Staff Picks Youth Biographies
June 2021
Out of School and Into Nature: The Anna Comstock Story
by Suzanne Slade
This is a beautiful picture book biography about Anna Comstock. Not many people have heard of her but she was a nature lover, scientist, artist, educational reformer, and author who produced amazing works of art. She revolutionized how students learn about nature insisting on students going outside and having hands on experience. She was also Cornell University’s first female professor. She did her work during a time period when women weren’t taken seriously, but through hard work and determination she took major steps in advancing women’s rights and careers. This picture book is perfect for little nature lovers and their parents.
Recommended by: Erin Faxel, Youth Services Teen Librarian
Posted in: Youth Biographies
March 2021
It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
by Trevor Noah
Comedian, Trevor Noah, describes his childhood in shocking detail. From having to distance himself from his white father to an abusive stepfather to the fierce love provided by his mother, Noah tells his story with both humor and pathos. This book is available in the library and on OverDrive as an ebook.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Biographies
February 2021
Song in a Rainstorm: The Story of Musical Prodigy Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins
by Glenda Armand
When Thomas was born blind to slaves, his mother was not going to let that determine his fate. She and others soon found out that he had an affinity for music and could recreate the sounds of rainstorms or trains on the piano. He gave his first concert at six years old and was the first black person to play for a president. His abilities were amazing as he wowed crowds in America and Europe by playing any song, sometime even sitting backwards at the piano and using opposite hands to play the song.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian
Posted in: Youth Biographies
One Step Further: My Story of Math, the Moon, and a Lifelong Mission
by Katherine Johnson
An empowering narrative about a young girl who counted everything, even her steps, as her lifelong love of mathematics led her to become part of the team that helped John Glenn circle the Earth and land men on the moon, one step for mankind. Her perseverance and abilities enabled her to overcome the prejudices of the 1960’s against African-Americans and women in the work force and be part of the civil rights movement for herself and her daughters.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Biographies
Kate’s light: Kate Walker at Robbins Reef Lighthouse
by Kate Kaird
A biography of one of the first women lighthouse keepers on the Eastern seaboard. Immigrating from Germany, Kate met and married a man who became the lighthouse keeper on Robbins Reef in New York Harbor. She became the assistant lighthouse keeper as she helped keep the light burning at night and rescuing people from floundering ships. After her husband’s death she convinced the Lighthouse Board that she could do the job alone, which she did for 34 years.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Biographies
December 2020
Infinite Hope: A Black Artist’s Journey from World War II to Peace
by Ashley Bryan
Ashley Bryan, an artist, storyteller and writer, tells the story of his service in World War II. This autobiography includes many of his letters home and much of his art produced during those years.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Biographies
Breaking the Ice: The True Story of the First Woman to Play in the National Hockey League
by Angie Bullaro
At the age of 5, Manon played goalie for her father’s team in Canada. She went on to become the first woman to play in the Pee-Wee tournament, Junior hockey league, and on an NHL team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. As times changed from the 1970s and more women played hockey, she was also a member of the 1998 first women’s hockey team in the Olympics playing for Team Canada.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Biographies
Emmy Noether: The Most Important Mathematician You’ve Never Heard Of
by Helaine Becker
Emmy Noether is not well known, from how to pronounce her name to the many accomplishments in science she achieved. Her name is pronounced NER-ter and she was female, German, and Jewish, which is why in the 1930s her contributions to science were claimed by male scientists or used by them with no credit to her. She eventually had to flee Nazi Germany for America, where she was able to teach at Bryn Mawr College. Besides Noether’s theorem, which helps understand the universe, she developed math concepts to help understand the atom, develop computer software, and saved Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Recommended by: Joan Stoiber, Youth Services Reference Librarian I
Posted in: Youth Biographies
November 2020
Free Lunch
by Rex Ogle
In this intense autobiography of the first semester of Rex’s sixth grade, Rex is embarrassed that he’s on the free lunch program at school and tries to hide it from his classmates. His home life is fairly unhappy as he never knows where his next meal is coming from, when he’ll have to watch his little brother and if he’ll get hit by either his mother or stepfather. This title is also available on OverDrive.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Biographies
September 2020
All in a Drop: how Antony van Leeuwenhoek discovered an invisible world
by Lori Alexander
This biography tells us about the life of Antony van Leeuwenhoek, a self-taught scientist who built a microscope to examine minute creatures. He was initially met with skepticism but eventually revered for the strides he made in discovering microbial life. This is a great book for all science enthusiasts. This title is also available on Hoopla.
Recommended by: Becky McCormack, Youth Services Assistant Manager
Posted in: Youth Biographies
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