Global Babies
Global Fund for Children · 2007
Photographs of babies from around the world show how they are cared for and loved in different cultures.
Books by topic
Nonfiction & Biography
Many children prefer true stories, and nonfiction is often the doorway into reading for readers who are less interested in invented plots. Picture-book biographies, in particular, compress a life into a story children can follow while leaving them with names, places and questions to explore further.
Back matter — author’s notes, timelines and source lists — is part of the reading. Older children can learn a great deal by comparing what a book’s note says with the story itself.
- Picture Books
- Early Readers
- Chapter Books
- Middle Grade
- Graphic Novels
- Nonfiction & Biography
- Science & Nature
- History & Biography
- Fantasy & Imagination
- Diverse Books
- Feelings & Social-Emotional Learning
- Classroom Favorites
- Teen Reading
22 books
Sorted from youngest suggested age. Age ranges are editorial estimates.
A Likkle Miss Lou
Nadia L. Hohn; illustrated by Eugenie Fernandes · 2019
A picture-book portrait of the young Louise Bennett Coverley, who grew up to celebrate Jamaican language in poetry and performance.
Dreamers
Yuyi Morales · 2018
The author's account of arriving in the United States with her infant son and finding a home, a language, and hope in a public library.
Over and Under the Snow
Kate Messner; illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal · 2011
A child skiing with her father learns about the hidden world of animals living under the snow in winter.
Planting Stories
Anika Aldamuy Denise; illustrated by Paola Escobar · 2019
The story of Pura Belpré, the first Puerto Rican librarian in the New York Public Library, who brought bilingual storytelling to children.
A Picture Book of Martin Luther King, Jr.
David A. Adler; illustrated by Robert Casilla · 1989
A straightforward picture-book biography of Dr. King covering his childhood, work, and legacy.
Be a King
Carole Boston Weatherford; illustrated by James E. Ransome · 2018
Readers are encouraged to carry Dr. King's lessons into their own lives and classrooms, paired with scenes from his life.
I Dissent
Debbie Levy; illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley · 2016
A picture-book biography of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, framed around moments when she disagreed and acted.
I Have a Dream
Martin Luther King Jr.; illustrated by Kadir Nelson · 2012
The text of Dr. King's 1963 speech at the March on Washington, illustrated with paintings by Kadir Nelson.
Little Melba and Her Big Trombone
Katheryn Russell-Brown; illustrated by Frank Morrison · 2014
The story of jazz trombonist and composer Melba Liston, who taught herself to play as a child and went on to tour and arrange music in a male-dominated field.
Martin's Big Words
Doreen Rappaport; illustrated by Bryan Collier · 2001
A picture-book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that weaves his own words into the narrative.
Snowflake Bentley
Jacqueline Briggs Martin; illustrated by Mary Azarian · 1998
The life of Wilson Bentley, a Vermont farmer who photographed snowflakes and showed that no two are alike.
The Watcher
Jeanette Winter · 2011
A picture-book biography of Jane Goodall, from childhood animal-watching to her chimpanzee research and advocacy.
Mario and the Hole in the Sky
Elizabeth Rusch; illustrated by Teresa Martinez · 2019
The story of Mexican chemist Mario Molina, whose research on CFCs helped lead to action to protect the ozone layer.
My Brother Martin
Christine King Farris; illustrated by Chris Soentpiet · 2003
Dr. King's older sister recalls their childhood in Atlanta and the experiences that shaped his commitment to justice.
Separate Is Never Equal
Duncan Tonatiuh · 2014
The story of Sylvia Mendez and her family's legal fight to end school segregation of Mexican-American children in California in the 1940s.
El Deafo
Cece Bell · 2014
Cece Bell's graphic memoir about losing her hearing as a child and using a powerful hearing aid that makes her feel like a superhero.
Smile
Raina Telgemeier · 2010
Raina Telgemeier's graphic memoir about a dental injury in sixth grade, braces, and navigating changing friendships.
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
Bonnie Bader; illustrated by Elizabeth Wolf · 2007
A short illustrated biography in the "Who Was" series covering King's life and the civil rights movement.
Hidden Figures Young Readers' Edition
Margot Lee Shetterly · 2016
The true story of Black women mathematicians who worked at NASA's Langley center and contributed to the U.S. space program.
Brown Girl Dreaming
Jacqueline Woodson · 2014
Jacqueline Woodson's memoir in verse about growing up in South Carolina and Brooklyn in the 1960s and 1970s and finding her voice as a writer.
March: Book One
John Lewis, Andrew Aydin; illustrated by Nate Powell · 2013
The first volume of Congressman John Lewis's graphic memoir about his life and the civil rights movement.
Related guides
Children's Books About Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement
Picture books, biographies and novels about Dr. King and the civil rights movement by age, with guidance for honest conversations and primary sources to pair.
Civil Rights Picture Book Unit for Grades 2–5: A Two-Week Plan with Primary Sources
A 1–2 week civil rights unit built on picture books, with a daily plan, National Archives primary sources, vocabulary, assessment and guidance on hard history.