Inspiring Lives: Middle Grade BiographiesLike this list

20 items

• At Last She Stood

  How Joey Guerrero Spied, Survived, and Fought for Freedom

  Kelly, Erin Entrada,

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  A biography of the legendary and inspiring Josefina "Joey" Guerrero: World War II spy, Filipina guerrilla fighter, war hero, Medal of Freedom recipient, leprosy survivor, teacher, and peacemaker.

• Barracoon

  Adapted for Young Readers

  Hurston, Zora Neale,

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  Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America to be enslaved, eighty-six-year-old Cudjo Lewis was then the only person alive to tell the story of his capture and bondage--fifty years after the Atlantic human trade…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dear Dad

  Growing Up With a Parent in Prison--and How We Stayed Connected

  Patton, Jay Jay,

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  As far back as nine-year-old Jay Jay Patton can remember, her dad, Antoine has been in prison. Growing up in Buffalo, New York with her mom and younger brother, she's only been to visit him twice. Instead, the two have sent each other numerous…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Girl Who Fought Back

  Vladka Meed and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising

  Greene, Joshua, 1950-

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  Warsaw, Poland, 1940s: The Nazis are on the march, determined to wipe out the Jewish people of Europe. Teenage Vladka and her family are among the thousands of Jews forced to relocate behind the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto, a cramped, oppressive…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Girl Who Sang

  a Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival

  Nadel, Estelle,

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  A heartrending graphic memoir about a young Jewish girl's fight for survival in Nazi occupied Poland, The Girl Who Sang illustrates the power of a brother's love, the kindness of strangers, and finding hope when facing the unimaginable.

• The Leadership Journey

  How Four Kids Became President

  Goodwin, Doris Kearns,

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  All four presidents profiled grew up and lived in very different worlds--Lincoln was poor and self-educated; Theodore Roosevelt hailed from an elegant home in the heart of New York City; Franklin Roosevelt loved the outdoors surrounding his family's…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Spying on Spies

  How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Broke the Nazis' Secret Code

  Moss, Marissa,

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  One of the founders of US cryptology who would eventually become one of the world's greatest code breakers, Elizebeth Smith Friedman (1892-1980) was a brilliant mind behind many important battles throughout the 20th century, saving many lives…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Star Soldier

  My Life as a NASA Astronaut

  Bolden, Charles, 1946-

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  Sail the stars with astronaut Charlie Bolden as he recounts his ... shuttle missions, including deploying the Hubble Space Telescope, training with Sally Ride, and leading the first US space mission that included a Russian cosmonaut as a crew…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Stealing Little Moon

  the Legacy of the American Indian Boarding Schools

  Jones, Dan SaSuWeh, 1951-

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  Little Moon There Are No Stars Tonight was four years old when armed federal agents showed up at her home and took her from her family. Under the authority of the government, she was sent away to a boarding school specifically created to strip her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Weirdo

  Weaver, Tony, Jr,

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  Eleven-year-old Tony Weaver, Jr., loves comic books, anime, and video games, and idolizes the heroic, larger-than-life characters he finds there. But his new classmates all think he's a weirdo. Bullied by his peers, Tony struggles with the hurt of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Mexikid

  a Graphic Memoir

  Martin, Pedro, 1967-

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  Pedro Martin's grown up in the U.S. hearing stories about his legendary abuelito, but during a family road trip to Mexico, he connects with his grandfather and learns more about his own Mexican identity.

• Shining a Light

  Celebrating 40 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Changed the World

  Bybee, Veeda,

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  A collective biography of 40 influential Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, from Kalpana Chawla to The Rock to Tammy Duckworth, whose historical contributions readers may not know but whose light shines on, with stunning illustrated portraits by…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Susie King Taylor

  Nurse, Teacher and Freedom Fighter

  Dunbar, Erica Armstrong,

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  A groundbreaking figure in every sense of the word, Susie King Taylor (1848-1912) was one of the first Black nurses during the Civil War, tending to the wounded soldiers of the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Afterward, she was a key…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Thomas H. Begay and the Navajo Code Talkers

  Landry, Alysa,

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  Through Thomas H. Begay's singular story, this richly illustrated biography for young readers describes aspects of Navajo history and culture and shows how a select group of Navajo soldiers used their native Dinâe language to invent and operate a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Unlawful Orders

  a Portrait of Dr. James B. Williams, Tuskegee Airman, Surgeon, and Activist

  Binns, Barbara,

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  One Black officer who refused to give in to the bigotry at Freeman Field was James Buchanan "JB" Williams. JB grew up the son of sharecroppers, but his loving family and insuppressible intellect drove him to push boundaries placed on Black Americans…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Genius Under the Table

  Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain

  Yelchin, Eugene,

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  Drama, family secrets, and a KGB spy in his own kitchen! How will Yevgeny ever fulfill his parents' dream that he become a national hero when he doesn't even have his own room?

• Gone to the Woods

  Surviving a Lost Childhood

  Paulsen, Gary,

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  His name is synonymous with high-stakes wilderness survival adventures. Now, beloved author Gary Paulsen portrays a series of life-altering moments from his turbulent childhood as his own original survival story. If not for his summer escape from a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Born to Fly

  the First Women's Air Race Across America

  Sheinkin, Steve,

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  The gripping story of the fearless women pilots who aimed for the skies--and beyond.

• Infinite Hope

  a Black Artist's Journey From World War II to Peace

  Bryan, Ashley,

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  In May of 1942, at the age of eighteen, Ashley Bryan was drafted to fight in World War II. For the next three years, he would face the horrors of war as a black soldier in a segregated army.

• Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge

  George and Martha Washington's Courageous Slave Who Dared to Run Away

  Dunbar, Erica Armstrong,

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  Born into a life of slavery, Ona Judge eventually grew up to be George and Martha Washington's "favored" dower slave. When she was told that she was going to be given as a wedding gift to Martha Washington's granddaughter, Ona made the bold and…Read moreRead more of this annotation