
Is truth stranger than fiction? Find out with these books about real people who left their mark on America!
Miracle Mud: Lena Blackburne and the Secret Mud that Changed Baseball Written by David A. Kelly & Illustrated by Oliver Dominguez
Millbrook Press, 2013, hardcover, $16.95, Ages 7-11
Lena Blackburne loved playing baseball, but caring for the balls themselves was difficult work. Players coated them in shoe polish, dirt, and spit to take away their blinding shine, which also made the balls soggy. Lena discovered thick mud near his New Jersey hometown that was the perfect coating for the baseballs and is still used today. This biography is illustrated with detailed paintings and will appeal to baseball fans of all ages.
JFK Written by Jonah Winter & Illustrated by A. G. Ford Katherine Tegen Books, 2013, hardcover, $17.99, Ages 4-8
Who was John F. Kennedy? The author recalls the life, legacy, and diplomacy that made JFK a beloved politician and leader. Realistic paintings beautifully illustrate this picture book biography. A nice introduction to the thirty-fifth President of the United States.
Mr. Ferris and His Wheel Written by Kathryn Gibbs Davis & Illustrated by Gilbert Ford
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014, hardcover, $17.99, Ages 5-8
Inspired by a water wheel, George Ferris submitted the Monster Wheel design for the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. Constructed out of 2000 tons of steel alloy and powered by two steam engines, this engineering marvel became a hit. Investors renamed it the Ferris Wheel after its creator. This fun look at the turn-of-the-century will invigorate creative young minds.
Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World Written by Elizabeth Rusch & Illustrated by Oliver Dominguez
Candlewick Press, 2013, hardcover, $16.99, Ages 8-12
Move over, Thomas Edison – Nikola Tesla has an illustrated biography of his own! Edison might get credit for inventing the light bulb, but Tesla discovered AC power, lit the Chicago World’s Fair with electricity, and harnessed the energy of Niagara Falls to power homes all the way to Buffalo. Read about this brilliant man’s mechanical mind in picture book format.
The Mad Potter: George E. Ohr, Eccentric Genius By Jan Greenberg & Sandra Jordan
Roaring Brook Press, 2013, hardcover, $17.99, Ages 9-13
George Ohr, an eccentric “Pot-Ohr,” wore a moustache that couldn’t be missed and created equally eye-catching artwork. After he died poor, his works became world known and sold for thousands of dollars. Scanning the pages of this full-color book is like browsing the cases of a museum. Readers will see that making functional art can be fun and creative.
Tillie Pierce: Teen Eyewitness to the Battle of Gettysburg By Tanya Anderson
Twenty-First Century Books, 2012, hardcover, $34.60, Ages 12-17
Fifteen-year-old Tillie Pierce lived in Gettysburg when Union and Confederate troops swept through to fight one of the deadliest battles of the Civil War. Tillie, her neighbors, and her family became instrumental in caring for sick and wounded soldiers. In 1889, Tillie’s account was published and lauded for its teenage civilian’s perspective of helping the war effort despite the lack of preparation for such heroics. Readers will be inspired by the brave actions of this young woman.
I See the Promised Land: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Written by Arthur Flowers & Illustrated by Manu Chitrakar
Groundwood Books, 2013, hardcover, $16.95, Ages 12-17
Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement is a story worth repeating for generations to come. With illustrations in the Indian Patua scroll style and text with a poetic rhythm, this unique biography on a well-known man is beautifully told in a quality book.
More Reads
Get global with these international figures:
PICTURE BOOKS
- The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind Written by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer & Illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
- The Noisy Paint Box: The Colors and Sounds of Kandinsky’s Abstract Art Written by Barb Rosenstock & Illustrated by Mary Grandpré
- The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus Written by Jen Bryant & Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Middle Grade
- I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education and Changed the World (Young Reader’s Edition) By Malala Yousafzai & Patricia McCormick
- Who Was Marie Curie? Written by Megan Stine & Illustrated by Nancy Harrison
Young Adult
- The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia By Candace Fleming
- How They Choked: Failures, Flops, and Flaws of the Awfully Famous By Georgia Bragg
- The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World’s Most Notorious Nazi By Neal Bascomb
Deena Viviani is a Rochester-based Young Adult Services Librarian. Read more reviews on her blog www.deenaml.livejournal.com or send her a note at
De**********@ho*****.com
– she loves to hear from readers!
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