Biography – Autobiography- Memoir

Game Of Freedom: Mestre Bimba And The Art Of Capoeira

An illuminating biography of Mestre Bimba, a capoeira player who used art in resistance to racial oppression, transforming a marginalized practice into a global sensation. Part art form, part martial arts, dance, music, acrobatics and spirituality, capoeira is difficult to not only to define, but declare where it originated from. It can be said, with certainty, that Brazil was the only country in the world where it was being played in the early 20th century, mainly by people of African decent.  The game was outlawed in 1890, just two years after Brazil abolished slavery, but by the early 1920s Mestre Bimba advocated for capoeira and the people who played it.

This book is part of the Worlds of Words Global Reading List for 2023/24.

The Astronaut With A Song For The Stars: The Story Of Dr. Ellen Ochoa (Amazing Scientists)

The incredible true story of Dr. Ellen Ochoa, American space pioneer and former director of the Johnson Space Center. The daughter of immigrants, Ellen always wanted to become a professional flutist while growing up. However, those dreams changed when she got to college and discovered engineering. While she was told that engineering was not a field of study for women, she did not let that deter her from her new dreams, which ultimately led to her becoming a NASA astronaut, and the first Hispanic woman to reach outer space.

The Girl Who Heard the Music: How One Pianist and 85,000 Bottles of Cans Brought New Hope to an Island

The amazing true story of Mahani Teave, an award-winning pianist and environmental activist. After becoming an internationally acclaimed concert pianist, with tours around the world, Mahani never forgot the tiny island where she grew up, Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, and one of the most remote. Aware of the islands environmental struggles and sustainability issues with pollution from tourism, Mahani was inspired to help save its environment and culture by creating a music school. The school was built using thousands of bottles, cans and tires in its walls, incorporating rain barrels, solar panels, and a food garden. Not only does Mahani help build a sustainable future for Rapa Nui, she also ensures the music will play on.

The Girl Who Heard the Music is the WOW Recommends book for October 2023.

This book is part of the Worlds of Words Global Reading List for 2023/24.

Queen Of Leaves: The Story Of Botanist Ynes Mexia

The true story of Ynes Mexia, a Mexican-American botanist whose passion for plants led her on great expeditions, despite being in her early 50s, to gather flowers and plant samples for museums and universities around the world. Ynes went on to collect more than 100,000 specimens, including the elusive wax palm tree, which forever changed the world of botany, thus solidifying her place as the Queen of Leaves.

 

Ellen Takes Flight: The Life of Astronaut Ellen Ochoa

A biography celebrating the life of astronaut, and former director of the Johnson Space Center, Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina in Space. Graduating at the top of her high school and college classes, thanks to encouragement from her mother, Ellen went on to study electrical engineering in graduate school. By age 30 she was an accomplished engineer and when NASA started to accept women and people of color into the astronaut program, Ellen soon embarked on a new career. Her first mission was on board the Discovery, the only woman aboard the space shuttle, making Ellen the first Latina to reach outer space.

Rumi: Poet of Joy and Love

As a child, Rumi was enchanted by books and birds. He went on to become a scholar, but it was the loss of Shams, his best friend, that taught Rumi his most important realization: Love is in us and everywhere. Rumi, Persian mystic and poet, is one of the best known and widely read poets in the world. Renown Iranian-American illustrator, Rashin Kheiriyeh, brings Rumi’s wisdom and warmth to life in this picture book with its strong colors and ornamental details that transports readers to the Persian Empire of the 13th century.

This book is part of the Worlds of Words Global Reading List for 2023/24.

Friend Of Numbers: The Life of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan

Friend of Numbers tells the true story of Srinuvasa Ramanujan, who left his home of southern India in 1914 to study under the acclaimed mathematician G.H. Hardy at Cambridge University. Fascinated with numbers since he was a child, Ramanujan’s love of numbers and math keep him going despite the difficulties of adjusting to a place that is so different from home. Recognized as a genius during his time and our own, Ramanujan’s short but brilliant life is portrayed vividly in this picture book biography. The book includes back matter with an author’s note, a glossary of Ramanujan’s world, and mathematical content about number patterns and magic squares.

The Art And Life Of Hilma Af Klint

Hilma af Klimt was born in Sweden in 1862. She would grow up to be an artist, and her life would be filled with magic and mystery. Hilma lived at a time when people were fascinated by what they couldn’t see. The invention of the telegraph and telephone made it possible to communicate over long distances, and spiritualists believed it was possible to speak with the dead. When Hilma began to hear the spirits, she found a new purpose for her paintings. For nearly one hundred years her paintings were forgotten, but when they were rediscovered they changed the history of art.

Featured in WOW Review Volume XVI, Issue 2.

The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps A Thirsty Navajo Nation

Cody Is Worried When His Family On A New Mexico Navajo Reservation Runs Out Of Water, But Darlene Arviso, Called The Water Lady, Is On The Way With Her Tanker Truck. Includes Glossary Of Navajo Terms And Notes About Arviso And Life On A Reservation.

Mexikid

Pedro Martín has grown up hearing stories about his abuelito, his legendary crime-fighting, grandfather who was once a part of the Mexican Revolution! But that doesn’t mean Pedro is excited at the news that Abuelito is coming to live with their family. After all, Pedro has 8 brothers and sisters and the house is crowded enough! Still, Pedro piles into the Winnebago with his family for a road trip to Mexico to bring Abuelito home, and what follows is the trip of a lifetime, one filled with laughs and heartache. Along the way, Pedro finally connects with his abuelito and learns what it means to grow up and find his grito.

Featured in Volume XVI, Issue 3 of WOW Review.