Abraham
Lincoln
Born to a family of farmers,
Pablo Picasso
Over a long, turbulent life, Picasso continually discovered
new ways of seeing the world and translating it into art. A restless genius, he
went through a blue period, a rose period, and a Cubist phase. He made
collages, sculptures out of everyday objects, and beautiful ceramic plates.
Ferdinand Magellan
When Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Spain
in 1519, he believed he could get to the Spice Islands by sailing west through
or around the New World. He was right, but what he didn't know was that the
treacherous voyage would take him three years and cost him his life. Black-and-white
line drawings illustrate Magellan's life and voyage, with sidebars and a time
line that enhance readers' understanding of the period.
Thomas Alva Edison:
One day in 1882, Thomas Edison flipped a switch that
lit up lower Manhattan with incandescent light and changed the way people live
ever after. The electric light bulb was only one of thousands of Edison’s
inventions, which include the phonograph and the kinetoscope,
an early precursor to the movie camera. As a boy, observing a robin catch a
worm and then take flight, he fed a playmate a mixture of worms and water to
see if she could fly! Here’s an accessible, appealing biography with 100
black-and-white illustrations.
Albert Einstein:
Everyone has heard of Albert Einstein-but what
exactly did he do? How much do kids really know about Albert Einstein besides
the funny hair and genius label? For instance, do they know that he was
expelled from school as a kid? Finally, here's the story of Albert Einstein's
life, told in a fun, engaging way that clearly explores the world he lived in
and changed.
Charles Darwin:
As a young boy, Charles Darwin hated school and
was often scolded forconducting “useless”
experiments. Yet his passion for the natural world was so strong that he
suffered through terrible seasickness during his five-year voyage aboard The
Beagle. Darwin collected new creatures from the coasts of Africa, South
America, and the Galapagos Islands, and expanded his groundbreaking ideas that
would change people's understanding of the natural world. About 100
illustrations and a clear, exciting text will make Darwin and his theory of
evolution an exciting discovery for every young reader.
Mark Twain:
A humorist, narrator, and social observer, Mark
Twain is unsurpassed in American literature. Best known as the author of The
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, not unlike his protagonist, Huck,
has a restless spirit. He found adventure prospecting for silver in Nevada,
navigating steamboats down the Mississippi, and making people laugh around the
world. But Twain also had a serious streak
and decried racism and injustice. His fascinating life is captured candidly in
this enjoyable biography.
Ben Franklin:
Was the scientist who, with the help of a kite,
discovered that lightning is electricity. He
was also a statesman, an inventor, a printer, and an author-a man of such
amazingly varied talents that some people claimed he had magical powers! Full
of all the details kids will want to know, the true story of Benjamin Franklin
is by turns sad and funny, but always honest and awe-inspiring.
William Shakespeare:
The beloved plays of Shakespeare are still
produced everywhere, yet the life of the world's most famous playwright remains
largely a mystery. Young Will left the town of Stratford to pursue theater in
London, where his work eventually thrived and made him a famous and wealthy
man. With black-and-white illustrations that include a diagram of the famous Globe theater, Celeste Davidson Mannis puts
together the pieces of Shakespeare's life and work for young readers.
Steve Jobs:
Adopted in infancy
by a family in
Neil Armstrong:
On
Anne Frank:
In her amazing diary, Anne Frank revealed the
challenges and dreams common for any young girl. But Hitler brought her
childhood to an end and forced her and her family into hiding. Who Was Anne
Frank? looks closely at Anne’s life before
the secret annex, what life was like in hiding, and the legacy of her diary.
Black-and-white illustrations including maps and diagrams provide historical
and visual reference in an easy-to-read biography written in a way that is
appropriate and accessible for younger readers.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Born in Austria in 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
composed his first piece of music, a minuet, when he was just five years old!
Soon after, he was performing for kings and emperors. Although he died at the
young age of thirty-five, Mozart left a legacy of more than 600 works. This
fascinating biography charts the musician's extraordinary career and personal
life while painting a vivid cultural history of eighteenth-century Europe.
Black-and-white illustrations on every spread explore such topics as the history
of opera and the evolution of musical instruments. There is also a timeline and
a bibliography.
Helen Keller:
At age two, Helen Keller became deaf and blind.
She lived in a world of silence and darkness and she spent the rest of her life
struggling to break through it. But with the help of teacher Annie Sullivan,
Helen learned to read, write, and do many amazing things. This inspiring
illustrated biography is perfect for young middle-grade readers.
Black-and-white line drawings throughout, sidebars on related topics such as
Louis Braille, a timeline, and a bibliography enhance readers' understanding of
the subject.
Leonardo Da Vinci:
Was a gifted
painter, talented musician, and dedicated scientist and inventor, designing
flying machines, submarines, and even helicopters. Yet he had a hard time finishing things, a problem
anyone can relate to. Only thirteen paintings are known to be his;
as for the illustrated encyclopedia he intended to create, all that he left
were thousands of disorganized notebook pages. Here is an accessible
portrait of a fascinating man who lived at a fascinating time—Italy during the
Renaissance.