900s: Famous Figures Old and New: Series Nonfiction Biographies

Biographies have such potential. Nothing is more compelling than real life, and the best of these books make readers feel as though that life is happening to a person that they have come to know. Readers will gasp in horror with Elie Wiesel who arrives as a child at Auschwitz (“Life Portraits”), and cry when young Harriet Tubman has her skull fractured by a slave overseer (“Leaders of the Civil War Era”). On the other hand, biographies that are tedious or impersonal can deter even the most curious. Some of these series are sensational and fit into the first category; others are merely serviceable.

ANDERSON, Sheila. America Ferrera: Latina Superstar. ISBN 978-0-7660-3210-1. LC 2008026463.
––––. Miley Cyrus: Music and TV Superstar. ISBN 978-0-7660-3213-2. LC 2008026462.
GITLIN, Marty. Shaun White: Snow and Skateboard Champion. ISBN 978-0-7660-3212-5. LC 2008026465.
MARKARIAN, Margie. Hilary Duff: Life in the Spotlight. ISBN 978-0-7660-3211-8. LC 2008026464.
TORSIELLO, David P. Michael Phelps: Swimming for Olympic Gold. ISBN 978-0-7660-3591-1. LC 2008048700.
WATSON, Stephanie. Daniel Radcliffe: Film and Stage Star. ISBN 978-0-7660-3209-5. LC 2008026470.
WEICKER, Gretchen. Kanye West: Hip-Hop Star. ISBN 978-0-7660-3214-9. LC 2008026466. 
ea vol: 48p. (Hot Celebrity Biographies Series). photos. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Enslow. 2009. Tr $23.93.
Gr 3-5–Quality design, including an interesting color palette, distinguishes these profiles of young celebrities, each of which is illustrated with large, recent color photos. The tone is light but not breathless; the writing is solid, and the authors go out of their way to emphasize positive values. Thus readers learn about America Ferrera taking the bus to auditions, Hilary Duff’s charity work, and Kanye West’s devotion to his mother. Missing, however, are the technical details that fascinate many kids–how does Miley Cyrus maintain her voice? How does snowboarder Shaun White develop new moves? Readers are highly interested in these talented young people, what they do, and how they do it. These books deliver the “what” in a clean, classy package, but hold back on the “how.”

BRITTON, Tamara L. Dwight D. Eisenhower: 34th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-449-8. LC 2008040976.
––––. George Washington: 1st President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-479-5. LC 2008033505.
––––. Richard Nixon: 37th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-468-9. LC 2008033506.
––––. Ronald Reagan: 40th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-471-9. LC 2008034921.
––––. Theodore Roosevelt: 26th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-473-3. LC 2008042046.
ELSTON, Heidi M.D. Calvin Coolidge: 30th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-448-1. LC 2008039218.
––––. Chester Arthur: 21st President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-441-2. LC 2008035313.
––––. George H.W. Bush: 41st President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-443-6. LC 2008045385.
––––. Harry S. Truman: 33rd President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-476-4. LC 2008040273.
––––. Jimmy Carter: 39th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-445-0. LC 2008041628.
––––. John Adams: 2nd President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-439-9. LC 2008027037.
––––. John Quincy Adams: 6th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-440-5. LC 2008027048.
––––. Millard Fillmore: 13th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-450-4. LC 2008035314.
––––. Thomas Jefferson: 3rd President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-460-3. LC 2008027054.
––––. Warren G. Harding: 29th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-454-2. LC 2008035315.
––––. William H. Harrison: 9th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-456-6. LC 2008027055.
––––. Zachary Taylor: 12th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-475-7. LC 2008035316.
GUNDERSON, Megan M. Andrew Jackson: 7th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-459-7. LC 2008030959.
––––. Andrew Johnson: 17th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-461-0. LC 2008030960.
––––. Benjamin Harrison: 23rd President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-455-9. LC 2008033504.
––––. Franklin D. Roosevelt: 32nd President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-472-6. LC 2008039219.
––––. Gerald Ford: 38th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-451-1. LC 2008039220.
––––. James A. Garfield: 20th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-452-8. LC 2008041627.
––––. James Buchanan: 15th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-442-9. LC 2008030958.
––––. James Madison: 4th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-465-8. LC 2008044331.
––––. James Monroe: 5th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-467-2. LC 2008044332.
––––. John F. Kennedy: 35th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-463-4. LC 2008027038. ––––. John Tyler: 10th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-477-1. LC 2008027053.
––––. Lyndon B. Johnson: 36th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-462-7. LC 2008025596.
––––. William McKinley: 25th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-466-5. LC 2008025597.
RUMSCH, BreAnn. Abraham Lincoln: 16th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-464-1. LC 2008045384.
––––. Bill Clinton: 42nd President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-447-4. LC 2008037173.
––––. Franklin Pierce: 14th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-469-6. LC 2008044330.
––––. George W. Bush: 43rd President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-444-3. LC 2008040272.
––––. Grover Cleveland: 22nd & 24th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-446-7. LC 2008033510.
––––. Herbert Hoover: 31st President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-458-0. LC 2008025595.
––––. James K. Polk: 11th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-470-2. LC 2008042606.
––––. Martin Van Buren: 8th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-478-8. LC 2008037924.
––––. Rutherford B. Hayes: 19th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-457-3. LC 2008033925.
––––. Ulysses S. Grant: 18th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-453-5. LC 2008033508.
––––. William Taft: 27th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-474-0. LC 2008025821.
––––. Woodrow Wilson: 28th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-480-1. LC 2008025822. WHEELER, Jill C. Barack Obama: 44th President of the United States. ISBN 978-1-60453-481-8. LC 2008044334. 
ea vol: 40p. (The United States Presidents Series). charts. photos. reprods. chron. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. ABDO/Checkerboard Library 2009. PLB $27.07.
Gr 2-5–If your library needs a full set of presidential biographies, this is a decent choice. The profusion of color and black-and-white pictures will give students a leg up on the old “dress up as a president and give a short report” assignment, and the brief declarative sentences keep the books within the reach of most first chapter-book readers. The texts are a bit choppy, and pronoun antecedents sometimes suffer along the way, but the strong layout keeps each title interesting. That’s saying something, especially when it comes to those hard-to-remember 19th-century presidents such as Tyler, Taylor, Polk, and Pierce. Pages and pages of facts about the presidency (qualifications, benefits, line of succession, etc.) plus a full list of the men and their terms pad each volume.

