Both autobiographies and biographies are accounts of a persons individual life. An autobiography is typically written by the individual whose life it is about. Autobiographies can vary in their artistic and writing approach. Some may be intentionally entertaining and others may be informative. They are meant to be accurate in regards to the hard facts. A biography is a work that describes a life. It includes an overview of the person's life, including the basic facts such as education, work, relationships, and death. These works are written by a person whose life is not written about. Like autobiographies, biographies are also accurate when it comes to hard facts. However, differences in hard facts might vary from each other as a person explores numerous biographies about one person. Biographies might derive from controversies. Biographies can be written by anyone and about anyone.
Biographies and autobiographies are very useful in the classroom. They provide insight about a specific person of study. An autobiography is particularly important because it allows students to receive the information first hand. Autobiographies and biographies can play a role in nearly every content area in elementary school. It is important for students to get to know the people that are well known in their content area. Social studies is particularly popular for using autobiographies and biographies in their classes.
Mr. Williams by Karen Barbour
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| http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/mr-williams |
ISBN-10: 0805067736
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Year: 1999
Grade Level Equivalency: 2.7
Lexile Measure: 790L
Themes:
- Social Studies
- Character and Values
- Geography and Map Skills
- African American
Main Ideas:
- Mr. J.W. Williams is not famous, but he is a real person
- He was born the same year as Martin Luther King Jr.
- Lived in Louisiana
- Tells about childhood in the 1930s on a Louisiana farm with pigs and chickens, but no electricity
- Mr. Williams saw many changes during his lifetime
- Good for learning about a specific time period
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| http://www.sheistoofondofbooks.com/2011/07/14/ childrens-book-review-child-of-the-civil-rights-movement -by-paula-young-shelton/ |
Child of the Civil Rights Movement by Paula Young Shelton & Raul Colon
ISBN-10: 0375843140
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Year: 2009
Lexile Measure: AD960L
Interest Level: Ages 4-8
Awards & Honors: Children's Book Committee Bank Street College of Education Children's Choices: Best Books of 2011
Themes/Main Ideas:
- A book about children who lived during the Civil Rights Movement
- About one little girl's life and experiences
- In the form of a narrative, not factual
- It only refers to people by their first names, so it can be difficult to know who the author is talking about.
- There is more about the people in the back of the book
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| http://www.amazon.com/Little-Tiger-Chinese -Night-Autobiography/dp/0887763200 |
A Little Tiger in the Chinese Night by Song Nan Zhang
ISBN-10: 0887763200
Publisher: Tundra Books
Year: 1993
Lexile Measure: 890
Interest Level: Ages 10 and up
Themes/Main Ideas:
- Autobiography in art
- He was 3 years old when he saw a tiger
- In the Chinese culture, this is meant to be very lucky
- He didn't have good luck in his life though
- Takes place after WWII when the communists were taking over China
- A lot of text on the pages
- Tells his story through pictures as well as words
- Song Nan Zhang tells of his family, his development as an artist, and his journey to Canada
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| http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/ abe-lincoln-goes-washington |
Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington: 1837-1865 by Cheryl Harness
ISBN-10: 1426304366
Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books
Year: 2008
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.7
Lexile Measure: 790L
Themes:
- Civil War Period and Reconstruction
- American Civil War
- Slavery
- Underground Railroad
- Abolition
- Equality
- Fairness
- Justice
- The Presidency
- Historic Figures
- Leadership
Main Ideas:
- Tells about Abe meeting and marrying a Kentucky woman
- Abe became a lawyer and politician in Springfield, IL
- Tells of Lincoln's rise and the tensions that dragged the nation into conflict
- Maps and battle scenes help engage the reader even deeper
- Awesome illustrations
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