From the monthly archives:
Once Upon a Time in Chicago: The Story of Benny Goodman by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Jeanette Winter (Hyperion, 2000)
An accomplished clarinet player, Goodman, known as The “King of Swing,” began playing when he was in the fourth grade…and never stopped.
Click over to a biography of Goodman with audio features on the PBS.org site of Jazz, a film by Ken Burns.
A Picture Book of Patrick Henry by David A. Adler, illustrated by John C. Wallner and Alexandra Wallner (Holiday House, 2001)
Henry, the first and sixth governor of Virginia made the “Give me liberty or give me death” speech.
Listen to Henry’s speech (scroll down the page) as interpreted by Richard Schuman and read about Henry’s life at History.org.
A Picture Book Biography of John F. Kennedy by David A. Adler, illustrated by Robert F. Casilla (Holiday House, 1992)
The 35th President of the United States was a huge advocate for the space program, created the Peace Corps and sought to end racial discrimination.
Go to The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum to read Kennedy’s White House Diary and take a virtual tour.
Tigers of the Snows: Tenzing Norgay: The Boy Whose Dream Was Everest by Robert Burleigh, illustrated by Ed Young (Atheneum, 2006)
A Nepalese climber, Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary were the first men on the summit of Mount Everest.
A profile of Norgay is posted on the Scholastic Teachers web site.
Bright Path: Young Jim Thorpe by Don Brown (Roaring Brook Press, 2006)
Thorpe found his calling at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania and in 1912 was a star of the Summer Olympics.
The Official Site of Jim Thorpe: World’s Greatest Athlete is a source for biography, fast facts, photos and more.
You Forgot Your Skirt, Amelia Bloomer by Shana Corey, illustrated by Chesley McLaren (Scholastic, 2000)
Active in the women’s rights movement, Bloomer’s name became synonymous with a new fashion piece of the time.
The National Parks Service hosts a bio and photo of Bloomer on their site.
Amelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee, illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy (Charlesbridge, 2005)
Back in the day, Carson’s book Silent Spring, published in 1962, had a huge impact on the environmental movement…and still does.
RachelCarson.org is a “website devoted to the life and legacy of Rachel Carson.
Isadora Dances by Rachel Isadora (Puffin, 2000)
Modern dancer Isadora Duncan’s life takes the stage in this picture book biography about her.
Learn more about Duncan at the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation.
