Biography Selections

I HAVE LIVED A THOUSAND YEARS Livia E. Bitton-Jackson*
Thirteen-year-old Elli Friedmann's life is turned upside down when the Nazis invade her homeland and send her family to a concentration camp (Often listed as Jackson, Livia Bitton)

AN AMERICAN HERO Barry Denenberg
Charles Lindbergh's keen interest in aviation led him in 1927, to become the first to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Tragedy hit this international hero when his young son was Kidnapped and killed. Though he devoted his life to furthering the science of aviation and conservation, Lindbergh's image was tarnished by his unpopular views about World War II. Another excellent biography about Lindbergh is Lindbergh: A Human Hero by James Cross Giblin (Clarion Books, 1997.)

SAMUEL ADAMS: FATHER OF AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE Dennis B. Fradin
This is a vivid, engaging and detailed life of the life of the famous statesman, Samuel Adams, who devoted his life to creating and driving the public toward American independence. Although the author clearly admires Adams, he does not shy away from addressing the politician’s less flattering sides.

THE ABRACADABRA KID: A WRITER’S LIFE Sid Fleischman
In his humorous autobiography, Fleischman tells of his childhood fascination with magic. His love of magic, his travels with a vaudevillian magic show, unusual events and people in his life were inspirations for children’s stories to follow. At various times, Fleischman served in the Navy, and then worked as a magazine writer, news journalist, and writer of Hollywood screenplays. The crowning of his literary career has been the Newbery Award of Excellence.

I WAS BORN A SLAVE: THE STORY OF HARRIET JACOBS, Jennifer Fleischner
Reveals the life of North Carolina slave Harriet Jacobs, who suffered many injustices and spent years in hiding before being freed.

RED SCARF GIRL: A MEMOIR OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION Ji-Li Jiang
Ji-Li Jiang was an outstanding student with an outstanding future in Chairman Mao 's New China. Then, the Cultural Revolution – which defined intelligence and a wealthy family background as causes for persecution - brought terror into this twelve-year-olds life when her family was humiliated by friends and neighbors, her father was arrested and her mother's health failed.

ELIZABETH BLACKWELL: A DOCTOR'S TRIUMPH Nancy Kline,
Elizabeth Blackwell, through sheer grit and determination, overcame the opposition of Victorian society to become the first woman doctor. She also aided women’s rights and health by founding clinics and training others.

YOUNG, BLACK, AND DETERMINED: A BIOGRAPHY OF LORRAINE HANSBERRY, Patricia McKissack
Activist, essayist and dramitist, Lorrain Hansberry became the first black woman to ever have a play, A Raisin in the Sun, produced on Broadway.

KAFFIR BOY: THE TRUE STORY OF A BLACK YOUTH'S COMING OF AGE IN APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA Mark Mathabane
This gripping, inspiring story describes life in a black only slum, growing up in a 15 by 15 foot shack with no electricity or running water, fearful of violent attacks, with little hope for the future. Mathabane, through education and determination, manages to rise above the hatred and evil to escape the horrors of apartheid.

FOUR PERFECT PEBBLES Lila Perl
Marion Blumenthal believed that she and her family would survive life in Bergen-Belsen if only she could find four pebbles that were exactly the same. Silly? Her brother thought so, but the search kept Marion alive through days of unbelievable horror in the Nazi concentration camp and on the infamous "Death Train" until her liberation by allied troops in 1945.

These young adult titles have been selected by a committee of young Adult Librarians in Monroe County. Selections were based upon the excellent quality of the writing as well as on popular appeal. These and other fine biographies for teenagers are available at your local public library.

You'll also want to read…

Berger, Phil. Mickey Mantle Park Lane Press (A&E Books), 1998.

Cooper, Michael L. The Double V Campaign: African Americans and World War II, Lodestar 1998.

Franklin, V.P. Martin Luther King, Jr., Park Lane Press (A&E Books), 1998.

Freedman, Russell. Martha Graham. Clarion, 1998.

Hall, Jonathan and Rob Meyer, Mark McGwire: A Biography Archway, 1998.

Leapman, Michael. Witness to War: Eight True‑life Stories of Nazi Persecution. Viking Press, 1998.

Partridge, Elizabeth. Restless Spirit: The Life and Work of Dorothea Lange. Viking, 1998.

Reisfeld, Randi. Prince William: The Boy Who Will Be King . Archway, 1998.

Satter, James. Journalists Who Made History. Oliver Press, 1998. (Profiles)

Severance, John B. Thomas Jefferson, Architect of Democracy. Clarion, 1998.

Woog, Adam. Steven Spielberg. Lucent Books, 1998.