Biographies

Conkling, Winifred. Heroism Begins with Her: Inspiring Stories of Bold, Brave, and Gutsy Women

From the Revolutionary War to present day, women have proudly served in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard as nurses, pilots, engineers, soldiers, and more. They dressed as men, worked for little pay and no benefits, and endured prejudice to break down barriers and earn their place beside their fellow servicemen. 

The Fierce 44: Black Americans Who Shook Up the World

A dynamic and hip collective biography that presents 44 of America's greatest movers and shakers from Frederick Douglass to Aretha Franklin to Barack Obama, written by ESPN's TheUndefeated.com and illustrated with dazzling portraits by Rob Ball.

Hamilton, Bethany. Soul Surfer

Bethany Hamilton shares the story of her lifelong love of surfing, and tells how she was able to recover and return to competition with the help of her family, friends, and faith after losing her arm in a shark attack at the age of thirteen.

Ignotofsky, Rachel. Women in Sports: 50 Fearless Athletes Who Played to Win

A richly illustrated and inspiring book, Women in Sports highlights the achievements and stories of fifty notable women athletes from the1800s to today, including trailblazers, Olympians, and record-breakers in more than forty sports. 

Kelly, Scott. Endurance: My Year in Space and How I Got There

Adapted from the memoir of NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, who spent a record-breaking year in space. 

Rubin, Susan Goldman. Maya Lin: Thinking with her Hands

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., is one of the most famous pieces of civic architecture in the world. But most people are not as familiar with the reserved college student who entered and won the design competition to build it. This accessible biography tells the story of Maya Lin, from her struggle to stick with her vision of the memorial to the wide variety of works she has created since then. 

Sweet, Melissa. Some Writer!: The Story of E.B. White

This biography presents an account of E.B. White's life and career through personal letters, photographs, family ephemera, and original artwork, while offering glimpses into the origins of his iconic works. This authorized tribute, a New York Times bestseller, includes an afterword by Martha White, his granddaughter.

Wallmark, Laurie. Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code

Grace Hopper coined the term "computer bug" and taught computers to "speak English." Throughout her life, Hopper succeeded in doing what no one had ever done before. Delighting in difficult ideas and in defying expectations, the insatiably curious Hopper truly was a role model for science- and math-minded girls and boys. 

Weatherford, Carole Boston. Schomburg: The Man Who Built a Library

Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and artists of the Harlem Renaissance stood an Afro-Puerto Rican named Arturo Schomburg. This law clerk's life's passion was to collect books, letters, music, and art from Africa and the African diaspora and bring to light the achievements of people of African descent through the age.

Wittenstein, Barry. A Place to Land: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation

The true story behind the writing of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. 

Yousafzai, Malala. I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World (Young Readers Edition)

Malala Yousafzai's describes her fight for education for girls under Taliban rule, the support she received from her parents to pursue an education, and how the Taliban retaliated against her by trying to kill her.