I welcome any opportunity to talk about books I love, and since today is Biographer's Day, let me share with you a biography I recently finished and LOVED.
First of all, Biographer's Day commemorates the meeting between James Boswell and Samuel Johnson back in 1763; Boswell ended up writing Johnson's biography, which is largely considered the first example of a modern biography. (More fun facts here!)
So, back to my book recommendation: I purchased Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter by Kate Clifford Larson on a whim. I don't normally read biographies, but, to be honest, this was on sale and I've long wanted to learn more about the Kennedy family. And I am SO glad I did. It was a remarkable read. I loved every second of it, learned so much, and have a greater appreciation for the role of the Kennedy family in the country and world.
Biographies can be a great avenue into books for reluctant readers. On our Teachers site, there's a wonderful lesson plan on introducing biographies to young students. And our "I Am" series features age-appropriate biographies of important historical figures, like Harriet Tubman, Sacagawea, Albert Einsten, and Helen Keller.
We have biographies about Jackie Robinson and Mohammad Ali for all the sports fans out there, and for those of you who read aloud to your young kids, these picture books are some of my favorites: Two Friends: Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas; A Home for Mr. Emerson; and, my favorite of all, The Extraordinary Mark Twin (According to Susy), which documents the author's life as told through his daughter's diary entries.
Now that I'm finished with Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter, I want to read even more about the hidden girls of history. If you have any biography recommendations, I'd love to hear them!
