Freshen up your classroom library with these memoirs and biographies your students will love!

Brown Girl Dreaming (Grades 5-10, Lexile 990): Written in beautiful verse, renowned and award-winning author Jacqueline Woodson shares her story of growing up in both the North and South during the 1960s and 1970s.

Sisters (Grades 4-8, Lexile GN320): In a follow up to Smile, Raina Telgemeier uses her signature visual storytelling along with her wit and humor to tell the story of her relationship with her sister.

El Deafo (Grades 5-8): Join Cece Bell as she harnesses the power of her Phonic Ear to become the superhero “El Deafo” while she struggles to find true friendship and discover her place in this world, all brilliantly told in graphic novel format.

I Am Malala: Young Readers Edition (Grades 5-12, Level Z, Lexile 830): Told in her own words, this is the firsthand account of a remarkable young girl (now the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Winner) who risked her life for her right to an education.

I Am Abraham Lincoln (Grades P-K, Lexile 460): Abraham Lincoln is an American icon who believed in fairness and honesty. This book follows his life from childhood to the presidency and features the abolishment of slavery, the Civil War and his Legendary Gettysburg Address.

Brown Girl Dreaming Sisters El Deafo I Am Malala I Am Abraham Lincoln
Mr. Ferris and His Wheel Ivan The Remarkable On a Beam of Light Brave Girl Electrical Wizard

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel (Grades K-2, Lexile 900): Learn how American inventor George Ferris defied gravity creating the world’s most iconic amusement park ride.

Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla (Grades P-3): Katherine Applegate presents the true story of the shopping mall gorilla and his effect on animal welfare. Pair with The One and Only Ivan!

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein (Grades K-3, Lexile AD680): Readers will meet a boy curious about the world around him who grows into a man who made discoveries that changed the way we look at the universe.

Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers’ Strike of 1909 (Grades P-5, Lexile AD760): Follow Clara Lemlich, a Ukrainian immigrant, as she speaks out for women’s rights and leads the largest strike of women workers in U.S. history.

Electrical Wizard: How Nikola Tesla Lit Up the World (Grades 2-5, Lexile 840): Here is the story of Nickola Tesla, a determined young man who brought revolutionary ideas about electricity to the world and accomplished great feats such as powering New York City by harnessing the energy of the Niagara Falls.