Teen Reads: Memoirs and BiographiesLike this list

34 items

• Don't Look Back

  a Memoir of War, Survival, and My Journey From Sudan to America

  Deng, Achut,

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  For ten years, Achut Deng survived at Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya after her family was ripped apart by the Second Sudanese Civil War. But Achut wanted to do more than merely survive. She wanted to live. 13 & up

• I'm Just a Kid With An IEP

  My Story

  Toma, Jordan,

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  An inspiring and accessible story about a young man confronting the limitations placed on him. 12 & up

• Breakthrough

  Katalin Karikó and the mRNA Vaccine

  McPherson, Stephanie Sammartino,

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  Chronicles the life, hard work, and accomplishments of Katalin Karikó, one of the pioneering mRNA researchers whose work led to COVID-19 vaccines. 12 & up

• SpongeBob SquarePants

  the Unauthorized Fun-ography

  Volponi, Paul,

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  This fast-moving and fun biography celebrates the show's history and provides fascinating insight into the episodes, the voice artists, and the fans. 13 & up

• LeBron James in His Own Words

  James, LeBron,

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  Get inside the head of LeBron James: basketball superstar, cultural icon, and community activist. 13 & up

• Hurdles in the Dark

  Gonzalez, Elvira K.,

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  The true story of Elvira Gonzalez, a Mexican-American track star who found freedom from poverty and violence by training to become one of the top athletes in the U.S. 14 & up

• Augusta Savage

  the Shape of a Sculptor's Life

  Nelson, Marilyn, 1946-

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  A powerful biography in verse about Augusta Savage, a trailblazing artist and pillar of the Harlem Renaissance. 14 & up

• Disappearing Act

  a True Story

  Castle, Jiordan,

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  Moving and evocative, this memoir-in-verse follows Jiordan Castle's coming-of-age as her family reckons with the aftershocks of her father's incarceration. 13 & up

• This Indian Kid

  a Native American Memoir

  Chuculate, Eddie D.,

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  Chuculate recounts his experience growing up in rural Oklahoma in an evocative and vivid voice. This book is both a love letter to his Native American roots, and an essential message for young readers everywhere. 13 & up

• Jane Jacobs

  Champion of Cities, Champion of People

  Pitts, Rebecca,

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  An engaging and lively biography of icon Jane Jacobs, a journalist and community activist, who stopped a number of NYC construction projects that would have destroyed communities. 13 & up

• How Do I Draw These Memories?

  Joshua, Jonell,

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  Illustrator Jonell Joshua unpacks memories of her upbringing through short stories, photographs, and drawings. 12 & up

• How the Boogeyman Became a Poet

  Keith, Tony, Jr.,

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  Poet, writer, and hip-hop educator Tony Keith Jr. traces his journey from battling poverty, racism, and homophobia to becoming a first-generation college student who finds freedom in poetry. 13 & up

• Stephen King

  His Life, Work, and Influences

  Vincent, Bev,

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  Offers young Stephen King fans a thrilling journey through the writer's personal story and its impact on his work. 12 & up

• From Here

  a Memoir

  Mufleh, Luma,

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  Refugee advocate Luma Mufleh writes of her tumultuous journey to reconcile her identity as a gay Muslim woman and a proud Arab-turned-American refugee. 12 & up

• A Quantum Life

  My Unlikely Journey From the Street to the Stars

  Oluseyi, Hakeem M. (Hakeem Muata),

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  A memoir that demonstrates the unstoppable strength of intelligence and the human spirit. Oluseyi chronicles his unique journey from hardscrabble early life to award-winning astrophysicist. 12 & up

• Diary of a Dying Girl

  Smith, Mallory,

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  Author Mallory Smith shares her innermost thoughts while living with cystic fibrosis. 14 & up

• The Lady and the Octopus

  How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology

  Staaf, Danna,

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  Follow the remarkable journey of Jeanne Villepreux-Power from her childhood in a small French village to her life as a naturalist in 19th century Sicily, where she conducted groundbreaking research. 10 & up

• Michi Challenges History

  From Farm Girl to Costume Designer to Relentless Seeker of the Truth: the Life of Michi Weglyn

  Mochizuki, Ken, 1954-

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  A powerful biography of the Japanese-American fashion designer whose activism fueled a movement for the recognition of and reparations for America's World War II concentration camps. 12 & up

• Good Morning, Hope

  a True Story of Refugee Twin Sisters and Their Triumph Over War, Poverty, and Heartbreak

  Zalli, Argita,

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  Details the harrowing journey twin sisters take as refugees from war-torn Albania, where they faced extreme poverty and violence, before eventually escaping to England with their family. 14 & up

• The Salt Thief

  Gandhi's Heroic March to Freedom

  Bascomb, Neal,

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  Recounts Gandhi's arguably most famous protest in his fight for India's independence: the Salt March. This campaign would kickstart one of the biggest nonviolent movements in world history. 12 & up