Books for Kids - Biographies

Check out this list generated by our Youth Services Librarians for the Scotch Plains Public Library's annual summer reading challenge.


Updated May 4, 2023
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Marvelous Mabel : figure skating superstar
Hubbard, Crystal
Meet Mabel Fairbanks, the skating superstar who became the first Black athlete inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame. After watching ice skaters glide and spin at a rink in Central Park, Mabel Fairbanks was determined to learn to skate. But in the 1930s, many places didn...
Josephine and her dishwashing machine : Josephine Cochrane's bright invention makes a splash
Hannigan, Kate
Celebrate the inventor of the dishwasher in this inspiring STEM/STEAM picture book biography about Josephine Garis Cochrane, the brains behind one of the world's most-used kitchen appliances. Many Americans have a dishwasher in their kitchen. But who invented it? ...
Finding my dance
Thundercloud, Ria
In her debut picture book, professional Indigenous dancer Ria Thundercloud tells the true story of her path to dance and how it helped her take pride in her Native American heritage. At four years old, Ria Thundercloud was brought into the powwow circle, ready to dance in the...
Schomburg : the man who built a library
Weatherford, Carole Boston
In luminous paintings and arresting poems, two of children's literature's top African-American scholars track Arturo Schomburg's quest to correct history. Where is our historian to give us our side? Arturo asked. Amid the scholars, poets, authors, and artists...
Itzhak : a boy who loved the violin
Newman, Tracy
Author Tracy Newman and illustrator Abigail Halpin's picture-book biography of violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman will inspire young readers to follow the melody within themselves. A Schneider Family Book Award Young Children Honor Book ...
Whoosh! : Lonnie Johnson's super-soaking stream of inventions
Barton, Chris
Celebrate Lonnie Johnson, inventor of the Super Soaker, in this inspiring STEM picture book biography about the maker of one of the world's favorite toys.   You know the Super Soaker. It's one of top twenty toys of all time. And it was invented entirely by accident. Trying to...
The cat man of Aleppo
Latham, Irene
The Caldecott Honor-winning true story of Mohammad Alaa Aljaleel, who in the midst of the Syrian Civil War courageously offered safe haven to Aleppo's abandoned cats.   Aleppo's city center no longer echoes with the rich, exciting sounds of copper-pot pounding and...
Dancing hands : how Teresa Carreno played the piano for President Lincoln
Engle, Margarita
Winner of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award A Kirkus Reviews Best Picture Book In soaring words and stunning illustrations, Margarita Engle and Rafael López tell the story of Teresa Carreño, a child prodigy who played piano for Abraham Lincoln. ...
Joan Procter, dragon doctor : the woman who loved reptiles
Valdez, Patricia
Back in the days of long skirts and afternoon teas, young Joan Procter entertained the most unusual party guests- slithery and scaly ones, who turned over teacups and crawled past the crumpets.... While other girls played with dolls, Joan preferred the company of reptiles. She carried her...
Shark lady : the true story of how Eugenie Clark became the ocean's most fearless scientist
Keating, Jess.
One of New York Times' Twelve Books for Feminist Boys and Girls! This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, discover, and inspire. This is the story of Shark Lady. One of the best science picture books for children, Shark Lady is a must for both teachers and parents alike! ...
Jump at the sun : the true life tale of unstoppable storycatcher Zora Neale Hurston
Williams, Alicia
From the Newbery Honor-winning author of Genesis Begins Again comes a shimmering picture book that shines the light on Zora Neale Hurston, the extraordinary writer and storycatcher extraordinaire who changed the face of American literature. Zora was a girl who hankered for...
What Miss Mitchell saw
Barrett, Hayley
Discover the amazing true story of Maria Mitchell, America's first professional female astronomer. Every evening, from the time she was a child, Maria Mitchell stood on her rooftop with her telescope and swept the sky. And then one night she saw something unusual--a comet no one...
Phenomenal AOC : the roots and rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Denise, Anika
A 2023 Pura Belpré Honor Book (Illustrations) An inspiring biography of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from Pura Belpré Honor-winning creators Anika Aldamuy Denise and Loris Lora! In 2019, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest congresswoman in America....
Planting stories : the life of librarian and storyteller Pura Belpre
Denise, Anika
RECIPIENT OF THE PURA BELPRÉ HONOR  * A Today Show's Best Kids' Books of 2019 * Indie Next List Pick * Junior Library Guild Selection *  "An appealing tribute and successful remedy to the lack of titles about the groundbreaking librarian...a must...
Mae among the stars
Ahmed, Roda
A beautiful picture book for sharing and marking special occasions such as graduation, inspired by the life of the first African American woman to travel in space, Mae Jemison. An Amazon Best Book of the Month! A great classroom and bedtime read-aloud, Mae Among the Stars is the...
Shapes, lines, and light : my grandfather's American journey
Yamasaki, Katie
Minoru Yamasaki described the feeling he sought to create in his buildings as "serenity, surprise, and delight." Here, Katie Yamasaki charts his life and work: his childhood in Seattle's Japanese immigrant community, paying his way through college working in Alaska's notorious salmon canneries,...
Paper son : the inspiring story of Tyrus Wong, immigrant and artist
Leung, Julie
Winner of the American Library Association's 2021 Asian/Pacific American Award for Best Picture Book! An inspiring picture-book biography of animator Tyrus Wong, the Chinese American immigrant responsible for bringing Disney's Bambi to life. Before he became...
Queen of physics : how Wu Chien Shiung helped unlock the secrets of the atom
Robeson, Teresa
Meet Wu Chien Shiung, famous physicist who overcame prejudice to prove that she could be anything she wanted. "Wu Chien Shiung's story is remarkable--and so is the way this book does it justice." --Booklist (Starred review)

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