Part of the On My Own Biography series
As the Revolutionary War began, Nathan Hale immediately joined up on the side of the Patriots. When General Washington needed a spy, Hale was the only man to volunteer for the job. In the end, Hale lost his life for his beliefs and became a true American hero.
Sojourner Truth
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Isabella changed her name to Sojourner Truth because she was to travel up an' down this land…to declare truth to the people." Her strong voice and faith forced people to listen to her, in spite of her being a woman and a former slave. She traveled thousands of miles and spoke out for God, against slavery and for women's rights. Her moving speeches inspired hope and change in many that heard her.
Margaret Bourke-White
Part of the On My Own Biography series
As a young girl, Margaret Bourke-White dreamed of having great adventures-the kind only a brave and fearless woman would have. As she grew up, she found that the camera was her ticket to adventure. Her portraits of people in terrible circumstances-from the desperate farmers of the Dust Bowl to the victims of World War II's horrors-made her famous worldwide. With her camera always at the ready, Margaret faced many challenges, including floods, bombings, and eventually her own battle with illness. In Margaret Bourke-White, award-winning author Catherine A. Welch creates a powerful portrait of a remarkable, gifted woman. Jennifer Hagerman's illustrations capture Margaret's own liveliness and strength.
Bessie Coleman
Daring to Fly
Part of the On My Own Biography series
High in the sky, Bessie Coleman could soar like a bird. She was free--at least until she landed. As a black woman in the 1920s, she wasn't allowed to learn how to fly. Forced to travel to France to learn, she became the first African American woman to earn her pilot's license. Whether she was wing-walking, giving a speech, parachuting, or flying, Coleman inspired people with her bravery and resolve.
Helen Keller
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Trapped in silence and darkness, Helen Keller longed to communicate with the world. Both deaf and blind, she struggled to express the thoughts locked in her mind. When Annie Sullivan became her teacher she learned to sign, read, and write. After graduating from college, Keller spent the rest of her life travelling around the world as an advocate for the deaf and blind.
Will Rogers
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Will Rogers was one of the best-loved Americans of his day. Whether he was standing on a New York City stage doing rope tricks or writing books and newspaper articles, he always made people laugh. But no matter how popular he became, Will Rogers was never far from his roots. As a boy in Oklahoma, young Willie Rogers wanted to be a cowboy more than anything else. When he grew up, he discovered that being a cowboy was harder than he thought. But he never gave up his dreams. Will Rogers always remained a slow-talking, wise-cracking, rope-throwing cowboy.
Leif Eriksson
Part of the On My Own Biography series
As a young man growing up in Greenland, Leif Ericsson had heard stories about a land to the west across the Atlantic Ocean. One day, he gathered a crew and set off to explore the land himself. He landed at three different places, finally settling at Vinland", now Newfoundland, Canada, for the winter. When he returned home, he became a hero, and inspired many other Vikings to explore the new world.
Clyde Tombaugh and the Search for Planet X
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Twelve-year-old Clyde Tombaugh stepped up and took his first look through a telescope. Gazing at the moon, he was thrilled by the sight of its craters and valleys. What other mysteries were out there in space? Clyde wondered. Learn the fascinating true story of the hardworking young man who discovered Pluto through richly colored illustrations that capture Clyde's determination and bring his story to life.
Cesar Chavez
Part of the On My Own Biography series
During the Great Depression, many people had to work long hours and were barely paid enough to survive. Cesar Chavez felt this treatment was unfair and worked to secure more rights. He formed a Union and led strikes and marches that forced landowners to increase wages and improve working conditions. This account shows how Chavez inspired others, proving that it was not necessary to resort to violence to produce change.
Benjamin Banneker
Pioneering Scientist
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Gazing up at the stars, Benjamin Banneker longed to understand how and why things worked as they did. In a time when most black Americans were slaves, Banneker lived a life of freedom and became known as America's first black American man of science. He helped survey Washington, D.C., and became the first black American to write an almanac. Through his accomplishments, he helped advance the cause of equality for African Americans.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
All-Around Athlete
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Babe Didrikson was running and jumping hedges at the age of eight. Her dedication to training and practicing resulted in her becoming one of the greatest woman athletes of the century. Although she won two gold medals and one silver medal in track and field events at the 1932 Olympics, Babe excelled in every sport that she played.
Aunt Clara Brown
Official Pioneer
Part of the On My Own Biography series
As a successful former slave, Clara Brown used her money to help other freed slaves get a new start in life. In 1859 Clara bought her own freedom and headed west to Colorado to find her daughter, who was sold when she was just a little girl. Clara didn't find her daughter there, but she did get rich. The people she helped became her family, and she became known as "Aunt" Clara Brown.
Alexander Graham Bell
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Growing up, Alexander Graham Bell was fascinated with music, speech, and sounds. He worked hard to invent things that would not only help those with impaired hearing, but also bring people together in new and special ways. What he didn't know was that his simple idea--to help people communicate--would change the world when he invented the telephone.
Johnny Appleseed
Part of the On My Own Biography series
John Chapman loved all forms of nature, and he worked throughout his lifetime to improve it by planting apple trees. Known as the folk hero Johnny Appleseed, John helped to build America--not with a hammer and nails, but with a bag of seeds and a handful of dirt.
