Age: Biography

Biography genre

Blockhead: The Life of Fibonacci

By Book Importer | Published: May 25, 2010

A biography of Leonardo Fibonacci, the 12th century mathematician who discovered the numerical sequence named for him.

Other Descriptors: Italy, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9) » Themes: , , » Leave a comment

Summer Birds: The Butterflies of Maria Merian

By Book Importer | Published: May 25, 2010

This book documents the work of a young girl, Maria Merian, who lived during the Middle Ages and disproved the theory of spontaneous generation by observing caterpillars as they spun cocoons and emerged as butterflies and moths in the spring.

Other Descriptors: Early Years (ages 2-6), Europe, Germany, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9) » Themes: , , , , , » Leave a comment

Manfish: A Story Of Jacques Cousteau

By Book Importer | Published: March 30, 2010

Before Jacques Cousteau became an internationally known oceanographer and champion of the seas, he was a curious little boy. In this lovely biography, poetic text and gorgeous paintings combine to create a portrait of Jacques Cousteau that is as magical as it is inspiring.

Other Descriptors: France, Primary (ages 6-9) » Themes: , , , » Leave a comment

Mama Miti

By Book Importer | Published: March 30, 2010

One woman. One seed.One hope for the future. “Thayu nyumba” — Peace, my people. Wangari grew up in the shadow of Mount Kenya listening to the stories about the people and land around her. Though the trees towered over her, she had loved them for as long as she could remember. So strong, so beautiful, [...]

Other Descriptors: Africa, Kenya, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9) » Themes: , , , , , » 4 Comments

Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom

By Book Importer | Published: February 8, 2010

Nelson Mandela’s autobiography, LONG WALK TO FREEDOM, offers a glimpse into the mind of a great leader, admired across the globe for his dedication to the struggles against apartheid in South Africa. Now the youngest readers can discover the remarkable story of Mandela’s long walk from ordinary village boy, to his dynamic leadership of the [...]

Other Descriptors: Africa, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9), South Africa » Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , » Leave a comment

Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci

By Book Importer | Published: February 8, 2010

In 1781, Thomas Paine came up with a model for a single-span bridge; in 1887, Adolf Eugen Fick made the first pair of contact lenses; and in 1907, Paul Cornu built the first helicopter. But Leonardo da Vinci thought of all these ideas more than five hundred years ago! At once an artist, inventor, engineer, [...]

Other Descriptors: Europe, Italy, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9) » Themes: , , , , , , , » Leave a comment

Building on Nature: The Life of Antoni Gaudi

By Book Importer | Published: February 8, 2010

Antoni Gaudí grew up in Catalonia, a place of wild beauty. He moved to Barcelona to become an architect, learning the rules of form and structure that buildings were supposed to follow. Yet he never forgot the shapes and colors of his childhood home. Antoni Gaudí turned nature into art, and in the process he [...]

Other Descriptors: Europe, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9), Spain » Themes: , , , , , » Leave a comment

An Eye for Color: The Story of Josef Albers

By Book Importer | Published: February 8, 2010

As a child, Josef Albers loved to watch his handyman father paint houses.When Josef grew up and became an artist, he reduced each image to its simplest shapes, breaking it down into blocks of color. He made an incredible discovery: he could alter the entire mood of a painting just by changing the way he [...]

Other Descriptors: Europe, Germany, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9) » Themes: , , , , » Leave a comment

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution

By Rebecca Ballenger | Published: November 2, 2009

When China’s Communist Party detained Ji-li’s father, the 12-year-old was faced with the most difficult choice of her life. She could denounce her father and break with her family, or she could refuse to testify and sacrifice her future in her beloved Communist Party.

Other Descriptors: China, Intermediate (ages 9-14) » Themes: » 2 Comments

Dancing to Freedom: The True Story of Mao’s Last Dancer

By Book Importer | Published: October 1, 2009

In a poor village in northern China, a small boy named Li Cunxin was given the chance of a lifetime. Selected by Chairman Mao’s officials from among millions of children to become a dancer, Li’s new life began as he left his family behind. At the Beijing Dance Academy, days were long and difficult. Li’s [...]

Other Descriptors: China, Picture Book, Primary (ages 6-9) » Themes: , , , , , , , , » Leave a comment