Biography that Inspires You

Get inspired by someone else's story! Try one of these biographies, autobiographies, or memoirs. We have many more on our nonfiction shelves - just ask a friendly Ledding librarian. Plant a seed, read!

Updated May 3, 2026
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Shout : a poetry memoir
Anderson, Laurie Halse
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller and one of 2019's best-reviewed books, a poetic memoir and call to action from the award-winning author of Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson! Bestselling author Laurie Halse Anderson is known for the unflinching way she writes about, and...
Kings and Pawns: Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson in America
Bryant, Howard
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER "I loved this book.... I looked forward to [it] more than any other in a long time, and Howard Bryant exceeded my great expectations. Kings and Pawns is brilliantly conceived and powerfully written." -- David Maraniss, author of Path Lit by Lightning...
Shot ready
Curry, Stephen
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Shot Ready is a powerful distillation of Stephen Curry's transformative philosophy of success--centered on preparation, constant improvement, creativity, connection, mindfulness, and joy--delivered in his incomparable voice and style....
Beyond they/them : 20 influential nonbinary and gender-diverse people you should know
Dickson, Em
Paper Book
Beyond They/Them is a captivating, gorgeously illustrated book celebrating 20 trailblazing nonbinary, genderqueer, and two-spirit individuals who have left an indelible mark on music, sports, film and television, politics, and more. A 2026 CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL...
The enigma girls : how ten teenagers broke ciphers, kept secrets, and helped win World War II
Fleming, Candace
Paper Book
A Robert F. Sibert Honor Book. With numerous starred reviews and accolades, from award-winning author Candace Fleming, comes the powerful and fascinating story of the brave and dedicated young women who helped turn the tides of World War II for the Allies, with their hard work and...
How the boogeyman became a poet
Keith, Anthony R., Jr.
Paper Book
Odyssey Award for Audiobook Excellence Winner Poet, writer, and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. makes his debut with a powerful YA memoir in verse, tracing his journey from being a closeted gay Black teen battling poverty, racism, and homophobia to becoming an openly gay first-generation...
Amazing fantastic incredible : a marvelous memoir
Lee, Stan
Paper Book
In this gorgeously illustrated, full-color graphic memoir, Stan Lee--comic book legend and cocreator of Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Avengers, the Incredible Hulk, and a legion of other Marvel superheroes--shares his iconic legacy and the story of how modern comics came to be. Stan...
Hick : the trailblazing journalist who captured Eleanor Roosevelt's heart
Miller, Sarah
Paper Book
In this riveting YA non-fiction set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, trace Lorena Hickok--or Hick's-- rise from devastating childhood to renowned journalist, and watch as she forms the most significant friendship and romantic relationship of her life with first lady, Eleanor...
Positive obsession : the life and times of Octavia E. Butler
Morris, Susana M.
Paper Book
A magnificent cultural biography that charts the life of one of our greatest writers, situating her alongside the key historical and social moments that shaped her work.  As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a...
Life After Ambition: A Good Enough Memoir
Niazi, Amil
Paper Book
"Refreshingly candid...Niazi is telling her story in medias res, inviting readers to figure the whole mess out with her--and in this era of gentle-parenting TikToks and general advice oversaturation, that feels like a gift." --Emma Specter, Vogue Channeling the...
It's Trevor Noah : born a crime : stories from a South African childhood
Noah, Trevor
Paper Book
The host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah, shares his personal story and the injustices he faced while growing up half black, half white in South Africa under and after apartheid in this New York Times bestselling young readers' adaptation of his adult memoir. ...
Notes from a young Black chef
Onwuachi, Kwame
Paper Book
This inspiring memoir, now adapted for young adults, chronicles Top Chef star and Forbes and Zagat 30 Under 30 phenom Kwame Onwuachi's incredible and odds-defying fame in the food world after a tough childhood in the Bronx and Nigeria. Food was Kwame Onwuachi's...
Judy Blume: A Life
Oppenheimer, Mark
Paper Book
The highly anticipated biography of one of the world's most treasured literary voices, showcasing a life as triumphant and inspiring as the stories she crafted. To know the name Judy Blume is to know and love literature. Her influential novels turned classics--including Are...
David Bowie and the search for life, death and God /
Ormerod, Peter
'The Bowie you thought you knew is recast completely' Helen Barrett, The Spectator ''Ormerod had me singing in the choir with him' Simon Critchley, The Guardian 'a transfixing look at David Bowie's life through a spiritual lens......
So many stars : an oral history of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and two-spirit people of color
De Robertis, Caro
Paper Book
From an acclaimed novelist, a first-of-its-kind, deeply personal, and moving oral history of a generation of trans and gender nonconforming elders of color--from leading activists to artists to ordinary citizens--who tell their own stories of breathtaking courage, cultural...
Americanized : rebel without a green card
Saedi, Sara
Paper Book
In development as a television series from Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine production company and ABC Studios! This hilarious, poignant and true story of one teen's experience growing up in America as an undocumented immigrant from the Middle East is an increasingly...
Cellar rat : my life in the restaurant underbelly
Selinger, Hannah
Paper Book
Town & Country's Best Books of Spring 2025 | Kirkus Reviews's Most Anticipated Nonfiction of Spring 2025 | Amazon's Best Books of the Month | American Writers Museum's Staff Picks What happens when a career you love doesn't love you back? ...
Bad boy : a graphic novel
Sims, Guy A.
Paper Book
A classic memoir that's gripping, funny, and ultimately unforgettable from the bestselling former National Ambassador of Books for Young People. A strong choice for summer reading--an engaging and powerful autobiographical exploration of growing up a so-called "bad boy" in Harlem in the...
They called us enemy /
Takei, George,
Paper Book
Discover this award-winning masterpiece before the release of George Takei's deeply personal follow-up, It Rhymes With Takei (June 2025). The New York Times bestselling graphic memoir from actor/author/activist George Takei returns in a deluxe hardcover edition with...
The swans of Harlem : five Black ballerinas, a legacy of sisterhood, and their reclamation of a groundbreaking history
Valby, Karen
Paper Book
Meet five amazing Black ballerinas from The Dance Theater of Harlem, including some of the founding members. They broke barriers and made history in the world of classical dance, at a time when racism shut out Black dancers from major dance companies. A young adult adaptation of...
Educated : a memoir
Westover, Tara
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND BOSTON GLOBE BESTSELLER * One of the most acclaimed books of our time: an unforgettable memoir about a young woman who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University ...
Ours to tell : reclaiming Indigenous stories
Yellowhorn, Eldon
Paper Book
A wide-ranging anthology that shines a light on untold Indigenous stories as chronicled by Indigenous creators, compiled by the acclaimed team behind Turtle Island and Sky Wolf's Call. For too long, stories and artistic expressions from Indigenous people have been written and recorded by...

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