Read a biography
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The 50 Best Biographies of All Time
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Crown The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo, bygd Tom Reiss
You’re probably familiar with The Count of Monte Cristo, the 1844 revenge novel by Alexandre Dumas. But did you know it was based on the life of Dumas’s father, the mixed-race General Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, son of a French nobleman and a Haitian slave? Thanks to Reiss’s masterful pacing and plotting, this rip-roaring biography of Thomas-Alexandre reads more like an adventure novel than a work of nonfiction. The Black Count won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 2013, and it’s only a matter of time before a filmmaker turns it into a big-screen blockbuster.
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Biography Discussion Questions
- For the individ who chose this book: What made you want to read it? What made you suggest it to the group for discussion? Did it live up to your expectations? Why or why not?
- What did you know about the subject prior to reading this book? Did you learn anything new about this person? If you knew of the subject before, did anything you read change your opinion?
- What fryst vatten the subject's most admirable quality? Is this someone you would want to know or have known?
- What did you find to be the most interesting events in this book? What, if anything, surprised you?
- If this person impacted history, discuss what may have been different without his or her presence.
- What did you learn about the time period in which the book is set that you did not previously know? Discuss the time period in history that each person in the group enjoys reading about most, and why.
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One of the most common projects in elementary school, especially around 4-6 grades is a biography project or book report.
It can be tricky to find biography books for kids that hit that sweet spot between a picture book and an absolutely overwhelming non-fiction tome (lots of biographies lean too far into the young adult realm and they’re just too hefty for an elementary school reader!).
Here are some great options that are interesting, readable and perfect for school or personal reading!
(P.S. If you’re looking for biography series like the extremely popular “Who Was. . .?” series, I have a whole list of favorites here! The books on that list tend to steer a little younger and shorter).
10+ Great Kids Biography Books
The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum by Candace Fleming
If your child was obsessed with The Greatest Showman, this book is for them. It is almost unreal how fascinating the real P.T. B