List of Upper Elementary Biography Books

Learning about real people can be exciting. When a child reads about someone they admire, they want to read more. They want to read. Are they interested in science? They can read about Albert Einstein or Marie Curie. Do they like baseball? They can read about Ken Griffey Jr. Does the work of Rachel Carson get their attention? Look to biographies to get your child interested in reading. Here is a list of biographies geared toward upper elementary students. Keep in mind that these are just a few of the many biographies available for you.

50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet by Dennis Denenberg

A Place To Hide: True Stories Of Holocaust Rescues (Scholastic Biography) by Jayne Pettit

A Recipe for Success: Lizzie Kander and Her Cookbook (Badger Biographies Series) by Bob Kann

DK Biography: Abraham Lincoln by Tanya Lee Stone

Albert Einstein (DK Biography) by Frieda Wishinsky

DK Publishing: Amelia Earhart (DK Biography) by Tanya Lee Stone

At the Plate with...Ken Griffey Jr. (Matt Christopher Sports Bio Bookshelf) by Matt Christopher

Breaking Through By Grace: The Bono Story (ZonderKidz Biography) by Kim Washburn

Curly Lambeau: Building the Green Bay Packers (Badger Biographies Series) by Stuart Stotts

Dare To Dream!: 25 Extraordinary Lives by Sandra McLeod Humphrey

Dolores Huerta: Voice for the Working Poor (Crabtree Groundbreaker Biographies) by Alex Van Tol

Dr. Kate: Angel on Snowshoes (Badger Biographies Series) by Rebecca Hogue Wojahn

DK Biography: Eleanor Roosevelt by Kem Knapp Sawyer

Ernest Shackleton: Gripped by the Antarctic (Trailblazer Biographies) by Rebecca L. Johnson

Frank Lloyd Wright and His New American Architecture (Badger Biographies Series) by Bob Kann

DK Biography: Gandhi by Amy Pastan

George Washington: An Illustrated Biography by David A. Adler

DK Biography: George Washington by Lenny Hort

Gifted Hands, Kids Edition: The Ben Carson Story (ZonderKidz Biography) by Gregg Lewis

DK Biography: Harry Houdini by Vicki Cobb

Helen Keller: A photographic story of a life (DK Biography) by Leslie Garrett

Helen Keller (Scholastic Biography) by Margaret Davidson

I Have a Dream: The Story of Martin Luther King (Scholastic Biography) by Margaret Davidson

Jeff Corwin: A Wild Life: The Authorized Biography by Jeff Corwin

DK Biography: John F. Kennedy by Howard S. Kaplan

Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography (Little House) by William T. Anderson

DK Biography: Marie Curie by Vicki Cobb

DK Biography: Martin Luther King, Jr. by Amy Pastan

Mia Hamm: On the Field with... (Matt Christopher Sports Bio Bookshelf) by Matt Christopher

Michael Jordan: On the Court with (Matt Christopher Sports Bio Bookshelf) by Matt Christopher

DK Biography: Mother Teresa by Maya Gold

DK Biography: Nelson Mandela by Laaren Brown

Ordinary Genius: The Story of Albert Einstein (Trailblazer Biographies) by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

DK Biography: Pele by James Buckley

Queen Elizabeth I (Biography (Lerner Hardcover)) by Kate Havelin

Rachel Carson: Voice for the Earth (Lerner Biographies) by Ginger Wadsworth

Richard Bong: World War II Flying Ace (Badger Biographies Series) by Pete Barnes

Sacajawea : Wilderness Guide (Native American Biographies) by Kate Jassem

Shaun White: Snow and Skateboard Champion (Hot Celebrity Biographies) by Marty Gitlin

Stealing Home: The Story Of Jackie Robinson (Scholastic Biography) by Barry Denenberg

Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku by Ellie Crowe

Tents, Tigers and the Ringling Brothers (Badger Biographies Series) by Jerold W. Apps

The First Woman Doctor (Scholastic Biography) by Rachel Baker

The Man Behind the Gun: Samuel Colt and His Revolver (Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies) by Edwin Brit Wyckoff

The Story of Benjamin Franklin: Amazing American (Dell Yearling Biography) by Margaret Davidson

The Story Of George Washington Carver (Scholastic Biography) by Eva Moore

Thurgood Marshall (Childhood of Famous Americans) by Montrew Dunham

Wayne Gretzky: Greatness on Ice (Crabtree Groundbreaker Biographies) by Jessica Morrison

World History Biographies: Elizabeth I: The Outcast Who Became England's Queen (National Geographic World History Biographies) by Simon Adams

World History Biographies: Galileo: The Genius Who Faced the Inquisition (National Geographic World History Biographies) by Philip Steele

World History Biographies: Gandhi: The Young Protester Who Founded a Nation (National Geographic World History Biographies) by Philip Wilkinson

World History Biographies: Hatshepsut: The Princess Who Became King (National Geographic World History Biographies) by Ellen Galford

