* Hidden Child by Isaac Millman 2005

This is an incredible story of a young jewish boy living in Nazi France during the Halocaust.  It is called hidden child because he is seperated from his parents and they pay for him to be hidden so that he may survive them.  He is taken and hidden in various farm houses outside of France.  It has actual photographs of him and his family during that horrific time.  It is an amazing story of love, sacrafice and loss.  It is best suited for middle school and high school students due to the disturbing content and photographs. 

Thomas Jefferson   James Giblin

This is a fantastic biographical read.  It is very lengthy and has a lot of details and dates.  The illustrations are very realistic.  Thomas Jefferson is known for creating the Declaration of Independence and for being president of the united states.  This was a very informational book, it is lengthy and long and has a lot of content so this is best suited for upper elementary aged students. 

Thomas Edison by Haydn Middleton   1997


This is fantastic biographical read.  It is about the amazing inventor Thomas Edison and how he became one of the most celebrated inventors of our time.  He married and had children, most of them who passed away at a very young age.  Thomas Edison worked too much and barely had time for anything but his inventions.  He was deaf and saved a young boy and the father, who was also Edison's boss, told Edison he would give him anything as payment for his saving his precious young boy.  Edison told him he wanted to learn the telegraph.  Edison was deaf and could not hear very well but could understand Morse code.  Edison invented many amazing things but the most important was electricity.  This is a great read for any student learning about how the United States became so technologically advanced.  It is be suited for 8 years old and up because of the length of the story and the difficult invention names. 

* Frida by Jonah Winter 2002

This is by far my favorite biography read.  This book has the most amazing pictures with vivid colors and a dream like atmosphere.  The story is about Frida Kahlo the amazing Spanish artist.  She lived a very interesting life.  When she was young she got sick and almost died,  after fully recovering a few years later she got into a horrific accident and again was bed ridden.  It was during these times that she grew to love and appreciate art and also began to draw.  Her father recreated and recolored art and showed Frida how to use color and shading.  This is how Frida got her start.  Frida Kahlo also married and loved another wonderful Spanish Artist named Diego Rivera.  This is a great read and the pictures are absolutely breath taking.  This would be great for young elementary aged students.  From 7 years old and up so they can comprehend and understand all the aspects of her life.

* A Picture Book of Harriet Beecher Stowe by David Adler  2003


This is a very informational read.  It is a great picture book with very realistic interpretations of what life back then was like.  Harriet Beecher Stowe was a very important woman who was a writer.  She wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin which was a book about how slaves were mistreated, and it was this woman who opened President Abraham's eyes about how devastating slavery was.  Harriet Beecher Stowe is considered a pioneer woman who changed the way slaves were treated and perhaps started the movement that freed them for good. 

* Boycott Blues  How Rosa Parks inspired a nation  Andrea Davis Pinkney  illustrations: Brian Pinkney

This is the life story about Rosa Parks with incredible illustrations with soft colors and soft brush strokes.  The story is told as if Parks is telling it, and it is very reassuring. 


This is an amazing story of a young woman from montgomery who refused to get up and give her seat to a white man, even when Jim Crow and the bus driver demanded it of her.  She was arrested for this offense and a good friend bailed her out.  And then all of the black people in town boycotted riding the buses in town, in protest for the way Ms. Parks was treated.  Then it discusses Martin Luther King jr.'s speech and how it inspired Parks and all of her people.  It goes on to talk about boycotting and the fight for equality and human rights.  They boycotted for hundreds of days and did not let anything sway the, and in December of 1956 there finally was progress and improvement made.  It is such an inspirational story.  The story itself is an easy read and would be great for any age, but the simplicity of the story would be great for early elementary 1st or 2nd grade.  This will introduce black history and how the world was when it was ignorant and how different and accepting it is today. 

* Joan of Arc    Josephine Poole   illus: Angela Barrett  1998

Joan of Arc is an amazing tale of female heroism  and faith.  It is an excellent tale about standing up for what is right and not being afraid of who you are.  Joan of arc is the story of a young woman who is contacted by GOD and angels to fight for France and keep them from English rule.  She dressed as a man and created an army to defend the kingdom, and is considered a martyr for fighting for her kingdom and listening to the voices of God.  This is a great story with great background.  It is best suited for older students who understand what religion is, what martyrs are and why Joan of Arc had to be killed.  This is an amazing non fiction story.