ARETHA, David A. Jefferson Davis. 112p. May ISBN 978-1-60413-297-7. LC 2008044764.
CROMPTON, Samuel Willard. Ulysses S. Grant. 120p. May ISBN 978-1-60413-301-1. LC 2008044613.
KOESTLER-GRACK, Rachel A. Abraham Lincoln. 128p. May ISBN 978-1-60413-298-4. LC 2008043030.
––––. Stonewall Jackson. 136p. May ISBN 978-1-60413-299-1. LC 2008044611.
––––. William Tecumseh Sherman. 152p. May ISBN 978-1-60413-300-4. LC 2008045707.
MCNEESE, Tim. Robert E. Lee. 160p. June ISBN 978-1-60413-304-2. LC 2008044623.
MALASPINA, Ann. Harriet Tubman. 120p. Apr. ISBN 978-1-60413-303-5. LC 2008042412.
SONNEBORN, Liz. Harriet Beecher Stowe. 120p. May ISBN 978-1-60413-302-8. LC 2008044608.
STERNGASS, Jon. Frederick Douglass. 160p. charts. ISBN 978-1-60413-306-6. LC 2008043023.
––––. John Brown. 144p. May ISBN 978-1-60413-305-9. LC 2008044622. 
ea vol: (Leaders of the Civil War Era Series). photos. reprods. bibliog. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Chelsea House. 2009. RTE $30.
Gr 8 Up–These fact-filled but dry books are heavy on the history, but light on the private lives. Readers learn, for example, that Sherman’s early life was full of death and tragedy, but not how that affected him. The death of Lincoln’s son Willie merits a single short paragraph, and Mary Todd Lincoln’s disputed mental health is mentioned not at all. The notion that Frederick Douglass was notoriously quick to take offense is only touched upon. The relatively few black-and-white and color illustrations include portraits and photographs, and there are large sidebars that sometimes occupy most of a page, covering topics such as the “White House of the Confederacy” in Davis. Unfortunately, these titles lack a sufficient number of maps and primary sources.

