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 6, 2026
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Milwaukie Ledding Library
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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!

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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...
Neil Armstrong : a life of flight
Barbree, Jay.
Paper Book
Much has been written about Neil Armstrong, America's modern hero, history's most famous space traveler, and the first man to walk on the moon. Yet shy of fame and never one to steal the spotlight Armstrong was always reluctant to discuss his personal side of events. Here for the first time is...
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...
Smoke gets in your eyes : & other lessons from the crematory
Doughty, Caitlin
Paper Book
Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty--a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre--took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life's work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both...
The enigma girls : how ten teenagers broke ciphers, kept secrets, and helped win World War II
Fleming, Candace
Paper Book
    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 determination at Bletchley Park.<...
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...
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...
Grandma Gatewood's walk : the inspiring story of the woman who saved the Appalachian Trail
Montgomery, Ben.
Ebook
Emma Gatewood was the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone, as well as the first person--man or woman--to walk it twice and three times and she did it all after the age of 65. This is the first and only biography of Grandma Gatewood, as the reporters called her, who became a...
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...
Bad boy : a graphic novel
Sims, Guy A.
Paper Book
A gripping graphic memoir adaptation of iconic, multi-award-winning author Walter Dean Myers's autobiography, telling the story of his coming-of-age in Harlem, adapted by Guy A. Sims and illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. Legendary author Walter Dean Myers was once a troublemaker and a...
They called us enemy
Takei, George
Paper Book
New York Times Bestseller! A stunning graphic memoir recounting actor/author/activist George Takei's childhood imprisoned within American concentration camps during World War II. Experience the forces that shaped an American icon -- and America itself -- in this gripping tale...
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 ...
The counterfeit Countess : the Jewish woman who rescued thousands of Poles during the Holocaust
White, Elizabeth B.
Paper Book
The "remarkable...inspiring" (The Wall Street Journal) true story of Dr. Josephine Janina Mehlberg--a Jewish mathematician who saved thousands of lives during the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Poland by masquerading as a Polish aristocrat--drawing on Mehlberg's own unpublished...
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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