viva frida
Author: Yuyi Morales
Photography by: Tim O’Meara
Genre: Non-Fiction
Copyright: 2014
Reading Level: 530L
Grade level: Pre-K to 5
Topic: Spanish/English
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
This book is about Frida Kahlo. It showcases different stages in her life and how she ended up being an amazing and world-renowned artist. The book is written in Spanish and English and is an excellent resource for children learning either of these languages.
Photography by: Tim O’Meara
Genre: Non-Fiction
Copyright: 2014
Reading Level: 530L
Grade level: Pre-K to 5
Topic: Spanish/English
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
This book is about Frida Kahlo. It showcases different stages in her life and how she ended up being an amazing and world-renowned artist. The book is written in Spanish and English and is an excellent resource for children learning either of these languages.
the house that jane built
Author: Tanya Lee Stone
Illustrator: Kathryn Brown
Genre: Non-Fiction, biography
Copyright: 2015
Reading Level: 810L
Grade level: 3 to 4
Topic: Biography about Jane Addams
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Read aloud link: https://www.storylineonline.net/books/house-that-jane-built/
This is a biography about Jane Addams. It starts off telling about how she grew up and how she decided she would fix the world when she grew up. She saw people who were much poorer than her and decided that she wanted to help them. She opened a settlement house in Chicago. This is a great story to inspire children about what they can accomplish.
Illustrator: Kathryn Brown
Genre: Non-Fiction, biography
Copyright: 2015
Reading Level: 810L
Grade level: 3 to 4
Topic: Biography about Jane Addams
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Read aloud link: https://www.storylineonline.net/books/house-that-jane-built/
This is a biography about Jane Addams. It starts off telling about how she grew up and how she decided she would fix the world when she grew up. She saw people who were much poorer than her and decided that she wanted to help them. She opened a settlement house in Chicago. This is a great story to inspire children about what they can accomplish.
my hands sing the blues: romare bearden's childhood journey
Author: Jeanna Walker Harvey
Illustrator: Elizabeth Zunon
Genre: Non-Fiction
Copyright: 2011
Reading Level: N/A
Grade level: 2 to 5
Topic: Romare Bearden
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
This biography tells the story of artist Romare Bearden. It tells the story of how he grew up and how it led him to become such an amazing artist. It describes his family and what they went through. This is a great read with some amazing illustrations.
Illustrator: Elizabeth Zunon
Genre: Non-Fiction
Copyright: 2011
Reading Level: N/A
Grade level: 2 to 5
Topic: Romare Bearden
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
This biography tells the story of artist Romare Bearden. It tells the story of how he grew up and how it led him to become such an amazing artist. It describes his family and what they went through. This is a great read with some amazing illustrations.
Gandhi: a march to the sea
Author: Alice B. McGinty
Illustrator: Thomas Gonzalez
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2013
Reading Level: 880L
Grade level: 5 to 8
Topic: Gandhi
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
This biography is about Gandhi's twenty four day march to the sea in 1930. He marched with more than seventy other people. The march was a protest on taxes Great Britain had put on salt. This gives great background information about Gandhi and is very inspiring.
Illustrator: Thomas Gonzalez
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2013
Reading Level: 880L
Grade level: 5 to 8
Topic: Gandhi
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
This biography is about Gandhi's twenty four day march to the sea in 1930. He marched with more than seventy other people. The march was a protest on taxes Great Britain had put on salt. This gives great background information about Gandhi and is very inspiring.
martin's big words: the life of dr. martin luther king, jr
Author: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2001
Reading Level: AD610L
Grade level: 1 to 5
Topic: Dr Martin Luther King Jr
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Read aloud link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc39Ka8ut6k
This biography tells the story of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's life and how he changed the world with his peaceful protest message. It is filled with pictures that describe what it was like for him growing up in segregation and why he wanted to and did change that.
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2001
Reading Level: AD610L
Grade level: 1 to 5
Topic: Dr Martin Luther King Jr
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Read aloud link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc39Ka8ut6k
This biography tells the story of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's life and how he changed the world with his peaceful protest message. It is filled with pictures that describe what it was like for him growing up in segregation and why he wanted to and did change that.
who is jane goodall?
Author: Roberta Edwards
Illustrator: N/A
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2012
Reading Level: 700L
Grade level: 3 to 5
Topic: Jane Goodall
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Jane Goodall changed the way the world views chimpanzees. At the age of twenty six, she went to Africa and connected with many chimpanzees and helped the world understand them much better. She paved the way for so many women scientists around the world. This book explains how she ended up doing that and her impact on the world.