Dian Fossey and the Mountain Gorillas
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Dian Fossey was fascinated with the sad plight of the mountain gorilla and went to Africa. She imitated the gorillas' sounds and habits and came to know them individually. After several of her favorite gorilla's were killed, she became impassioned about stopping the poaching and the destruction of the gorilla's natural habitat. Her research and her book, Gorillas in the Mist, led to current efforts to protect this endangered species.
Mother Teresa
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Growing up in Albania, Agnes Bojaxhiu learned from her mother how to care for and give to those who had less than she did. When she was twelve, she heard God's calling and decided to become a nun, dedicating her life to serving God. Known around the world as Mother Teresa, Agnes taught and cared for the poor of Calcutta. Her dedication and love for all people led her to spend her entire life helping those in need. In this inspiring biography, get to know the bravery and gentleness of the diminutive woman who spread love, hope, and peace to countless people around the world through her generosity and faith.
John Brown
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Ever since he was a boy, John Brown had hated slavery. He was an abolitionist, a person who believed that no one should be able to own others. Many abolitionists hope that strong words would convince people to end slavery, but John thought words were not enough. He was determined to fight-even if it meant death. In John Brown, author Tom Streissguth and illustrator Ralph L. Ramstad capture the fiery determination of the man whose actions helped to bring about the Civil War.
Martha Washington
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Martha Dandridge Custis was twenty-seven years old when she married George Washington. She worked by her husband's side to help keep their family, home, and country running smoothly. Whether she was at a ball or on a battlefield, Martha Washington set the standard for all future First Ladies with her quiet determination and courage.
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up listening to her Pa's fascinating tales about living on the prairies, in the woods, and on the plains. When she was 65 years old, Laura began to write down her most treasured memories and tales from her youth. Children of all ages have come to love and treasure the books that resulted. Enter the fascinating world of the little girl who once lived in a little house on the prairie.
Florence Nightingale
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Growing up in a wealthy family that believed nursing wasn't a respectable job, Florence Nightingale was determined to help others. After more than sixty years of service as a nurse, she had helped to make nursing an honorable profession, left behind safer, cleaner hospitals, and saved countless lives.
Wilma Rudolph
Part of the On My Own Biography series
In 1946, six-year-old Wilma Rudolph dreamed of walking and playing like other children, but a sickness called polio had damaged her left leg. Wilma spent hours each week doing painful exercises at a hospital for African American patients. The rest of the time, she was forced to wear a heavy and cumbersome leg-brace. Still, Wilma never gave up. She knew she could walk again, and if she could walk, maybe she could run. Author Victoria Sherrow tells how Wilma Rudolph's determination led her to the 1956 and 1960 Olympics where she gained fame as a champion runner. Larry Johnson's rich illustrations help to capture this true story of heroic strength and fearlessness.
George Washington Carver
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Born a slave near the end of the Civil War, George Washington Carver was a small and sickly child. Too frail to work in the fields of the Missouri farm where he grew up, George did chores around the house. But when his work was done, he headed for the woods. There his lifelong love of nature was born. As a teacher and scientist at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute in the 1900s, George Washington Carver became famous for his work helping farmers grow better crops while sharing with them his love of nature's beauty. Follow George's inspiring life through this beautifully illustrated and engagingly written book.
Part of the On My Own Biography series
In the early 1800s, very few girls were allowed to learn about science. Yet Mary Anning spent her life hunting for fossils on the cliffs of Lyme Regis, England. When she was still a girl, she and her brother found an amazing ichthyosaur skeleton--but that was only the beginning. Author Sally M. Walker uses letters, journal entries, and academic papers to reveal the true story of a woman who followed her own path. Detailed, scientifically accurate artwork by Phyllis V. Saroff offers a vivid portrait of Mary Anning and the fossils she loved.
Booker T. Washington
Part of the On My Own Biography series
More than anything, nine-year-old Booker T. Washington longed to go to school, but he had to get a job to earn money for his family. Though the Civil War had freed them from slavery, Booker's family had to work hard to survive. Booker didn't forget his dream. He taught himself the alphabet, studied at night after work, and was able to realize his dream.
Vincent van Gogh
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Vincent van Gogh is one of the most famous painters in the world. He is best known for his brightly colored paintings, but Vincent's work wasn't always so colorful. Following Vincent on his journey from Holland to France, author Eileen Lucas tells how Vincent developed his own special way of painting with bright, swirling colors. Rochellle Draper's illustrations bring the artist's story to life and evoke his unique style.
Prudence Crandall
Teacher for Equal Rights
Part of the On My Own Biography series
When Prudence Crandall opened a school for young girls in 1831, she didn't expect trouble. But that is just what she got when she allowed African American girls to attend. A Quaker and abolitionist, Prudence defied the prejudiced attitudes and violent actions of those around her and fought to keep her school open when few others would have dared.
Daniel Boone
Part of the On My Own Biography series
Daniel Boone loved to explore and hunt in the wilderness. As a boy, he learned the ways of the woods from Indians and hunters. Then Daniel heard of a place called Kentucky and he decided to move west. In his quest for adventure, Daniel inspired others to explore the American West--and became a legend.
Pocahontas
Part of the On My Own Biography series
As the young daughter of a powerful Powhatan leader, Pocahontas befriended the English settlers in Jamestown, Virginia. Although she helped them survive their difficult first years, and she may have saved settler John Smith's life, they took Pocahontas captive. After her release, Pocahontas married an English settler and journeyed to England. Although she was just twenty-one years old when she died, Pocahontas changed American history through her compassion and friendship.