by Coretta Scott King with the Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds Adapted by Julia Sooy Illustrated by Ekua Holmes 5 stars A powerful adaptation of King’s memoir in a format suitable for young readers. I love to see so many more books focusing on the life and work of Coretta Scott King. The book covers King’s…
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by Priscilla Pardini Illustrated by Joanne Scholler Bowring 4 stars I’ve lived in Milwaukee for over 10 years and while I’ve heard the name Betty Brinn plenty of times, I didn’t really know anything about her. This was such a great biography to correct that. The book is quite text-heavy but I found the story…
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5 stars A fascinating exploration of the life of Octavia Butler. Told through poetry, quotes, photographs, and short biographical prose, Zoboi shares events from Butler’s life and connects her writing with historic influences like the Red Scare, the Space Race, the Civil Rights Movement, and the larger development of the science fiction genre. This book…
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by Rob Sanders Illustrated by Jamey Christoph 4 stars A beautiful book that depicts the remarkable story of the AIDS Memorial Quilt through lyrical text and wonderful illustrations. In this narrative nonfiction picture book, Sanders tells some of the major events in Cleve Jones’ life alongside the development of AIDS in America. Interspersed throughout the…
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by Jordi Bayarri Translated by Sofia Huitron Martinez 2 stars This is the first book I’ve read in the GraphicScience Biographies series. The book goes through various events in Mary Anning’s life, sharing interesting stories, connections she made, and some of her wonderful discoveries and contributions to science. Touches on some of the hardships in…
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by Laurie Wallmark Illustrated by Katy Wu 4 stars A wonderful picture book biography. This one is a bit lengthy, so best suited for older children (8+). Generally features a few paragraphs per page, with colorful and engaging illustrations to break up the text. The story goes through some of Hopper’s experimentation as a child,…
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by Zora Neale Hurston Edited by Deborah G. Plant Forward by Alice Walker 5 stars An incredible read. Barracoon not only tells Cudjo Lewis’ story in his own words, but also the story of how Hurston’s relationship with him grew and the history of the book’s publication. About half of the book comes directly from…
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by Kelly Starling Lyons, Illustrated by Gillian Flint 5 stars “I am an activist. I didn’t just emerge after Martin died-I was always there…” A wonderful read. The book goes beyond Coretta Scott King’s relationship and work with her husband and shows her own accomplishments. I loved learning more about her early life, her parents…
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The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas by Jim Ottaviani, Illustrated by Maris Wicks 2 stars I really wanted to love this book. The illustrations are great, often working in details that aren’t touched on in the text. I love the focus on women in science and their extraordinary passion. However,…
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A Biography Book for New Readers Illustrated by Ana Sanfelippo 4 stars An excellent biography for young readers. A great place to start for those learning about Kahlo, famous artists, or anyone who enjoys reading about strong women throughout history. The book covers some of the major events in her life, such as her childhood…
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