Famous (and not-so-famous) Lives: biographies for middle schoolers
compiled 1-4-07

5000 Miles to Freedom : Ellen and William Craft's flight from slavery by Judith Fradin
YA 306.362 FR
Ellen and William Craft were two of the few slaves to ever escape from the Deep South. Their first escape took them to Philadelphia, then on to Boston pursued by slave hunters, and finally 5000 miles across the ocean to England, where they were able to settle peacefully.

Iqbal Masih and the Crusaders Against Child Slavery by Susan Kuklin
YA 331.34 KU
An account of the former Pakistani child labor activist whose life and unexplained murder has brought to the attention of the world the evil of child bondage.

No End in Sight by Rachael Scdoris
YA 798.83 SC
Rachael Scdoris is a sled dog racer, has been since she was eleven. After she graduated from high school, she applied to run the Iditarod, the most famous sled dog race in the world and Rachael's life-long dream. The Iditarod Committee said no. Not because Rachael was young, not because she was a girl, but because Rachael is legally blind.

Thura's Diary by Thura Al-Windawi
YA 956.7044 AL
Thura's Diary begins on Saturday, March 15, 2003. On March 20, the United States began the bombing of Iraq. This is a much more personal view of America's invasion of Iraq.

The Greatest by Walter Dean Myers
YA BIOG ALI
Through the story of Ali's childhood, his rise as a champion, his politics, and his battle against Parkinsons' disease, readers will come to know the man behind the brash public persona.

Anastasia's Album by Hugh Brewster
YA BIOG ANASTASIA
Anastasia was one of the daughters of the last Tsar of Russia.

It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong
YA BIOG ARMSTRONG
The autobiography of a champion, a medical miracle and a devoted son.

Good Brother, Bad Brother by James Giblin
YA BIOG BOOTH
John Wilkes Booth has gone down in history as the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. But he lived a whole life before that in the public eye, as did his famed brother, Edwin.

Louise Arner Boyd by Durlynn Anema
YA BIOG BOYD
Louise Arner Boyd explored polar regions when it was fashionable for women to just stay at home.

The Forbidden Schoolhouse by Suzanne Jurmain
YA BIOG CRANDALL
In spring of 1833, the people of Canterbury, Connecticut, were outraged by a woman named Prudence Crandall. Town meetings were held, people were arrested, threats were made. Prudence's crime? She was teaching black girls.

King of the Mild Frontier by Chris Crutcher
YA BIOG CRUTCHER
Chris Crutcher was a teacher, is a family therapist, and is a terrific writer. And his autobiography is funny and inspiring and an all-around terrific read.

Mary Lincoln's Dressmaker by Becky Rutberg
YA BIOG KECKLEY
Elizabeth Keckley worked her way out of slavery to become the dressmaker and friend to one of the most famous women of the time – Mary Todd Lincoln.

Dropping In With Andy Mac: the life of a pro skateboarder by Andy Macdonald
YA BIOG MACDONALD
Andy Mac tells how he became a championship skateboarder.

Mike's World: the life of Mike Myers by Martin Knelman
YA BIOG MYERS
A biography of a man who continues to live by his late father's advice: always be funny.

Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers
YA BIOG MYERS
An autobiography from the author of "Monster", "142nd Street", "Fallen Angels" and many more, "Bad Boys" that reads like fiction.

How Angel Peterson Got His Name by Gary Paulsen
YA BIOG PAULSEN
Paulsen details the daredevil (dare I say, stupid?) stunts pulled by his childhood friends. It's amazing that any of them are still alive today.

Eleanor Roosevelt: a life of discovery by Russell Freedman
YA BIOG ROOSEVELT
A well-documented and illustrated biography of the first modern first lady.