,AndreaDavis.DukeEllington:thepianoprinceandhisorchestra.NewYork:Jumpat
theSun/HyperionPaperbacksforChildren,2007.Summary:Abriefrecountingofthecareerof
thisjazzmusicianandcomposerwho,alongwithhisorchestra,createdmusicthatwasbeyond
category.
Potter,Alicia.Jubilee!:oneman'sbig,bold,andvery,veryloudcelebrationofpeace.
Somerville,Massachusetts:CandlewickPress,2014.Summary:AftertheCivilWarends,a
youngmannamedPatrickSarsfieldGilmoreorganizesandhoststhelargest,loudest,and
longestconcerttheworldhadknownuptothen.Hecalleditapeacejubilee.
Rodríguez,Rachel.Buildingonnature:thelifeofAntoniGaudí.NewYork:H.Holt,2009.
Summary:ContainsabiographyforyoungreadersonthelifeofAntoniGaudiandhis
architecturalinfluencesaroundtheworld.Includescolorillustrations.
Rosenstock,Barb.Thestreak:howJoeDiMaggiobecameAmerica'shero.Honesdale,
Pennsylvania:CalkinsCreek,[2014].Summary:Chroniclesthesummerof1941whenYankee
baseballplayerJoeDiMaggiowentonastreakoffifty-sixhits,settingtherecordthatstands
today.Includesnewspaperheadlines,quotes,andstatistics.
Rosenstock,Barbara.ThomasJeffersonbuildsalibrary.Honesdale,Pennsylvania:CalkinsCreek,
[2013].Summary:ChroniclesThomasJefferson'seffortstoreadandcollectbooksfromhis
childhoodthroughhisadultyears.Revealshowhishobbyeventuallyenabledhimtobuilda
librarytohouseallhisbooksandhowthislibraryeventuallybecamethegroundworkforthe
LibraryofCongressinWashington,D.C.
Rubin,SusanGoldman.JeanLafitte:thepiratewhosavedAmerica.NewYork:AbramsBooks
forYoungReaders,2011.Summary:ExaminesthelifeofpirateJeanLaffite,aJewishprivateer
whosailedtheseasoftheCaribbeanpreyinguponSpanishvessels.Afterbeingmarooned,an
Americanshipcameandsavedhim,andeversinceLaffiteshowedloyaltytotheUnitedStates,
mostnotablyinhisdefeatoftheBritishintheBattleofNewOrleansintheWarof1812.
Rusch,Elizabeth.Fortheloveofmusic:theremarkablestoryofMariaAnnaMozart.Berkeley
[Calif.]:TricyclePress,c2011.Summary:Depictsthelifeandmusicaltalentofthesisterof
WolfgangMozartanddescribesherloveofmusic.BothMariaandWolfgangweredeclaredchild
geniusesontheirpianorecitalsthroughoutEurope.Includescolorillustrationsandashort
biographyofMariaMozart.
Schroeder,Alan.BenFranklin:hiswitandwisdomfromAtoZ.NewYork:HolidayHouse,2011.
Summary:AcollectionofalphabeticalentriesdescribingBenFranklin'slife,accomplishments,
andanecdotes.
Stone,TanyaLee.Whosayswomencan'tbedoctors?:ThestoryofElizabethBlackwell.New
York:Holt,2013.Summary:AnintroductiontothelifeandachievementsofthefirstAmerican
femaledoctordescribesthelimitedcareerprospectsavailabletowomenintheearly
nineteenth-century,theoppositionBlackwellfacedwhilepursuingamedicaleducation,andher
pioneeringmedicalcareerthatopeneddoorsforfuturegenerationsofwomen.
White,LindaArms.Icoulddothat:EstherMorrisgetswomenthevote.NewYork:Farrar,
StrausandGiroux,2005.Summary:In1869,awomanwhose"can-do"attitudehadshapedher
lifewasinstrumentalinmakingWyomingthefirststatetoallowwomentovote,thenbecame
thefirstwomantoholdpublicofficeintheUnitedStates.
Wing,Natasha.Aneyeforcolor:thestoryofJosefAlbers.NewYork:HenryHolt&Co,2009.
Summary:AbiographyofartistJosefAlberswhoseexperimentswithcolorcombinations
changedtheartworld.
Wise,Bill.Silentstar:thestoryofdeafmajorleaguerWilliamHoy.NewYork:Lee&LowBooks,
c2012.Summary:Depictslate-nineteenth-centurybaseballstarWilliamHoywhosucceededin
makinghisdreamcometruetoplayinthemajorleaguesinspiteofbeingdeaf.Describeshimas
oneofthemostinspirationalbaseballplayersandanexampleofpersistence,drive,and
determination.