BURGAN, Michael. American Patriot: Benjamin Franklin. ISBN 978-0-7565-4119-4. LC 2008037632.
––––. Soldier and Founder: Alexander Hamilton. photos. ISBN 978-0-7565-4116-3. LC 2008037634.
RAATMA, Lucia. First of First Ladies: Martha Washington. photos. ISBN 978-0-7565-4125-5. LC 2008037633.
––––. A Signer for Independence: John Hancock. photos. ISBN 978-0-7565-4122-4. LC 2008035717. 
ea vol: 48p. (We the People: Revolution and the New Nation Series). illus. map. reprods. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Compass Point. 2009. PLB $26.64.
Gr 4-6–Accurate and readable, with lots of color illustrations, these biographies are beautifully laid out and packed with information. They will be a boon for report writers and browsers alike, as they balance the historic and the personal well. Unfortunately, the maps are rather poor, with disproportionate typography and some sites missing. Back matter includes a page of “Did You Know?” facts, mini-biographies of other people mentioned in the book, and short lists of places to visit (parks, museums, birthplaces). Note: The subtitles, which are the subjects’ names, do not appear on the spines.

CROMPTON, Samuel Willard. Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary. ISBN 978-1-4339-0053-2. LC 2008035444.
EGAN, Jill. Maya Angelou: A Creative and Courageous Voice. ISBN 978-1-4339-0057-0. LC 2008031542.
IMBIMBO, Anthony. Steve Jobs: The Brilliant Mind Behind Apple. ISBN 978-1-4339-0060-0. LC 2008041004.
KOESTLER-GRACK, Rachel. Elie Wiesel: Witness for Humanity. ISBN 978-1-4339-0054-9. LC 2008031630.
––––. Katie Couric: Groundbreaking TV Journalist. ISBN 978-1-4339-0056-3. LC 2008035781.
PIDDOCK, Charles. Rachel Carson: A Voice for the Natural World. ISBN 978-1-4339-0058-7. LC 2008031544.
––––. Ray Bradbury: Legendary Fantasy Writer. ISBN 978-1-4339-0059-4. LC 2008031596.
SOMERVILL, Barbara A. Elizabeth Blackwell: America’s First Female Doctor. ISBN 978-1-4339-0055-6. LC 2008036607. 
ea vol: 112p. (Life Portraits Series). map. photos. reprods. appendix. bibliog. chron. further reading. glossary. index. notes. Web sites. CIP. Gareth Stevens. 2009. PLB $34.
Gr 6-9–Compelling lives, compellingly profiled. These books feature an abundance of extras–pull quotes; lots of captioned, color illustrations; and even rudimentary maps (important in Guevara, not so necessary, but still welcome, in Couric). Pithy sidebars provide information about concepts or people incidental to the story, but do not dominate the pages. The authors are particularly fearless when it comes to outlining each subject’s personality–something that some books soft-pedal when treating a person as prickly as Steve Jobs or as sensitive as Ray Bradbury. A short interview with a contemporary figure is a noteworthy addition to each title. Poet Wanda Phipps discusses Maya Angelou, for example, and the director of the Sierra Club talks about Rachel Carson. Each book’s source notes, bibliography, time line, glossary, and further reading teach good report-writing skills by example.

DOAK, Robin S. Confederate General: Stonewall Jackson. ISBN 978-0-7565-4110-1. LC 2008037630. ENGLAR, Mary. Union General and 18th President: Ulysses S. Grant. ISBN 978-0-7565-4113-2. LC 2008037631.
VANDER HOOK, Sue. Civil War Spy: Elizabeth Van Lew. ISBN 978-0-7565-4104-0. LC 2008038463. ––––. Confederate Commander: General Robert E. Lee. ISBN 978-0-7565-4107-1. LC 2008035718. 
ea vol: 48p. (We the People: Civil War Era Biographies Series). illus. map. photos. reprods. chron. further reading. glossary. index. Web sites. CIP. Compass Point. 2009. PLB $26.64.
Gr 4-6–As in the “We the People: Revolution and the New Nation” series, these books distinguish themselves from other biographies of the same subjects for the same audience by virtue of profuse and thoughtful illustrations, coupled with an uncluttered, readable layout. Fine art, photos, engravings, cartoons, and archival material enhance texts that are written in a clear, friendly style. Similarly, the only hiccup here is in the poorly proportioned and sometimes incomplete maps.

If you need Revolutionary and Civil War biographies, the books in the two “We the People” series are better than average. If you lack recent material on U.S. Presidents, the books in ABDO’s “United States Presidents” series are worth considering. Think hard before investing in “Leaders of the Civil War Era,” however. Readers who can manage books of this length may be able to handle adult biographies, while those looking for report fodder can gather it from less-daunting sources. Colorful and current, the books in the “Hot Celebrity Biographies” series are better than one might expect. “Life Portraits”–titles with fair, focused depictions of interesting people somewhat off the beaten track–falls more into the “nice to have” category.

Legends in Their Own Time: Series Nonfiction Biographies