Autobiography book covers for kids
Biographies and autobiographies for children and teens, with life stories, heroic profiles, true recollections, and tales of survival, exploration, resilience and perseverance. There&#;s a range of first person and third person accounts suitable for school libraries, independent reading and classroom teaching in KS1, KS2 and KS3 to inspire, surprise and enthral young readers. This list features books by Mick Manning, Brita Granström, Michael Rosen, Vashti Harrison, Floella Benjamin, John Agard, Jacqueline Wilson, Alastair Humphreys, Malala Yousafzai, David Long, William Grill and Linda Sue Park.
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Biographies and autobiographies books for children and teens &#; our recommendations
Biographies and autobiographies for KS1
One Day in Wonderland by Kathleen Krull & Júlia Sardà
This beautifully illustrated large-format picture book retells Lewis Carrol&#;s life through biography, bibliography, and anecdotes &#; all told using classic wordplay from Jabberwocky and other works. The illustrations are vibrant and compelling.
Becoming Brave by Jennie Cashman Wilson
Jennie Cashman Wilson shares her journey of resilience and courage with musician Abram Wilson. This poignant and memorable picture book explores themes of love, grief, and personal growth. With vibrant artwork, it will inspire year-olds to confront fear and believe in themselves. Encouraging resilience and self-expression, KS1 teachers will find this a useful text to read and share with classes.
Biographies and autobiographies for KS2
Women Who Led The Way by Mick Manning and Brita Granström
Profiling a diverse group of inspiration women, such as Mae Jamison, Nellie Bly, Amelia Earhart and Harriet Tubman, Women Who Led The Way is an exciting large format hardback with vibrant watercolour illustrations and powerful stories of inspirational women who explored new places, make key discoveries and paved the way for many more to follow in their footsteps. Presented as a series of compelling narrative autobiographies, we highly recommend it for KS2 school libraries and classrooms.
She Sold Seashells &#; and Dragons. The curious Mary Anning. Re-imagined by Wolfgang Grulke
The life of Mary Anning, a pioneering fossil hunter and self-taught scientist from years ago, is depicted using ground-breaking AI to create hyper-realistic illustrations and a striking sense of immediacy. 8+ year-olds will be fascinated by this innovative blend of historical detail and AI-generated imagery, as well as the engaging palaeontology, science and history text. Ideal for KS2 libraries and topic work about rocks and fossils. Read our full review.
There Once is a Queen by Michael Morpurgo
With lyrical text and a life spanning nearly years, Michael Morpurgo tells the story of Elizabeth II through key events, places, cultural landmarks and the importance of family &#; all vividly illustrated by Michael Foreman. The deft personal and historical narrative will be useful for teachers looking for a text to model for biography and personal writing, and for pupils to use as a template for writing an empathetic life history of an older family member. To celebrate the Platinum Jubilee, libraries around the country received free copies. A marvellous book.
Dear Rebel: + Women Share Their Secrets to Taking on the World by Rebel Girls
This absorbing hardback for year olds contains invaluable advice from over + inspirational and successful women. Presented as short illustrated autobiographies, a diverse collection of true stories explain how tough situations can be overcome and big dreams can be realised. Including contributions from Philomena Kwao, Melinda French Gates, Randi Zuckerberg, Geetha Murali and more, Dear Rebel is highly recommended for KS2 and KS3 libraries.
El Deafo by Cece Bell
A memorable graphic illustrated biography suitable for children in upper KS2 and lower KS3. This book chronicles the author&#;s childhood experiences using a hearing aid called a &#;phonic ear&#; and how if affected her life and relationships at school and growing up. A compelling read, and ideal for use in reading groups and for class discussion.
Albert Einstein&#;s Theory of Relativity by Carl Wilkinson and James Weston Lewis
A spectacular large-format illustrated biography that not only looks at Einstein&#;s achievements in science, but his childhood, approach to learning, how he approached problems and how his work relates to life today. An inspiring book for both children interested in science and maths, but also pupils who see the world differently. Ideal for upper KS2 libraries.