World History Biographies: Joan of Arc: The Teenager Who Saved Her Nation (National Geographic World History Biographies) by Philip Wilkinson

World History Biographies: Leonardo da Vinci: The Genius Who Defined the Renaissance (National Geographic World History Biographies) by John Phillips

Mandela: The Rebel Who Led His Nation to Freedom (National Geographic World History Biographies) by Ann Kramer

World History Biographies: Marco Polo: The Boy Who Traveled the Medieval World (National Geographic World History Biographies) by Nick McCarty

World History Biographies: Marie Curie: The Woman Who Changed the Course of Science (National Geographic World History Biographies) by Philip Steele

To Homeschool or Not to Homeschool - That is the Question

by Beth Armstrong I wonder how many times over the past five years I asked myself that question before I made my final decision. It wasn’t easy and to this day I still question whether they are getting the best possible teaching from me. If you decide to do it you will question yourself many times too. However, your answer will always be given you in the form of your child suddenly getting this excited look on his/her face when they finally understand a concept. Homeschooling is never an easy decision. You weigh the pros and cons many times over before you make your final decision. There are two main reasons parents decide to homeschool their children. One, they don’t like that GOD has been taken out of everything, nor do they like what their children are forced to learn. The second reason, their children are having major difficulty learning in the school setting where they have to compete to learn with about twenty to thirty more children and many times those that just can’t get it, fall through the cracks—sad but very true! Some are a mixture of both. I pulled my children out because they needed more one-on-one teaching than their teachers were able to give during the day. I taught public school for three years—exceptional education—and I loved each and every minute of it. I am also the mother of two children who were in exceptional education. My son has a learning disability and my daughter is dyslexic. That is when I decided, if I ever wanted my children to see and reach their true potential, and realize they are better than their “label”, I would have to show them. The teachers simply did not have the time for my children, well I did and do. I had more time to teach them the way the needed to be taught and I could take one-on-one time with them as much as they needed. I knew what my children were capable of and I was tired of them coming home and telling me how stupid they were, because they couldn’t get it in class. I wanted my son and my daughter to have a chance. I prayed and meditated on it and was shown the way. I took them home. Although my patience is tried more often than not, I would not give this up for the world. They are closer to each other than they ever have been and our relationship has become stronger because I am no longer getting onto them for what their teacher couldn’t do. They have excelled incredibly. They learn quickly and they learn easily and they learn happily. I know I have done the right thing when my children have that EUREKA moment, the moment they finally understand the concept. What an about-face from last year. They claim they love it and I really can see it and now they are excited about learning. What more could I ask for? Homeschooling is not for everyone. It takes a lot of patience and perseverance and self-discipline, but if you believe you can do it, trust me, your children will be better off for it. If you are not sure about it, then it is not the time to take on homeschooling your children. If you are supposed to homeschool your children, I promise, you will be shown the way. You are your child’s or children’s first teacher. It took me five years to decide what to do and honestly I wish I had started from the beginning. It has been a blessing for me! If anyone wishes to contact me and discuss homeschooling I will be more than happy to. My e-mail is arms6749@bellsouth.net, best wishes!

Bogyphobia and Other Fears

by Lisa Binion

For each of the following phobias, develop a story line and write a story. Or you may use the story line that I suggest, then write a story. The important thing is to have fun as you develop your writing skills.

Bogyphobia is fear of the bogeyman. This phobia, probably shared by many children, sometimes follows a person on into adulthood causing them to even fear going down into basements alone. Those who have a phobia of the bogeyman hiding under his bed, down the hall, or in the basement oftentimes also fear demons, goblins, or spirits.

As a child, your character was one of few that did not have bogyphobia. Now that she has reached adulthood, for some reason she has developed this phobia. Has she developed it because of a traumatic experience? Or has she developed it because of a scary book she has read or a scary movie that she has seen? Write a story about how she develops this phobia.

Catoptrophobia is a fear of mirrors, but not a fear of seeing your own reflection. An individual may fear that breaking a mirror will bring bad luck. He may fear that there is someone inside the mirror watching him, ready to reach out and grab him. If this individual glances at a mirror, he is afraid he will see something he doesn’t expect.

What caused your character to have this fear? He doesn’t remember ever having a bad experience with a mirror, but something happened in his childhood that he has blocked out. Write a story about what happened to him. How has this fear of mirrors affected his life?

Chaetophobia is the fear of hair, whether it be human or animal. The mild form of this phobia may just be fear of the loose hair that randomly falls out, say when you are brushing your hair or combing it. In the more severe form of this phobia,

Life would definitely be interesting (as if it isn’t already interesting enough) if I happened to have chaetophobia. My hair is extremely thick and tends to fall out – a lot. So much of my hair has fallen out that I am surprised I have any left. I seriously think that I grow twice the amount that falls out. Anyway, what if I had a fear of hair and decided to have my hair cut really short so I didn’t have to deal with it anymore. Going to a place to have my hair cut is bad enough, but then for some reason - earthquake, robbery, tornado – I end up being trapped inside for an extended period of time. How would I deal with my unwanted confinement in a place overflowing with what I fear?

