Book picks similar to
I Am Oprah Winfrey by Brad Meltzer


biography
picture-books
non-fiction
picture-book

Field Tripped


Allan Woodrow - 2018
    Legend has it, there are some undiscovered inventions hidden in the house. The students are eager to find them, and they convince Principal Klein to let them out of writing their essay on Minks if they do. But as Aaron, Eddie, Jessie, and Chloe explore the Minks Mansion, it seems like something strange is going on. Like the adults are missing and someone might be stealing the inventions. But in order to save the inventions and their teachers, the kids might just have to pull some serious pranks to stop the bad guys. Even if it means risking a lifetime of detention.Can the fifth graders save their field trip and the mansion . . . or will this be the last field trip ever in school history?

Between the Lines


Lindsay Ward - 2021
    Then a thunderstorm sweeps away the last hints of bluebird skies and lemon-Popsicle days and leaves a rift in the road that doesn’t get fixed. As the adults around him move on, the boy dreams of the way life once was. He decides that he doesn’t want to live in a world without color, so he sets out to change things…

The 1619 Project: Born on the Water


Nikole Hannah-Jones - 2021
    A young student receives a family tree assignment in school, but she can only trace back three generations. Grandma gathers the whole family, and the student learns that 400 years ago, in 1619, their ancestors were stolen and brought to America by white slave traders. But before that, they had a home, a land, a language. She learns how the people said to be born on the water survived.

Who Was Rosa Parks?


Yona Zeldis McDonough - 2010
    This seemingly small act triggered civil rights protests across America and earned Rosa Parks the title "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." This biography has black-and-white illustrations throughout.

Rosa Parks


Lisbeth Kaiser - 2017
    All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.Rosa Parks grew up during segregation in Alabama, but she was taught to respect herself and stand up for her rights. In 1955, Rosa refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus, sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott.Her decision had a huge impact on civil rights, eventually leading to the end of segregation on public transport. Rosa was described as “the mother of the freedom movement”. This inspiring story of Rosa’s life is moving, and approachable for young readers.

Ron's Big Mission


Rose Blue - 2009
    Today, Ron is ready to take out books by "himself." But in the segregated world of South Carolina in the 1950s, Ron's obtaining his own library card is not just a small rite of passage - it is a young man's first courageous mission. Here is an inspiring story, based on Ron McNair's life, of how a little boy, future scientist, and Challenger astronaut desegregated his library through peaceful resistance.

Little Libraries, Big Heroes


Miranda Paul - 2019
    From an award-winning author and illustrator, the inspiring story of how the Little Free Library organization brings communities together through books, from founder Todd Bol's first installation to the creation of more than 75,000 mini-libraries around the world.

Skin Again


bell hooks - 2004
    It cannot tell my story. If you want to know who I am, you have got to come inside and open your heart way wide.Race matters, but only so much--what's most important is who we are on the inside. Looking beyond skin, going straight to the heart, we find in each other the treasures stored down deep. Learning to cherish those treasures, to be all we imagine ourselves to be, makes us free.This award-winning book, celebrates all that makes us unique and different and offers a strong, timely and timeless message of loving yourself and others.

The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague


Julia Finley Mosca - 2018
    Navy!After touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades. Through it all, the gifted mathematician persisted--finally gaining her well-deserved title in history: a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever.The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague is the third book in a riveting educational series about the inspiring lives of amazing scientists. In addition to the illustrated rhyming tale, you'll find a complete biography, fun facts, a colorful timeline of events, and even a note from Montague herself!

The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist


Cynthia Levinson - 2017
    As she listened to the preacher’s words, smooth as glass, she sat up tall. And when she heard the plan—picket those white stores! March to protest those unfair laws! Fill the jails!—she stepped right up and said, I’ll do it! She was going to j-a-a-il!Audrey Faye Hendricks was confident and bold and brave as can be, and hers is the remarkable and inspiring story of one child’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.

Change Sings: a Children's Anthem


Amanda Gorman - 2021
    As a young girl leads a cast of characters on a musical journey, they learn that they have the power to make changes—big or small—in the world, in their communities, and in most importantly, in themselves.

The Story of Ruby Bridges


Robert Coles - 1995
    Because even if they say those bad things, They don't know what they're doing."This is the true story of an extraordinary 6-year-old who helped shape history when she became the first African-American sent to first grade in an all white school. This moving book captures the courage of a little girl standing alone in the face of racism.

Althea Gibson: The Story of Tennis' Fleet-of-Foot Girl


Megan Reid - 2020
    Open tennis champion, from debut author Megan Reid and Coretta Scott King Honor–winning illustrator Laura Freeman. This nonfiction picture book is an excellent choice to share during homeschooling, in particular for children ages 4 to 6. It’s a fun way to learn to read and as a supplement for activity books for children.Althea Gibson was the quickest, tallest, most fearless athlete in 1940s Harlem. She couldn’t sit still! When she put her mind to it, the fleet-of-foot girl reigned supreme at every sport—stickball with the boys, basketball with the girls, paddle tennis with anyone who would hit with her.But being the quickest, tallest, most fearless player in Harlem wasn’t enough for Althea. She knew she could be a tennis champion.Because of segregation, black people weren’t allowed to compete against white people in sports. Althea didn’t care. She just wanted to play tennis against the best athletes in the world. And with skill and determination, she did just that, eventually becoming the first black person—man or woman—to win a trophy at Wimbledon.Althea Gibson: The Story of Tennis’ Fleet-of-Foot Girl chronicles this trailblazing athlete’s journey—and the talent, force of spirit, and energy that made it possible for her to break barriers and ascend to the top of the tennis world.

Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile


Gloria Houston - 2011
    Dorothy's dearest wish is to be a librarian in a fine brick library just like the one she visited when she was small, but her new home in North Carolina has valleys and streams but no libraries. So Miss Dorothy and her neighbors decide to start a bookmobile. Instead of people coming to a fine brick library, Miss Dorothy can now bring the books to them - at school, on the farm, even once in the middle of a river! Miss Dorothy and Her Bookmobile is an inspiring story about the love of books, the power of perseverance, and how a librarian can change people's lives.

We Are Party People


Leslie Margolis - 2017
    When Pixie's mom has to go away to support her ailing grandmother, it falls on Pixie to help out with the family business and step into the spotlight—and mermaid costume—her worst nightmare. Along the way she learns important life lessons, like maybe her family isn't so bad after all and that stepping out of her comfort zone might not be as scary as she thought. With a little help from her friends, she discovers her courage and faces her fears.