Biographies or historical fiction about real people
Published: 2014 Theme: Biography Henri Matisse Best for: 4 to 6 "If you were a boy named Henri Matisse who lived in a dreary town in northern France where the skies were gray, and you wanted color and light and sun, what might you become?" The images and wonder of Matisse's imagination come to life in a beautifully crafted children's book.
Published: 2016 Theme: Historical Fiction Biography Best for: 9 to 12 "He passes the hammer to me, and I heft it in my hands. It fits my palm perfectly, and it feels good...It seems to be speaking to me, begging to be used, ready to be of service." So many themes in one book - father/son, developing a written language, Native American struggle. Yet it all holds together beautifully.
Published: 2010 Theme: Math Biography Best for: 6 to 9 "You can call me Blockhead. Everyone else does. One day when I was just a boy, Maestro wrote out a math problem and gave us ten minutes to solve it. I solved it in two seconds." If you have any young children who love numbers, this is definitely a children's book they should read - a superb biography about Fibonacci.
Published: 2010 Theme: Live your dream Best for: 8 and up "He peeked out... and saw that the wind had also possessed his mittens. They looked like ghostly hands waving good-bye in the Chilean sky. Where were they headed? Whose hands would they cover next? ..'Where is the storehouse of lost and found?'" As I put this exquisite children's book down, I wiped my eyes, and marveled at the quick journey I had just taken into the heart and mind of Pablo Neruda...
Published: 1998 Theme: Native American lifestyle Best for: 9 and up classrooms "I believe that in many instances where the white settlers had trouble with the Indians it all started because the Indians were just curious to know what in the world the white settlers were doing, and not be because they ...even knew they were doing any damage." This nonfiction children's book is simple and informative, giving a full and loving picture of a culture that tragically has disappeared.
Published: 2014 Theme: Emily Dickinson Best for: 7 to 9 "She needs our eyes to see these things for her, for --playful as she is with us-- she isn't part of the world's hubbub anymore. She is getting old!" This poetic children's book is a wonderful addition to bringing Emily Dickinson to young people, depicting her playful nature with children.
Published: 2006 Theme: Perseverance through obstacles Best for: 7 to 10 "Just as Su Shih's writing followed the laws of nature, do did his rulings, where were just and as brilliant as the sun. He was guided by the ancient Chinese book of wisdom, the Tao Te Ching..." It's an interesting challenge to create a historical fiction children's book that young children would be able to take in...
Published: 2013 Theme: Artistry Best for: 5 to 8 "Each day something new and surprising dripped out of Daozi's brush. His straight lines splintered into trees. His hooks caught fish. His dots burst into eyes, then pigs and monkeys. From a stroke, a horse's tail flew by." This children's book is exquisite from beginning to end, from front cover to back cover. The story is an imaginative version of the life of the great Chinese artist Wu Daozi...
Published: 2013 Theme: Curiosity Best for: 5 - 8 "Suddenly he knew there were mysteries in the word, hidden and silent, unknown and unseen. He wanted, more than anything, to understand those mysteries." Here's a treasure - an authentic story about Albert Einstein, written with very young children in mind, accompanied by absolutely magical illustrations. I am so in love with this one...
Published: 1994 Theme: 13th Century Life Best for: girls 12 and older "I am commanded to write an account of my days: I am bit by fleas and plagued by family. That is all there is to say." It's not often that I read a somewhat serious children's book that makes me laugh out loud. This book certainly does that, due to the main character, a sharp, funny, sarcastic, and somewhat willful 13th century teenager.
Litkidz 