Coretta Scott King, by Lisa Renee Rhodes
Chelea Houes, 1998
Biography of Martin Luther King's widow, from her childhood in rural Alabama
to her crusade to keep her husband's message of peace and equality alive
after his murder in 1968
Cricket Books, 2003
Through words and paintings, an artist tells about growing up on a cotton plantation in Cuthbert, Georgia, serving time in prison for his actions during a civil rights demonstration, and finding a purpose and direction in life.
Reading Level: 6.4; Accelerated Reader: 4.9
Puffin, 1999
Presents the childhood of Eleanor Roosevelt who maried a man who became president of the United States, and became a great humanitarian. Reading Level: 4.2; Accelerated Reader: 4.7
Clarion, 1993
Newbery Honor, 1994 A biography of the first wife of a president to have a public life and career of her own. Reading Level: 8.5; Accelerated Reader: 7.8
Find Where the Wind Goes: Moments From My Life, by Mae Jemison
Scholastic, 2001
Mae Jemison recounts her life story, describing her struggle to overcome
the doubts of those around her and become an astronaut - the first woman
of color in space. Reading Level: 8.1; Accelerated Reader: 7.2
Fly high! : the story of Bessie Coleman, by Borden, Louise
M.K. McElderry, 2001
Discusses the life of the determined African-American woman who went all
the way to France in order to earn her pilot's license in 1921.
Reading Level: 5.1; Accelerated Reader: 4.5
Gandhi, by Demi.
Margaret McElderry Books, 2001.
Color illustrations fill this chronicle of legendary pacifistic social
activist Mohandas Gandhi, whose work to change India's caste system and
free India from British rule inspired both Martin Luther King Jr. and
Nelson Mandela.
Reading Level: 4.7; Accelerated Reader: 6.5
Harcourt, 2003
A biography of Cesar Chavez, from age ten when he and his family lived happily on their Arizona ranch, to age thirty-eight when he led a peaceful protest against California migrant workers' miserable working conditions.
Reading Level: 6.3; Accelerated Reader: 5.6
Hole in my life, by Jack Gantos
Farrar, Strauss & Giroux, 2002
The author relates how, as a young adult, he became a drug user and smuggler,
was arrested, did time in prison, and eventually got out and went to college,
all the while hoping to become a writer. Accelerated Reader: 7.5
Dutton Children's Books, 2003.
Describes the childhood and youth of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth president of the United States, covering the years from his birth through prep school graduation, and includes photographs, family letters, grade reports, and ancedotes.
Reading Level: 8.3; Accelerated Reader: 7.8
Jesse Owens, by Tony Gentry
Chelsea House, 1990
A biography of the track and field star who won three gold medals in the
1936 Summer Olympic Games. Reading Level: 6.4; Accelerated Reader: 7.5
Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly, by Walter Dean Myers
HarperCollins, 2000
A biography of the civil rights leader offers an in-depth look at his
life and includes quotes from speeches Reading Level: 3.5; Accelerated
Reader: 6.0
Martha Graham, A Dancer's Life, by Russell Freedman
Clarion, 1998
A photo-biography of the American dancer, teacher, and choreographer who
was born in Pittsburgh in1875 and who became a leading figure in the world
of modern dance. Reading Level: 8.6; Accelerated Reader: 8.2
Creative Education, 2006
Describes the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., his childhood and early ministry, and his emergence as the leader of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.Reading Level: 7.2; Accelerated Reader: 7.7
Chronicle Books, 2003
Describes the experiences of Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins as he circled the moon while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on it; and explains what everyday life was like on "Columbia," presents background on the three astronauts, and includes photos of Collins and his family. Reading Level: 6.2
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2004
"An Anne Schwartz book." Presents a collection of illustrated photographs and stories representing the life and career of Eleanor Roosevelt, and examines her White House years, her years as a delegate to the United Nations, and more. Reading Level: 6.8; Accelerated Reader: 8.0
Chelsea House, 1989
Examines the life of the poet and novelist who batled racism and accepted the challenge of depicting the African-American experience in America.
Reading Level: 7.6
