Biography – Autobiography- Memoir

Rescuing the Children: The Story of the Kindertransport

This important book tells the story of how ten thousand Jewish children were rescued out of Nazi Europe just before the outbreak of World War II. They were saved by the Kindertransport — a rescue mission that transported the children (or Kinder) from Nazi-ruled countries to safety in Britain.

The book includes real-life accounts of the children and is illustrated with archival photographs, paintings of pre-war Nazi Germany by artist, Hans Jackson, and original art by the Kinder commemorating their rescue.

The Bronte Sisters: The Brief Lives of Charlotte, Emily, and Anne

The Brontë sisters are among the most beloved writers of all time, best known for their classic nineteenth-century novels Jane Eyre (Charlotte), Wuthering Heights (Emily), and Agnes Grey (Anne). In this sometimes heartbreaking young adult biography, Catherine Reef explores the turbulent lives of these literary siblings and the oppressive times in which they lived. Brontë fans will also revel in the insights into their favorite novels, the plethora of poetry, and the outstanding collection of more than sixty black-and-white archival images.

Anne Bronte
Emily Bronte
Charlotte Bronte

The Greatest Liar on Earth: A True Story

There is not a whisper when Louis de Rougemont steps onto the stage to recount his astonishing experiences on the sea and in lands far away. It is a breathtaking tale of catastrophe and miraculous events. A monster with enormous tentacles! A sea turtle big enough to ride! Fish raining from the sky! Cannibals! But critics say he is an imposter with a gift for spinning yarns. Are Louis’s tales true? Or is he the greatest liar on Earth? Bold, whimsical artwork brings to life the tale of an early-twentieth-century man who held audiences rapt while his critics dubbed him a hoaxer of the highest degree. A fun slice of history sure to inspire a lively discussion of truth, fabrication, and the gray areas in-between.

Monsieur Marceau

Marcel Marceau, the world’s most famous mime, enthralled audiences around the world for more than fifty years. When he waved his hand or lifted his eyebrow he was able to speak volumes without ever saying a word. But few know the story of the man behind those gestures…

Distinguished author Leda Schubert and award-winning artist Gerard DuBois bring their own artistry to this picturebook biography.

Saint Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis of Assisi is one of the most beloved and inspirational figures in the history of Christianity. The stunning illustrations of award-winning author, Demi, bring to life the story of this son of a rich merchant, who abandoned all his worldly goods in order to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Inspired by the remarkable example of his holiness, Saint Francis is venerated by millions of Christians around the world, no matter their denomination.

Ibn Al-Haytham: First Scientist

Ibn al-Haytham (“Alhazen” in Library of Congress cataloging) was born in Basra in 965. A Muslim who studied the works of Aristotle, Euclid, Archimedes, and Ptolemy, he developed an approach to science using experimentation and deduction and made significant observations and discoveries, particularly in the field of optics. Translations of his books influenced medieval European scientists and mathematicians from Bacon to Fermat to Kepler. Steffens notes that al-Haytham’s discovery of the cameraobscura may have changed Western art as well. Steffens has organized what is known of his subject’s life and work into a coherent narrative. He is quick to acknowledge gaps, but backs up inferences logically. Like the history of mathematics, the history of science is incomplete without an acknowledgment of early scholars in the Middle East. This clearly written introduction to al-Haytham, his society, and his contributions does that. The book concludes with a time line, source notes, a bibliography, and a list of Web sites.

Joan of Arc

A biography of the fifteenth-century peasant girl who led a French army to victory against the English and was burned at the stake for witchcraft.

No Crystal Stair

A documentary novel of the life and work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem bookseller

‘You can’t walk straight on a crooked line. You do you’ll break your leg. How can you walk straight in a crooked system?’

Lewis Michaux was born to do things his own way. When a white banker told him to sell fried chicken, not books, because Negroes don’t read,’ Lewis took five books and one-hundred dollars and built a bookstore. It soon became the intellectual center of Harlem, a refuge for everyone from Muhammad Ali to Malcolm X.

In No Crystal Stair, Coretta Scott King Award-winning author Vaunda Micheaux Nelson combines meticulous research with a storyteller’s flair to document the life and times of her great uncle Lewis Michaux, an extraordinary literacy pioneer of the Civil Rights era.

‘My life was no crystal stair, far from it. But I’m taking my leave with some pride. It tickles me to know that those folks who said I could never sell books to black people are eating crow. I’d say my seeds grew pretty damn well. And not just the book business. It’s the more important business of moving our people forward that has real meaning.’

See the review at WOW Review, Volume 5, Issue 1

The Librarian Who Measured The Earth

Describes the life and work of Eratosthenes, the Greek geographer and astronomer who accurately measured the circumference of the Earth.

Dave The Potter

To us it is just dirt, the ground we walk on…But to Daveit was clay, the plain and basic stuffupon which he formed a lifeas a slave nearly 200 years ago. Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter living in South Carolina in the 1800s. He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved onto his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave. In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal, National Book Award nominee Laban Carrick Hill’s elegantly simple text and award-winning artist Bryan Collier’s resplendent, earth-toned illustrations tell Dave’s story, a story rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty.