Showing titles in Biographies

In the mid- to late-19th century, a burgeoning science called electricity promised to shine new light on a rousing nation. Inventive and ambitious minds were hard at work. Soon that spark was fanned, and a war was under way to be the first to light - and run - the world with electricity. Thomas Alva Edison, the inventor of direct current (DC), engaged in a brutal battle with Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse, the inventors of alternating current (AC). There would be no ties in this race - only a winner and a loser - and the prize was a nationwide monopoly in electric current.

Renowned American astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi (born James Plummer) pens a gripping, gritty coming-of-age memoir, from young boy to graduate-school student, that will resonate with teenagers, especially those of color, who are facing many choices and obstacles as they navigate their young adult...

Like many others on the autism spectrum, 20-something stand-up comic Michael McCreary has been told by more than a few well-meaning folks that he doesn’t “look” autistic. But, as he’s quick to point out in this memoir, autism “looks” different for just about everyone with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Inspired by his nearly-deaf mother and a father who developed a "visible alphabet" of all the possible sounds a human being can make, Alexander Graham Bell spent the greater part of his life trying to improve the way people communicated with one another. It was this desire that led him to create his most famous invention, the telephone, and turned him into one of the most well-known names of all time.

In Ginger Kid, popular comedian Steve Hofstetter grapples with life after seventh grade...when his world fell apart. Formatted as a series of personal essays, Steve walks his listeners through awkward early dating, family turbulence, and the revenge of the bullied nerds. This YA nonfiction is sure to be the beloved next volume for the first generation of Wimpy Kid fans who are all grown up and ready for a new misfit hero.

Every Falling Star, the first book to portray contemporary North Korea to a young audience, is the intense memoir of a North Korean boy named Sungju who is forced at age 12 to live on the streets and fend for himself. To survive, Sungju creates a gang and lives by thieving, fighting, begging, and stealing rides on cargo trains. Sungju richly recreates his scabrous story, depicting what it was like for a boy alone to create a new family with his gang, his "brothers".

Taylor marched up to the woman behind the front desk and went into gear. "Hi! I'm Taylor Swift! I'm eleven and I want a record deal!" She handed the woman her CD. "Call me!" she said and flashed her a cheery smile. "She thought I was cute," Taylor said when she was back in the car. "The usual Go away and come back when you're eighteen."Taylor stared out the side window as her mother drove slowly down Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. As they passed by the famous Bluebird Cafe, she said, "Someday I'm going to sing here." This is the biography of one of the world's most famous singer, intocicating narrated by Becca Stewart.

Dramatically narrated case histories from Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's stellar career are interwoven with an account of her life - including her childhood, family, beliefs, many-faceted personality, education, marriage, children, legal and judicial career, and other achievements. The cases described, many involving young people, demonstrate her passionate concern for gender equality, fairness, and our constitutional rights.

Elon Musk is the visionary behind SpaceX and CEO of the electric car company Tesla. He is working on unique and daring improvements to both public transit and solar energy. And then, there's his highly-publicized plans for colonizing Mars.... But behind the mind-blowing headlines and legendary drive is the story of a bullied and beaten school boy, who through creativity and determination decided to rewrite his story and find his own way to make the world a better place. And to do so with a sense of fun and style.

This is the memoir written by Bella Kuligowska Zucker, the only person in her family to survive the Holocaust. In September 1939, Bella was a carefree teenager living in Poland when the German army struck. She was rounded up with her friends and family and sent to a series of grim Jewish ghettos. After loved ones were separated and lost through the war years, Bella survived by changing her identity. After finding the birth certificate of a Catholic girl five years her senior, she became Sabina Mazurek. Then she went into the eye of the storm, Germany.

Oprah Winfrey has been called the Queen of All Media for good reason: during her more than thirty-year career, she has left an indelible mark on radio, television, film, theater, magazines, and books. One of the most influential people today, Oprah is also a committed humanitarian...

The incredible true story of a teen who became an activist for the Tibetan independence movement, for readers of Red Scarf Girl and Farewell to Manzanar. Tsultrim Dolma, born in a tiny village in the stunning mountains of eastern Tibet, always knew there had to be more than the life expected of...

Martyn war erst zehn Jahre alt, als er den Brand seines Elternhauses hautnah miterlebte. Er und seine ganze Familie konnten noch rechtzeitig gerettet werden, mussten dann aber mit ansehen, wie ihr Haus mitsamt dem Geschäft des Vaters, also ihre ganze Lebensgrundlage, restlos niederbrannte. Wo sollten sie nun wohnen? Wie sollten sie sich ernähren? – Alles war zerstört. Doch Gott sorgte für die Familie und hatte für Martyn eine besondere Lebensaufgabe.

From basketball icon Brittney Griner comes a captivating memoir about her journey from early athletic stardom to her page-turning account of how she persevered in a Russian prison—now adapted for young adults. On February 17, 2022, Brittney Griner arrived in Moscow ready to play for a Russian...

The New York Times bestselling memoir now adapted for young adults! Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman to ever be appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, chronicles her life story and her extraordinary path to becoming a jurist on America's highest court in this inspiring, intimate memoir...

Storie curiose, fuori del comune (extra vaganti, appunto), divertenti, ma tutte rigorosamente vere, quelle raccontate in questo libretto. La prima storia è ambientata nel XIV secolo e vede protagonista una potentissima consorteria di banchieri fiorentini, i Bardi. La seconda ricostruisce un singolare brutto scherzo giocato dagli Europei ai Turchi nel secolo XVII. Nell'ultima sono commentati due famosi trattati francesi del XVII e XVIII secolo dedicati al commercio e alle manifatture del tempo, in cui abbondano giudizi, acuti e gustosi, su genti e popoli.

This program is read by the author. Maggie Nichols’s official memoir is an inspirational tell-all about the abuse she suffered under the US national gymnastics team and how she managed to redefine herself in the face of adversity. With an introduction from Simone Biles. In 2015, Maggie...

From the acclaimed author of Flygirl and the bestselling author of Code Name Verity comes the thrilling and inspiring true story of the desegregation of the skies. In the years between World War I and World War II, aviation fever was everywhere, including among Black Americans. But what hope...

Ona Judge wanted more than the best job an enslaved person could have, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman challenged why some people are masters and others enslaved, Ida B. Wells exposed post-slavery brutality, Martin Luther King Jr. was the key voice to overturn Jim Crow, and Barack Obama changed modern-day racial attitudes. For author Ray Anthony Shepard A Long Time Coming is highly personal, a chronicle of the times of his grandparents, parents, and himself.

As a black child growing up in 1920s Colorado, Frank Macon was often told that he would never amount to anything. His severe dyslexia didn’t help, nor did his tendency for mischief. But in spite of all that, Frank rose to heights beyond anyone’s imagining. Ever since childhood—when he jumped off a roof wearing homemade wings—he wanted to be a pilot. In this inspiring memoir, Frank tells his story of achieving that dream.