Biographies to read aloud

Originally published in the Ketchikan Daily News, February 2017; written by Ann Marie Meiresonne.

Have you ever thought of reading biographies aloud to your family? With the current selection of excellent biographies and history in the picture book selection you could introduce to your children and yourself some fascinating people. The conversation that develops with the discussion of these famous people makes great table talk.

Starting with Grover Cleveland Again!: A Treasury of American Presidents by Ken Burns gives great descriptions of the defining points of all presidents and their presidency from George Washington to Barack Obama. A two page spread for each gives pictures, with defining information in the Ken Burns style of finding the interesting points to help make history more intimate.

Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers: How a First Lady Changed America by Kathi Appelt introduces a woman who grew up surrounded by the thick pine forest of East Texas, lost her mother at age 7, was raised by a loving, merchant father and caring aunt and who explored bayous in a canoe by herself. A reader learns of how her love of wildflowers influenced her energetic support of the Highway Beautification Act something from which we all benefit.

Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women written by Catherine Thimmesh has great history of some very cool inventors of techniques, recipes and materials that make our lives better. For instance Kevlar was developed by a woman named Stephanie Kwolek, a research chemist for Du Pont. Kevlar is material found in airplanes, athletic shoes, skies, tires, ropes and bullet-resistant vests that have save thousands of police officers lives.

The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus and Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille both by Jennifer Bryant are superb picture books that tell the lives of two men I knew nothing about but have been aware of their work since elementary school. Both books tell the true stories of determination and the joy of words and reading.

I, Matthew Henson Polar Explorer by Carole Boston Weatherford is the story of a man who as a 13 year old dreamed of sails and adventure. He went from the port of Baltimore, around the world, to the North Pole, learned Inuit and made history. Matthew Henson was alongside Robert Peary and four Eskimo men to be the first at the North Pole. I do not remember learning Mr. Henson’s name in school or that a man who was African American was instrumental in getting the team to the North Pole. The determination along with grit to make their adventure happen after many upsets will remind us all nothing is impossible.

In reading these books or any of the children’s biographies you along with your children will come to be informed, enlighten, encouraged and maybe even more determined to follow your dreams. There are more than the above mentioned to read. Come in to the library to check out all the biographies in the children, young adult and adult collections.