Biographies for kidsLike this list

18 items

• Small Steps

  the Year I Got Polio

  Kehret, Peg

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  Children's author Peg Kehret writes about having polio at 13, giving insight to life while fighting a deadly disease. A look at what life was like before the life saving polio vaccine was discovered, and also the story of a budding teenager and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Neil Armstrong

  First Man on the Moon

  Woolf, Alex, 1964-

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  Purdue graduate Neil Armstrong wasn't just an astronaut. He was also an aviator in the Navy, a test pilot, a university professor, and an aeronautical engineer. He was also the first human to set foot on the moon. When Armstrong stepped onto the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Claudette Colvin

  Twice Toward Justice

  Hoose, Phillip M., 1947-

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  A civil rights pioneer, although not many know about her. At age 15, on March 2, 1955, she was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her seat on a crowded, segregated bus. This occurred some nine months before the incident in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• My Daddy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

  King, Martin Luther, III

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  The son of one of the most famous civil rights leaders of all time gives us a peek into his special bond with his famous father. Find out what it's like to witness history, and gain special insight to one of our most famous American leaders.

• Who Was Sally Ride?

  Stine, Megan,

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  First American woman astronaut, and also the first LGBTQ American in space. A force for change, at NASA and afterwards. She was passionate about getting girls involved in the STEM fields, and founded Sally Ride Science, a foundation to encourage…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Malala

  My Story of Standing Up for Girls' Rights

  Yousafzai, Malala, 1997-

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  Some people in Malala's country didn't want girls to go to school. Malala not only defied them, she survived an attack, and went on to win a Nobel Prize. She continues her work to fight for education and rights for girls, helping them to achieve…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Johnny Appleseed

  the Grand Old Man of the Forest

  Benjamin, Margaret,

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  John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, was famous for spreading apple tree nurseries in various states, such as Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. He was well respected by settlers and Native Americans alike, and even has a variety of apples named…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Benjamin Franklin

  Anderson, AnnMarie,

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  One of the founding fathers of the United States, Franklin was a leading writer, printer, philosopher, politician, scientist, inventor, humorist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. His many inventions included the lightening rod, the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Nelson Mandela

  From Prisoner to President

  Capozzi, Suzy,

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  From being a political prisoner because of his race, to being elected the first black president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was dedicated to making an undivided country for all people living there. Mandela emphasized reconciliation between the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Queen Elizabeth II

  Zeiger, Jennifer

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  Queen Elizabeth, the longest serving current Head of State, has had an eventful life. During WWII, she served as a truck mechanic, a skill she kept up until recently. She has steered the United Kingdom since becoming queen in 1952, Elizabeth has…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Who Was Mister Rogers?

  Bailey, Diane, 1966-

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  The creator and host of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, Fred Rogers was passionate about quality children's programming and public television. His show focused on children's emotional and cognitive needs, and also tried to be a constant in the lives of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Jim Henson

  Puppeteer and Filmmaker

  Parish, James Robert

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  The inventor of the Muppets, Jim Henson believed that any sort of puppet related better to children when their faces were able to show emotion. His muppets were and remain a central part of the children's show Sesame Street, and his techniques are…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Eleanor Roosevelt

  Haldy, Emma E.,

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  Our First Lady during the difficult years of The Great Depression and World War II. She also served as the first US delegate to the United Nations. Eleanor fought for equality, fairness, and believed everyone needed a hand up at some point in their…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mae Jemison

  Castro, Rachel,

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  America's first black female astronaut, Dr. Jemison also worked for Doctors Without Boarders. She is a woman with a fire to succeed, and the drive to make it happen. She also has a degree in chemical engineering, and founded a technology research…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Albert Einstein

  Mara, Wil,

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  A physicist, born in Germany, came to the US after the rise of the Nazis in the 1930's. His theory of relativity revolutionized the field of Physics, and his equation, E = mc2, is one of the most famous in the world. He received the Nobel Prize in…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Florence Nightingale

  Demi

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  Born into a wealthy family, Florence felt a calling to nursing. She helped establish hospital guidelines during the Crimean War, reducing death by disease and infection. Florence also helped to establish nursing as a respectable profession, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Marie Curie

  a Life of Discovery

  Milani, Alice, 1986-

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  Not only was Marie Curie the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, she was the first person to win it twice, in two different categories, physics and chemistry. She was a pioneer in the study of radioactive elements, and even named two new elements…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Eliza Hamilton

  Founding Mother

  Kulling, Monica,

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  The widow of our first Secretary of the Treasury, Eliza Hamilton established one of the first social agencies in New York City for orphans and widows. This organization still exists today, as does many important records from the early years of our…Read moreRead more of this annotation