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Behind
Enemy Lines: The Story of a Young Pilot
By: H.R.
Demallie
192 pages
An
unforgettable utobiographical
tale of survival during World War II. DeMaillie, pilot of a B-17,
describes in riveting detail his successful bombing run from England to the industrial center of Germany. But
things go very wrong on the return flight when his plane is struck by enemy
fire and the crew is forced to parachute into Holland. Although a group of heroic Dutch
resistance fighters try to hide him, the Nazis eventually capture DeMaillie and
send him to a prisoner of war camp. There, he endures hunger, cold, and
brutality until the Allies finally free him. Years later, he returns to Holland in search of his
brave Dutch rescuers.
George
Washington
By: Lenny
Hort
128 pages
George
Washington is often called the father of our country. He beat the odds to lead
the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War, served as first
president of the United States,
and then retired from public life to farm Virginia's largest plantation. Full-color
photographs of people, places, and artifacts, and sidebars
on related subjects add dimension and relebance to stories
of famous lives that students will love to read.
Harriet Tubman:
Conductor on the Underground Railroad
By: Ann
Petry
256 pages
Born
a slave, Harriet Tubman dreamed of freedom. And through hard work and her willingness to risk
everything-including her life-she was able to make that dream come true. But
after making her escape, Harriet realized that her own freedom was not enough.
So she became a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and devoted her life to
helping others make the journey out of bondage. An invisible threat to
plantation owners, she served as a symbol of strength and inspiration for her
people. She was the legendary "Moses," delivering hundreds from the
desert of slavery. With indisputable narrative skill, Ann Petry recreates the
life of a woman of great strength, bravery, and unshakeable moral fiber.
Helen
Keller
By: Leslie
Garrett
128 pages
Helen
Keller was the first deaf and blind student to ever
attend an American college, but graduating from Radcliffe
with honors was only one of her many accomplishments.
Full-color photographs of people, places, and artifacts,
and sidebars on related subjects add dimension and relebance
to stories of famous lives that students will love to
read.
Of
Beetles & Angels
By: Mawi
Asegdom
148 pages
So
begins this
unforgettable true story of a young boy's remarkable journey: from civil war in
east Africa to a refugee camp in Sudan,
to a childhood on welfare in an affluent American suburb, and eventually to a
full-tuition scholarship at Harvard University. Following his
father's advice to "treat all people -- even the most unsightly beetles --
as though they were angels sent from heaven," Mawi overcomes the
challenges of racial prejudice, language barriers, and financial disadvantage
to build a fulfilling, successful life for himself in his new home. Of Beetles
and Angels is at once a compelling survival story and an inspiring model for
anyone hoping to experience the American dream.
Red Scarf
Girl: a Memoir of the Cultural Revolution
By: Ji-Li
Jiang
285 pages
When
China's
Communist Party detained Ji-li's father, the 12-year-old was faced with the
most difficult choice of her life. She could denounce her father and break with
her family, or she could refuse to testify and sacrifice her future in her
beloved Communist Party.
Wilma
Rudolph
By: Tom
Streissguth
106 pages
Wilma Rudolph captured three gold medals in one Olympics, an extraordinary feat
for any athlete. The accomplishment was even greater for Wilma, who overcame
physical disability, poverty, and racism on the path to the 1960 Olympic Games
in Rome, Italy. Born two months prematurely, Wilma wasn't expected to live. She
was always sick as a young girl. After she contracted polio at age four, doctors
said she would never walk again. But with determination and the help of her
loving family, Wilma beat the odds. Not only did she walk again--she ran.
Albert
Einstein: The Miracle Mind
By:
Tabatha Yeatts
124
pages
Thanks to his monumental accomplishments, Albert Einstein's name is
synonymous with genius. With his famous E=MC² and insights into quantum physics,
this legendary scientist not only revolutionized the way we understand the
universe, but paved the way for such diverse technology as lasers, cell phones,
electron microscopes, DVD players, atomic weaponry, and magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI). Featuring kid-friendly explanations of the scientific principles,
this compelling biography follows Einstein from his childhood through his early
career struggles, and on to the theoretical breakthroughs and groundbreaking
writings that won him the Nobel Prize. Equally important, we get a complete
portrait of the man, who-deeply affected by the Holocaust-dedicated his life to
pacifism and equal rights for all.