Coming to England by Floella Benjamin
This inspiring autobiography sensitively and revealingly chronicles the Windrush experience of a young girl travelling from Trinidad to a new life in England in A powerful read, the Floella Benjamin&#;s childhood account is one that will resonate with KS2 children and one they will be able to empathise with. This text will be a useful resource for autobiographical writing in UKS2 literacy lessons.
What a Wonderful World by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe and Lydia Hill
This wonderfully illustrated non-fiction hardback details the lives and exploits of 35 &#;Earth Shakers&#; &#; people who have worked to improve animal rights and environmental and ecological awareness. Including the biographical histories of a diverse range of figures such as Yola Mgogwana, Mina Guli, Priti Sakha, Felix Finkbeiner and John Muir, there&#;s a compelling mix of life stories, history, science and geography. With intricate and mesmerising illustrations by Lydia Hill, &#;What a Wonderful World&#; will make a cracking addition to KS2 classroom libraries and is an ideal impetus to spark ideas for independent projects.
Imagine a Garden: Stories of Courage Changing the World by Rina Singh and Hoda Hadadi
Seven powerful stories of courage reframe how we see compassion and understanding in the world around us. Illustrated with inspiring mixed media collages by Hoda Hadadi, each true story is presented as a short poem &#; ideal to read aloud and discuss. It&#;s a beautiful hardback to inspire whole school assemblies or biographical writing in KS2, and the author&#;s notes and backstories to the true events at the end of the book will be particularly useful to teachers.
Leonardo Da Vinci&#;s Life of Invention by Jake Williams
The beautifully realised illustrated hardback takes year-old readers on a journey through Leonardo Da Vinci&#;s life, the world as he saw it, his inventions, and his greatest artistic achievements. A sparkling blend of history, biography, STEM and culture, each double-page spread examines an aspect of Da Vinci&#;s life and learning. It&#;s a fascinating Renaissance volume that features the Mona Lisa, an early parachute, human anatomy, a mechanical bat, maths and the unknown. Perfect for children interested in science, it will also make a great addition to KS2 libraries.
A Velocity of Being: Letters to A Young Reader by Maria Popova and Claudia Bedrick
A highly original idea, this book is a series of open letters to children &#; each exploring why reading is important to broaden experiences and imagination. Each of the letters is faced by emotive artwork. A who&#;s who of illustrators and writers, including Marianne Dubuc, Sean Qualls, Oliver Jeffers, Maira Kalman, Mo Willems, Isabelle Arsenault, Chris Ware, Liniers, Shaun Tan, Tomi Ungerer, and Art Spiegelman contributed to this stunning page book. This book is perfect to read and discuss with reluctant readers, and particularly children who like the internet, but don&#;t yet like reading books.
The Truths We Hold (Young Reader&#;s Edition) by Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris&#; autobiography, The Truths We Hold – An American Journey, is an inspiring and lively account of her life, adapted for younger readers. It covers her experiences as a member of multiple minorities, detailing her rise from a lawyer in California to Vice President of the United States. Recommended for class discussions, it encourages young readers to believe that no societal position is beyond their reach. Read our full review.
Biographies and autobiographies for KS3
Talking History: years of world-changing speeches by Joan Haig and Joan Lennon
16 engaging speakers and their speeches, chosen from a diverse range of backgrounds and periods in history, are profiled in this accessible and immersive graphic novel style text. Including Emmeline Pankhust, Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela, Greta Thunberg and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, each double-page spread includes speeches, background history and biographical detail in this text that&#;s perfect for upper KS2 and KS3 libraries.
Can You See Me? by Libby Scott & Rebecca Westcott
Follow year-old Tally&#;s journey as she navigates the challenges of school, friendship, and self-discovery, providing readers with a unique and empathetic perspective on autism. Can You See Me is an empowering read and an excellent book choice for book clubs in lower KS3.
Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson
Deeply personal vignettes of life are told through luminous biographical verse in this memoir that echoes the author&#;s very personal journey. Through powerful reflections, issues of assault, censorship, and empowerment through having the courage to speak out are explored. &#;Shout&#; is a compelling call to action, urging readers to find their voices and feel confident to make change happen. An ideal choice for book clubs.
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