From the monthly archives:
First in the Field: Baseball Hero Jackie Robinson by Derek Dingle (Hyperion, 1998)
The first African-American Major League Baseball player of modern era is featured in this photobiography about his childhood and early adulthood.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame provides basic info and additional links on Robinson’s phenomenal career. Search for Robinson under the “The Hall of Famers” tab on the homepage.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, U. S. PresidentLives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
This president had “fireside chats” broadcast over the radio, a collection of miniature pigs and a vibrant wife, Eleanor. FDR was number 32.
Visit the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum today.
William McKinley, U.S. PresidentLives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
Number 25 banned the color yellow in the White House. A one paragraph bio of this president highlights his life and career.
Read more about McKinley at The White House site.
Oprah Winfrey, talk show hostAmelia to Zora: Twenty-Six Women Who Changed the World by Cynthia Chin-Lee, illustrated by Megan Halsey and Sean Addy (Charlesbridge, 2005)
T.V. talk show host, book lover, actress, philanthropist and more, Ms. O, an African-American, is dedicated to making the world a better place.
One of the richest people in the world, Winfrey recently opened a Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Read an article about the school here.
Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker (Frances Lincoln Publishers, 2005)
Splatter painting anyone? This is a riveting look at Lavender Mist, one of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock’s most famous paintings and how he came to paint it.
Browse the collection of Pollock’s work at The Museum of Modern Art at MoMa.org.
Mozart Tonight by Julie Downing (Aladdin, paper, 1994)
Told in first person, Mozart’s life is center stage in this story of his struggles and creativity.
The Mozart Project offers a biography, compositions, selected essays, bibliography and links to all things Mozart.