Illustrator: N/A
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2012
Reading Level: 700L
Grade level: 3 to 5
Topic: Jane Goodall
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Jane Goodall changed the way the world views chimpanzees. At the age of twenty six, she went to Africa and connected with many chimpanzees and helped the world understand them much better. She paved the way for so many women scientists around the world. This book explains how she ended up doing that and her impact on the world.
radiant child: the story of young artist jean-michel basquiat
Author: Javaka Steptoe
Illustrator: Javaka Steptoe
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2016
Reading Level: N/A
Grade level: 2 to 5
Topic: Jean-Michel Basquiat
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Jean-Michel Basquiat tells the story of the artist's life. It starts off with him living in Brooklyn and constantly seeing art around him. The artwork in the book is very similar to Basquiats. This book shows how he became the amazing artist he was and why his works resonated with so many people.
Illustrator: Javaka Steptoe
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2016
Reading Level: N/A
Grade level: 2 to 5
Topic: Jean-Michel Basquiat
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Jean-Michel Basquiat tells the story of the artist's life. It starts off with him living in Brooklyn and constantly seeing art around him. The artwork in the book is very similar to Basquiats. This book shows how he became the amazing artist he was and why his works resonated with so many people.
dream big, little one
Author: Vashti Harrison
Illustrator: Vashti Harrison
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2018
Reading Level: N/A
Grade level: K to 3
Topic: Amazing women
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
This book is about black women who changed the course of the world for good. It features eighteen amazing women. These women spoke up against hatred, were artists, and much more. This is a great read to inspire young women and show them that they can do anything.
Illustrator: Vashti Harrison
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2018
Reading Level: N/A
Grade level: K to 3
Topic: Amazing women
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
This book is about black women who changed the course of the world for good. It features eighteen amazing women. These women spoke up against hatred, were artists, and much more. This is a great read to inspire young women and show them that they can do anything.
on a beam of light: the story of albert einstein
Author: Jennifer Berne
Illustrator: Vladimir Radunsky
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2013
Reading Level: AD680L
Grade level: 1 to 5
Topic: Albert Einstein
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
One day, a boy rides his bicycle down a dusty road. He imagines himself traveling on a beam of light at a speed beyond belief. Albert Einstein is one of the most famous people of all time. Everything he did came from his imagination and many of those imaginations happened when he was a child. This book explores how he became one of the world's smartest people to ever exist.
Illustrator: Vladimir Radunsky
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2013
Reading Level: AD680L
Grade level: 1 to 5
Topic: Albert Einstein
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
One day, a boy rides his bicycle down a dusty road. He imagines himself traveling on a beam of light at a speed beyond belief. Albert Einstein is one of the most famous people of all time. Everything he did came from his imagination and many of those imaginations happened when he was a child. This book explores how he became one of the world's smartest people to ever exist.
brave girl: clara and the shirtwaist makers' strike of 1909
Author: Michelle Markel
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2013
Reading Level: AD760L
Grade level: 4 to 7
Topic: Clara Lemlich
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Clara Lemlich and her family escaped Ukraine in 1903 because of anti-Semitic violence and they moved to America. She started working in a factory as a young girl sewing. She realized all the girls were paid very little and treated very poorly. After this realization, she led the largest walkout of women workers in American history.
Illustrator: Melissa Sweet
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2013
Reading Level: AD760L
Grade level: 4 to 7
Topic: Clara Lemlich
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Clara Lemlich and her family escaped Ukraine in 1903 because of anti-Semitic violence and they moved to America. She started working in a factory as a young girl sewing. She realized all the girls were paid very little and treated very poorly. After this realization, she led the largest walkout of women workers in American history.
six dots: a story of young louis braille
Author: Jen Bryant
Illustrator: Boris Kulikov
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2016
Reading Level: 590L
Grade level: K to 3
Topic: Louis Braille
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
When he was five years old, Louis Braille lost his sight. He wanted to read like everyone else but there were no books he was able to. So he invented his own alphabet for the blind. Braille is a system of writing that is three dimensional and is still used today everywhere in the world. This book shows how and why braille was invented.
Illustrator: Boris Kulikov
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2016
Reading Level: 590L
Grade level: K to 3
Topic: Louis Braille
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
When he was five years old, Louis Braille lost his sight. He wanted to read like everyone else but there were no books he was able to. So he invented his own alphabet for the blind. Braille is a system of writing that is three dimensional and is still used today everywhere in the world. This book shows how and why braille was invented.
Ida b. wells: let the truth be told
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Illustrator: Bonnie Christensen
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2008
Reading Level: AD900L
Grade level: 3 to 6
Topic: Ida B. Wells
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Ida B. Wells was so disappointed in the unequal treatment of African Americans in the United States. She decided to do something to change it. She was an activist, suffragette, and spoke up against lynching. She wrote about the unequal treatment and changed the United States forever in such an amazing way.
Illustrator: Bonnie Christensen
Genre: Biography
Copyright: 2008
Reading Level: AD900L
Grade level: 3 to 6
Topic: Ida B. Wells
Is it a good read aloud? Yes
Ida B. Wells was so disappointed in the unequal treatment of African Americans in the United States. She decided to do something to change it. She was an activist, suffragette, and spoke up against lynching. She wrote about the unequal treatment and changed the United States forever in such an amazing way.