SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About/Contact
  • Fusenews
  • Reviews
  • Librarian Previews
  • Best Books
    • Top 100
    • Best Books of 2022
    • Best Books of 2021
    • Best Books of 2020
    • Best Books of 2019
    • Best Books of 2018
    • Best Books of 2017
    • Best Books of 2016
    • Best Books of 2015
    • Best Books of 2014
    • Best Books of 2013
  • Fuse 8 n’ Kate
  • Videos
  • Press Release Fun

Tag: middle grade biographies

December 26, 2022 by Betsy Bird

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2022 Unique Biographies for Kids

Today, we're giving lesser known people their place in the sun while also acknowledging people with famous names who finally have picture book bios worthy of their fame.

September 21, 2022 by Betsy Bird

“Provocatively Nuanced”: The Humanizing of Jackie Robinson

Not your parents' Jackie Robinson biography. Meet the men behind the "myth-breaking" book CALL HIM JACK and hear why it's possible to write a heroic bio with nuance.

May 6, 2022 by Betsy Bird

Review of the Day – Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi

With care, grace, and not a little cleverness, Zoboi doesn’t just introduce Butler to kids in the book Star Child. She makes it very clear from the get go that young Octavia was one of us. A supremely relatable person with a drive and output that far outstripped her times.

More Recent Posts

31 Days, 31 Lists: 2020 Unique Biographies

December 26, 2020 by Betsy Bird

Each crop of yearly biographies runs the gamut from the uber famous to people who may not have ever even received an adult biography. I loved the sheer variety on display in 2020. Behold a sampling of some favorites.

Review of the Day: Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say

July 1, 2017 by Betsy Bird

Silent Days, Silent Dreams By Allen Say Arthur A. Levine Books (an imprint of Scholastic) $21.99 ISBN: 978-0-545-92761-1 Ages 8-12 On shelves October 31st I love what makes biographers tick. I lack that ability and it’s so interesting me the way in which a person selects not just their subject but the aspects in their […]

Review of the Day: Presenting Buffalo Bill by Candace Fleming

September 12, 2016 by Betsy Bird

Presenting Buffalo Bill: The Man Who Invented the Wild West By Candace Fleming A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Book Press (a division of Macmillan) $19.99 ISBN: 9781596437630 Ages 9-12 On shelves September 20th I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how we present history to our kids. Specifically I was thinking about picture book biographies […]

ADVERTISEMENT

Review of the Day: Everybody Paints! by Susan Goldman Rubin

January 14, 2014 by Betsy Bird

Everybody Paints! The Lives and Art of the Wyeth Family By Susan Goldman Rubin Chronicle Books $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-8118-6984-3 Ages 9-12 On shelves February 4th For years it was my pleasure to work in the New York Public Library’s Central Children’s Room, located in the Donnell Library. The Central Children’s Room was the crown jewel […]

Review of the Day – Sparky: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz

April 21, 2010 by Betsy Bird

Sparky: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz By Beverly Gherman Chronicle Books $16.99 ISBN: 978-0-8118-6790-0 Ages 8 and up On shelves now. Sitting in the biography section of my children’s room are crisp, new, clean, pristine biographies of all sorts of people. Saints and sailors, presidents and queens, you name it. We got `em. […]

Read More Posts »

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

ADVERTISEMENT

  • External Links

    • A Fuse #8 Production Reviews
  • Trending on the SLJ Blog Network

    A Fuse #8 Production

    Cover Reveal: This Book Is Banned – The Latest from Raj Haldar (With a Helpful Q&A for Spice)

    by Betsy Bird

    The Yarn

    A First Time For Everything by Dan Santat

    by Colby Sharp

    Heavy Medal

    What’s Coming in 2023, A Feedback Poll, and Goodbye for Now…

    by Steven Engelfried

    The Classroom Bookshelf

    Retelling Fairy Tales for Contemporary Times: Beauty Woke

    by Grace Enriquez

    Follow This Blog

    Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

    Primary Sidebar

    • News & Features
    • Reviews+
    • Technology
    • School Libraries
    • Public Libraries
    • Age Level
    • Ideas
    • Blogs
    • Classroom
    • Diversity
    • People
    • Job Zone

    Reviews+

    • Book Lists
    • Best Books
    • Media
    • Reference
    • Series Made Simple
    • Tech
    • Review for SLJ
    • Review Submissions

    SLJ Blog Network

    • 100 Scope Notes
    • A Fuse #8 Production
    • Good Comics for Kids
    • Heavy Medal
    • Neverending Search
    • Teen Librarian Toolbox
    • The Classroom Bookshelf
    • The Yarn

    Resources

    • 2022 Youth Media Awards
    • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
    • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
    • Summer Reading 2021
    • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
    • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
    • Summer Programming Survey
    • Research
    • White Papers / Case Studies
    • School Librarian of the Year
    • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
    • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

    Events & PD

    • In-Person Events
    • Online Courses
    • Virtual Events
    • Webcasts
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Media Inquiries
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Content Submissions
    • Data Privacy
    • Terms of Use
    • Terms of Sale
    • FAQs
    • Diversity Policy
    • Careers at MSI


    COPYRIGHT © 2023


    COPYRIGHT © 2023