Other People's Lives

I always find it interesting to read about people I have heard of and find out what their lives were like before and after they became famous. I recently finished Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain, a memoir by Portia deRossi (of Ally McBeal and Arrested Development fame) about her eating disorder, and I found it surprisingly good! Yes, I actually get a chance to read books written for adults, too!

Now I'm on to Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart, by Candace Fleming. I just started it last night and I'm already about halfway through it. It is a quick, engaging read all about Amelia's life up until she disappeared. The author intersperses chapters about the day she disappeared with chapters about her life leading up to that day. There are also lots of insets with interesting little tidbits about things discussed in the main text (i.e., Morse code, how to fly the kind of plane Amelia flew, a picture of Amelia's pilot's license). The reading level is probably about 3rd grade and up, but it will capture the interest of older kids as well.

Other Juvenile Biographies/Autobiographies your kids might enjoy:

• When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson, by Pam Munoz Ryan
• The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum, by Candace Fleming
• Sir Charlie: Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World, by Sid Fleischman
• Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau, by Jennifer Berne
• Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku, by Ellie Crowe
• A Nation's Hope: The Story of Boxing Legend Joe Louis, by Matt de la Pena
• Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka, by Jon Scieszka
• The Trouble Begins at 8: A Life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild West, by Sid Fleischman