Meet the Collection Mondays: Juvenile Biographies

One of the collections I am responsible for is Juvenile Biographies. This collection is comprised of biographies and autobiographies. Kids and adults often confuse the two. Both are true stories about the lives of people. An autobiography is the author's own story. A biography is written by somebody else.

There is a range of reading levels from easy picture books to fairly in-depth chapter books. Topics include contemporary and historical US and world figures and leaders, authors, artists, athletes, entertainers, and pop culture icons. I try to have a broad selection of biographies that kids can read just for enjoyment as well as a good range of books they can use for school assignments.

Assignments often require kids to check out non-fiction books; if they are like me, they may not like reading books that aren't stories. Biographies are a great option for fulfilling class requirements but also keeping kids interested.

See one of my recent postings for some recommendations: Other People's Lives

Another couple of favorites are Menno Metselaar's Anne Frank: Her Life in Words and Pictures from the Archives of the Anne Frank House, and Peg Kehret's Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio. Kehret's memoir is the single most commonly requested biography in the collection. Kids LOVE it.