Lists and Suggestions for Teens
List: Biographies and Memoirs
Proud: Living My American Dream
Muhammad, Ibtihaj, 1985- author.
"At the 2016 Olympic Games, Ibtihaj Muhammad smashed barriers as the first American to compete... More
Troublemaker for Justice: The Story of Bayard Rustin, the Man Behind the March on Washington
Houtman, Jacqueline, author.
Bayard Rustin believed that every human being deserves respect and dignity. As a child he was taugh... More
Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Carmon, Irin, author.
"Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg offers a visually rich, intimate, un... More
Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card
Saedi, Sara, author.
"At thirteen, bright-eyed, straight-A student Sara Saedi uncovered a terrible family secret: s... More
Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir: Adapted for Young Adults
Onwuachi, Kwame, author.
In this young adult adaption of his biography, Onwuachi tells how he was sent from the Bronx to rur... More
Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen
Jennings, Jazz, author.
Teen activist and trailblazer Jazz Jennings--named one of "The 25 most influential teens"... More
I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
Yousafzai, Malala, 1997-
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to b... More
Apple: Skin to the Core: A Memoir in Words and Pictures
Gansworth, Eric, 1965- author, illustrator.
"The term "Apple" is a slur in Native communities across the country. It's for ... More
Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court
Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem, 1947- author.
At one time, Lew Alcindor was just another kid from New York City with all the usual problems: He s... More
Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson
Johnson, Katherine G., author.
"The inspiring autobiography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, who helped launch Apollo... More
Fighter in Velvet Gloves: Alaska Civil Rights Hero Elizabeth Peratrovich
Boochever, Annie, author.
"'No Natives or Dogs Allowed' blared the storefront sign at the young Tlingit Indian... More
It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood: Adapted for Young Readers
Noah, Trevor, 1984- author.
The comedian traces his coming of age during the twilight of apartheid in South Africa and the tumu... More
Baseball's Leading Lady: Effa Manley and the Rise and Fall of the Negro Leagues
Williams, Andrea, author.
Before Jackie Robinson broke Major League Baseball's color barrier in 1947, Black athletes pla... More
Strangers Assume My Girlfriend Is My Nurse
Burcaw, Shane, author.
"With his signature acerbic wit and hilarious voice, twenty-something author, blogger, and ent... More
Edmonia Lewis
Walls, Jasmine, author.
"The first original graphic novel in a new series spotlighting the true stories of the real gr... More
The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
Theoharis, Jeanne, author.
"This definitive biography of Rosa Parks accessibly examines her six decades of activism, chal... More
The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor
Sotomayor, Sonia, 1954- author.
"In this adaptation for middle graders based on her bestselling adult memoir, My Beloved World... More
The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh
Fleming, Candace, author.
"A riveting biography of one of America's most celebrated heroes, and most complicated, t... More
Taking Flight: From War Orphan to Star Ballerina
DePrince, Michaela, author.
"The memoir of Michaela DePrince, who lived the first few years of her live in war-torn Sierra... More
Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea
Lee, Sungju, author.
"Every Falling Star, the first book to portray contemporary North Korea to a young audience, i... More
Sing and Shout: The Mighty Voice of Paul Robeson
Rubin, Susan Goldman, author.
"This comprehensive biography, written by celebrated nonfiction author Susan Goldman Rubin, ex... More
Ms. Gloria Steinem: A Life
Conkling, Winifred, author.
Throughout the years, Gloria Steinem is perhaps the single-most iconic figure associated with women... More
Call Me American: The Extraordinary True Story of a Young Somali Immigrant: A Memoir
Iftin, Abdi Nor, author.
Adapted from the adult memoir, this gripping story follows one boy's journey into young adulth... More
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
Hoose, Phillip M., 1947-
Presents the life of the Alabama teenager who played an integral role in the Montgomery bus strike,... More
How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child
Uwiringiyimana, Sandra, author.
Sandra Uwiringiyimana was just ten years old when she found herself with a gun pointed at her head.... More