Girl Running
by Annette Bay Pimentel
illustrated by Micha Archer

Bobbi Gibb loved to run.  After watching the Boston Marathon, she decided to train for it, practicing in all types of weather.  Through warm days and cold, snow and ice, Bobbi ran, preparing herself to run the marathon.  On the day of the race Bobbi is told that, because she is a girl, she cannot compete.  Did Bobbi find a way to compete despite being told she couldn't? 

This is a fantastic picture book biography of the first woman to run in the Boston Marathon.  An author's note at the end shares more about Bobbi and her efforts to officially compete in the Boston Marathon.   A wonderful story about an inspiring woman!


Author's website: http://www.annettebaypimentel.com/
Illustrator's website: https://www.michaarcher.com/

Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall

Untamed: The Wild Life of Jane Goodall
by Anita Silvey

From a young age, Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall loved to observe animals.    Most indoor activities were of little interest to the girl who preferred to spend her time in nature, closely watching all around her.   Her love of animals, and watching how they lived, helped make her into the incredible woman she is today.  

Untamed follows the life of Jane Goodall from the time she was a little girl who would spend hours watching chickens, through her early years studying chimpanzees in Gombe, and finally to the well-known conservationist she is today.   Jane Goodall's life has been extraordinary, and Untamed details many of the fascinating moments in the life of this inspiring woman.   This excellent biography also includes many photographs of Jane throughout her life, including several from her work with chimps as well as moments from her childhood in England.   As a huge fan of Jane Goodall (it was her work that inspired me to earn my first college degree in Zoology) I found myself easily drawn into this book and didn't put it down until I was finished reading it.  This book is a must read for animal lovers and future scientists!

Author's website: http://www.anitasilvey.com/index.html

For more about Jane Goodall:
Jane Goodall Institute: http://www.janegoodall.org/
Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots: http://www.rootsandshoots.org/
    The Roots and Shoots program is devoted to helping young people find ways to make our world a better place through a variety of projects, including conservation, food drives, gardens, and other programs. 

A Boy and a Jaguar

A Boy and a Jaguar
by Alan Rabinowitz
illustrated by Catia Chien

Growing up, Alan Rabinowitz could not speak without stuttering.    Because of his stutter, he was put into a special class at school, making him feel like he was broken.    However, there were times when he didn’t stutter at all: when he was speaking to animals.  With animals, the words flowed easily and fluently.   His love of animals, including his ability to communicate easily around them, eventually brought him to Belize, where he realized the jaguars were at risk.    Determined to help protect the jaguars, Alan faced the challenge of speaking to a group of people in order to convince them that the jaguars needed to be saved.

This inspiring autobiography is an excellent book that shows readers how someone can overcome a challenge and make a difference in the world!

Video of Alan Rabinowitz:

El Deafo

El Deafo
by Cece Bell

In this engaging autobiography, author Cece Bell uses a graphic novel format to describe life as a hearing-impaired child.   After a childhood illness damages her hearing, Cece must adapt to many new challenges.   Although embarrassed by her hearing aid, Cece learns that the new device she wears at school gives her the amazing ability to hear her teachers wherever they are!   Inspired by this new ability, she creates an alter-ego for herself, "El Deafo".    

This Newbery Honor book is an inspiring autobiography about the childhood of an award-winning author.   I love how Cece Bel uses a graphic novel format to tell her story, the illustrations are very entertaining.   This is an amazing book and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, inspiring story!

Author video:

Author's website: https://cecebell.wordpress.com/

Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball

Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud That Changed Baseball
by David A. Kelly
illustrated by Oliver Dominguez

Lena Blackburne loved baseball.   However, while he was a good player, he was not an outstanding player who would break records or become famous for his playing.   Despite this, he found a way to make an important change in baseball: his discovery of a special mud that would help solve problems that many players were having with shiny, new baseballs.   Even today, Lena's special mud is still used by major league baseball teams.   

Miracle Mud is a fun, informative, picture book biography that will be a good choice for fans of baseball.   It explores a unique aspect of the sport that not everyone may know about!   As someone who knows little about baseball, I enjoyed reading this book and learning about someone who made a contribution that is still important to the sport today!