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NEED
TO READ BOOK CLUB
February
is
Biography
month
Alexander
the Great
By:
John Gunther
176
pages
Some say he was the
greatest warrior in history, building an empire that extended from Europe to
Africa and on to India and Central Asia. In a stirring narrative, famed historian
John Gunther tells the story of Alexander the Great who, at only age 21, became
King of Macedonia and set off on a 12-year journey to conquer the known world
and extend the boundaries of Greek civilization. Gunther takes us from
Alexander's boyhood to his victory over the Persian Empire,
and, in vivid detail, describes Alexander's battles, as well as the palace
intrigues that surrounded him.
Bull's
Eye: A Photobiography of Annie Oakley
By: Sue
Macy
64 pages
At
last, National Geographic's award-winning photobiography of Annie Oakley bursts
into paperback. This stirring story of an enduring American heroine has won
widespread acclaim and was named a School Library Journal Best Book of
the Year. Annie's amazing life comes sharply into focus in a compelling
narrative, period photography, and in her own words.
Four Perfect Pebbles
By: Lila Pearl
144 pages
By the
time WWII ended in Europe, the Blumenthal family--Marion, her brother Albert,
and their parents--had lived in a succession of refugee, transit, and prison
camps for more than six years, not only surviving but staying together....This
gripping memoir is written in spare, powerful prose that vividly depicts the
endless degradation and humiliation suffered by the Holocaust's innocent
victims, as well as the unending horror of life in the camps. It's also an
ennobling account of the triumph of the human spirit, as seen through a child's
eyes.
Harry
Houdini: Death-Defying Showman
By: Rita
Thievon Mullin
124 pages
With
his seemingly impossible escapes and incredible feats of illusion, Harry
Houdini lived a life so fantastic that it seems almost too amazing even for
fiction. Beyond his on-stage magic, Houdini also made his mark as an airplane
pioneer, movie star, and debunker of frauds. His renown extended from his
childhood home in Appleton, Wisconsin
to Europe to Sydney, Australia. Children will thrill as
they read about his seemingly superhuman successes-including when Houdini,
hanging by his ankles and wrapped in a straightjacket, managed to free himself
in less than three minutes. The biography also delves into Houdini's
impoverished childhood, his close relationship with his family, his start in
show business-and how he managed some of his famous tricks.
Joan
of Arc: Warrior Saint
By:
Jay Williams
126
pages.
Could
any story be
more inspiring than that of Joan of Arc, the courageous maiden who fought for
the glory of France and God? Guided by what she firmly believed were visions of
saints, this young Frenchwoman-still just 16 years old-led her people in battle
against the British occupiers. Though she proved victorious in war, Joan
ultimately became a martyr when some of her own countrymen betrayed her to the
English. Jay Williams captures all the tragedy and pathos of the fearless
country girl who was finally recognized as a saint herself.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
By: Amy
Pastan
128 pages
A highly-gifted speaker, he inspired people of all races to seek a better world.
His "I have a Dream" speech, delivered during the 1963 March on Washington,
continues to resonate. Full-color
photographs of people, places, and artifacts,
and sidebars on related subjects add
dimension and relebance to stories of
famous lives that students will love
to read.
Tiger
Woods
By: Matt
Doeden
112
pages
Tiger
Woods was a
child prodigy when it came to golf-challenging players twice his age since the
time he could walk. His passion for the game only increased as he grew older,
and in 1996 he had one of the most spectacular professional debuts of all time.
Follow this record breaker on his amazing journey to stardom and success!
Who
Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
By:
Yona Zeldis McDonough
112
pages
Born in Austria in 1756, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his first piece of
music, a minuet, when he was just five years old! Soon after, he was performing
for kings and emperors. Although he died at the young age of thirty-five, Mozart
left a legacy of more than 600 works. This fascinating biography charts the
musician's extraordinary career and personal life while painting a vivid
cultural history of eighteenth-century Europe.
My
Life with the Chimpanzees
By:
Jane Goodall
160
pages
So enthusiastically does Goodall relate the first 28 years of her life in the
jungles of Tanzania that her odyssey appears to have just begun. The story of
her life with the chimpanzees of Gombe has long been available to adults; in
this book she brings that world to young readers and may very well inspire them
to follow in her footsteps.The book begins with tales of her childhood in
England and her earliest awareness of the needs of animals, her friendship with
Louis Leakey and her trip with her motherto the first camp at Gombe. Goodall
talks of the sacrifices of living as she hasher first marriage ended in divorce,
and she sees her family (including her son Grub) infrequently. Stories of the
chimps dominate the bookthey threaten to steal the show in many instances;
readers will love meeting these personable animals. And because anecdotes about
the chimps bear rereading, an index or other means of looking up a particular
fact would have been a bonus.
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