Tales Of Famous Heroes

Gr 3—6—The lives of inspirational figures are presented in such an engaging manner that readers will not be able to stop after reading just one. The 17 profiles highlight important events from the individual's childhood, demonstrating how each was set on course for greatness. Current famous people, such as Sonia Sotomayor, Barack Obama, and Nelson Mandela, are included, as well as historical figures like Winston Churchill and Sojourner Truth. Sacagawea was the only one who could speak Shoshone, which was needed to trade for horses for the Lewis and Clark expedition; Florence Nightingale wanted to make use of her education and skill for caring for the sick; a stolen bicycle led Cassius Clay to learn to box so he could take care of the thief; and Jane Goodall learned patience as a child by watching a hen lay an egg. Sybil Ludington is paired with her male counterpart and is called the "female Paul Revere." Readers learn that one person's work affected another's. Mohandas Gandhi is named as influencing Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr., who then influenced Rosa Parks. The book is illustrated with caricature-type portraits superimposed on archival photographs. Each biography is made up of easy-to-read paragraphs designed for beginners or less capable older readers. An engaging collective biography that should encourage children to read more about these heroes.—Nancy Baumann, University of Missouri-Columbia, MO