Official website for Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing Mud: http://baseballrubbingmud.com/

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
by William Kamkwamba & Bryan Mealer
illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon

Growing up in a poor Malawi village, fourteen-year-old William lived without electricity as well as other resources many of us take for granted.    When a drought hit his village, food and money became scarce.   Forced to leave school, William began to visit the local library.   Through books, he was able to learn more about how things worked, including how a windmill could help bring electricity and water to his village.  Without the money or materials for a windmill, William was able to salvage materials from the village junkyard to build his country's first windmill, bringing electricity to his village for the first time.  

This biography is a wonderful tool for teaching about wind energy as well as how life is in other cultures.   I recently used this book to teach several classes about how some countries do not have many of the conveniences that we do and also discussed the use of wind as an energy source.

Author's website:  http://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com/ 

Related video:  This video includes interviews with William's family and others from his village.

The Boy Who Invented TV

The Boy Who Invented TV:  The Story of Philo Farnsworth
by Kathleen Krull
illustrated by Greg Couch

Once upon a time there was no television, no internet, and very few phones.    Philo Farnsworth was captivated by inventions, particularly the phonograph and telephone.  When he read about inventors trying to create something called television, he set out to try to create one and, while plowing a potato field at the age of 14, got an idea for how to make it work.   Years later, Philo was able to use his work to create what is believed to be the first televised images.

Until I read this story, I knew very little about the early history of television.     What an inspirational biography about a creative young inventor!

Author's website:  http://www.kathleenkrull.com/

Biblioburro: A True Story From Columbia

Biblioburro: A True Story From Columbia
by Jeanette Winter

Luis Soriano had too many books!   An avid reader, when he finished one book he would soon get another.   When his wife insisted he find a place for all of his books, he decided to share them with those who did not have books by creating the Biblioburro, a traveling library.   Using two burros, Luis now travels to remote villages in Columbia to share his books with others. 

This is a great story that I recently used to discuss with my classes about how others don't have access to books the ways that we do!  This short biography about Luis Soriano pairs well with the picture book "Waiting for the Biblioburro" by Monica Brown.   

Video clip of the Biblioburro:

The Watcher

The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with Chimps
by Jeanette Winter

Jane Goodall was always an animal watcher, even as a little girl.   As she watched animals of all sizes, Jane dreamed of one day traveling to Africa to watch and learn about apes.   As an adult, Jane finally got an opportunity to fulfill her dreams when a famous scientist offered her the opportunity to study chimpanzees in Gombe.     As she learned more about her beloved chimpanzees, she also learned of the dangers threatening their well-being, leading her to devote her life to helping chimpanzees.

This is a wonderful biography for younger readers!   It gives a nice, brief overview of Jane Goodall's life and accomplishments.   

Balloons Over Broadway

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade
by Melissa Sweet

How did the giant balloons of the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade begin?   Balloons Over Broadway tells the story of Tony Sarg, the puppeteer responsible for the creation of giant balloons that first appeared over 80 years ago in the famous Thanksgiving parade.   A  puppeteer famous for his beautiful marionettes, Tony successfully took on the challenge of creating floating puppets for the parade, leading to a tradition that still continues each year.   This beautiful biography includes bright illustrations of Tony's life from the time he was a little boy to his creation of the first balloons for the Macy's parade.   This is a great book to read at any time of year, but especially during Thanksgiving!

Author's website:   http://melissasweet.net/
   

Amelia Lost

Amelia Lost:  The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart
by Candace Fleming

The life of famed aviator Amelia Earhart, as well as her tragic disappearance during her final flight, is told in this excellent biography.   What is especially unique about this biography is how the author, Candace Fleming, alternates the chapters in a way so that the story goes back and forth between Amelia's life growing up and her adulthood.    Adding to the mystery and questions surrounding her disappearance are the stories of ordinary people who believed they heard Amelia's cries for help over their home radios.  Candace Fleming does a great job of sharing the story of one of the greatest mysteries in aviation history.  

What a great book!  This exciting biography is a great choice for anyone interested in learning more about women in history.

Author's Website:  www.candacefleming.com