Best Books for Kids 2022

13 Books Found

Filtered by 'Biography & Memoir'
  • Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas

    Illustrated by Loveis Wise | Pore over the life of American visual artist Alma Thomas, from her childhood through her career as a teacher to her later life as a painter and changemaker. A biography told in spare text to make space for vivid and colorful illustrations as bold and bright as their subject.

    Cover of Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas
  • Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis

    Young Jewish piano prodigies Zhanna and Frina outsmart the Nazis at every turn as they are forced deep into the heart of Germany during World War II. The sisters rely on surprising allies and their own wit and will to survive in this incredible true story in verse.

    Cover of Alias Anna: A True Story of Outwitting the Nazis
  • Blast Off!: How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America into Space

    Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport | A brightly illustrated biography of Mary Sherman Morgan, America's first female rocket scientist. Using math, chemistry, and determination, she leads her team to develop the fuel needed to blast the first U.S. satellite into space.

    Cover of Blast Off!: How Mary Sherman Morgan Fueled America into Space
  • Choosing Brave

    Illustrated by Janelle Washington | A sensitive and approachable biography of Mamie, the mother of Emmett Till, told through graceful, paper-cut illustrations with bold silhouettes. Readers gain new insight into Mamie's life and how she and her son's legacy shaped the Civil Rights Movement. | Full title: Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement

    Cover of Choosing Brave
  • Dragon Bones: The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning

    Illustrated by Maris Wicks | A picture-book biography of pioneering British paleontologist Mary Anning and her glorious adventures in dinosaur fossil hunting. Sparkling illustrations and well-written prose inspire young readers to dig for their own finds!

    Cover of Dragon Bones: The Fantastic Fossil Discoveries of Mary Anning
  • Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book

    Illustrated by Eric Velasquez | A poignant narrative layered with dynamic illustrations and historical materials chronicles the work of Victor Hugo Green and his creation of the Green Book, which helped Black people safely navigate the United States during the Jim Crow Era.

    Cover of Going Places: Victor Hugo Green and His Glorious Book
  • Maya's Song

    Illustrated by Bryan Collier | Inspiring verse and moving illustrations chronicle the legacy of Maya Angelou from youth to adulthood. Through the details of her life, readers discover the story of how she found her voice.

    Cover of Maya's Song
  • Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather's American Journey

    An honest yet concise and sentimental account of the life of World Trade Center architect Minoru Yamasaki. Personal touches abound in this biography authored and illustrated by his artist granddaughter.

    Cover of Shapes, Lines, and Light: My Grandfather's American Journey
  • Star Child

    A creatively written biography about African American science-fiction author Octavia Butler. This tribute from one writer to another is an innovative combination of verse and prose, a must-read for aspiring writers. | Full title: Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler

    Cover of Star Child
  • Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott

    Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie | This vividly illustrated biography celebrates the life of Civil Rights leader Georgia Gilmore, who nourished and helped fund the Montgomery Bus Boycott with both her famous Southern dishes and her dedication to the cause.

    Cover of Sweet Justice: Georgia Gilmore and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
  • The Tower of Life

    Illustrated by Susan Gal | Many years after her family flees their thriving Jewish community to escape the Nazis, Dr. Yaffa Eliach creates a permanent exhibition at the United States Holocaust Museum using photographs to rebuild the stories of the lost. | Full title: The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs

    Cover of The Tower of Life
  • Troublemakers in Trousers

    Illustrated by Kaja Kajfež | A collection of boldly illustrated biographies of women through the ages and the clothes they wore to change the world. | Full title: Troublemakers in Trousers: Women and What They Wore to Get Things Done

    Cover of Troublemakers in Trousers
  • Unlawful Orders

    A fascinating and sometimes suspenseful real-life story spanning generations from the Jim Crow Era to the present. This pioneering Black American and other important but largely ignored figures creatively fight racism time and time again. | Full title: Unlawful Orders: A Portrait of Dr. James B. Williams, Tuskegee Airman, Surgeon, and Activist

    Cover of Unlawful Orders