Chionophobia is one of the weather phobias. It is a fear of snow. Some with chionophobia even hate snow. The fear could come from the possibility of probably of being snowbound and cut off from ‘civilization’.

Snow brings to mind the abominable snowman. Let’s say that Andrea and her husband are taking a road trip through the Rocky Mountains. It is winter, but so far the winter has been warm and this week is predicted to be unseasonably warm, so the threat of snow is minimal. But a cold front unexpectedly runs through the area and brings with it a massive snowfall. Andrea and her husband have no clue the storm was coming; they are camping out in a tent. The temperature drops during the night and their tent collapses on them from the weight of the snow. Andrea immediately has a panic attack, which only intensifies when she sees this huge creature approaching them. What happens? Take it from there.

Dromophobia is a fear of crossing the road. I imagine that this fear would tend to develop during childhood. Could this fear develop from a nightmare? Or could it develop by accidentally running into a parked car? How would an adult who lived in a huge, busy city deal with this fear?

Ronald grew up in the country where there were no busy roads and everyone drove so slowly that there was about no chance of being hit or being in a car accident. His job transfers him to a big city that has more cars than he ever imagined existed. In order to get to work, there are several majorly busy streets that he must cross. Going to work on the first day, he finds that he is unable to do so, but he can’t miss work. What happens?

Anablephobia and Other Fears

by Lisa Binion

Even though some phobias may appear unreasonable or silly to those who don’t have any, they are no laughing matter. When someone encounters something he has an excessive fear of, he experiences the following: rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, trembling, anxiety, panic, terror, and/or dread.

Phobias are a like a mine full of treasure for writers. These fears add both depth and uniqueness to our characters. Use the following phobias and come up with at least a story or story line for each one of them. Once you have a story line, or choose to use the one that I suggest, try writing a story.

Anablephobia is the fear of looking up. It could be a fear of looking up at the sky, or it could be a fear of looking up at the ceiling. It could be a fear of looking upwards at all.

How would one develop such a fear as this? Maybe your character saw a loved one killed by a huge hailstone falling out of the sky. Maybe your character saw a ceiling fan fly to pieces and seriously injure someone close to them. Pick one of the previous situations, or a situation you dream up, and develop a story line for it.

Anemophobia is fear of the wind. Your character could fear just gentle springtime breezes or it could only be a fear of really strong, almost tornado strength winds. Or it could be a fear of any kind of wind movement at all, even if it comes from just a ceiling fan.

Your character has experienced a severe trauma and there was a gentle breeze blowing at the time. That is one thing that seems to stand out in her mind – the breeze. Now, anytime she feels even just a gentle breeze she has a panic attack because all of the memories of her traumatic time revisit her. Develop a story about how this fear developed and how she manages to overcome it before she becomes housebound.

Auroraphobia is the fear of the Northern Lights, either the Aurora Borealis or the Aurora Australialis. The only reason I can think of for having of fear the Northern Lights would be if something extremely traumatic happened while they could be seen.

I think that I would have my character witness a murder taking place in the light of the Aurora Borealis. When the murderer turns and looks at the character, she recognizes the murderer and he recognizes her. She stands there, frozen with fear, when someone yells her name and breaks her trance. She shakes herself out of it, turns and runs away. She doesn’t remember anything she saw, but for some reason now she is scared to death of the Nothern Lights.

Write a story where she confronts her fears to find out the reason why. Along the way, she also puts a murderer, someone she thought to be a close friend, behind bars.

Barophobia is the fear of gravity or the fear that gravity will fail. Maybe your character fell from a trampoline and was seriously injured because of it. Maybe your character has read a very detailed science fiction novel or watched a movie about a planet where the gravity just disappears for no reason. The consequences shown are horrible. Or maybe your character simply does not understand exactly what gravity is.

Your character’s fear of gravity is so strong that it begins to make this character fear for his or her own well-being, so he seeks help. Develop a story or story line that details how he developed this phobia, how he finds help, and whether or not he is cured.

Blennophobia is a fear of slime. Slime is disgusting and there probably aren’t many of us who actually look forward to touching anything, no matter what it is, that is slimy. There are people that slimy objects cause serious problems.

What if you were a lady whose job it was to clean houses? Not just any houses, but houses that were holiday rentals. Not all travelers are slobs, but let’s face it, a good portion of them can be. Her job is to go in and make the houses spotless once again. Half-filled glasses of breakfast orange juice that look like science experiments make it hard for her to breathe. Wet towels that have been left lying in the bathroom floor for weeks and weeks not only smell, they have begun turning color and cause her heart to race. She has to have this job, there are no others available and she has many bills to pay and a young child to support. Does she find relief from this phobia or not? Write a story telling how or how not.

Weather Phobias

by Lisa Binion

Lately, the news has been filled with accounts of capricious acts of weather. Powerful weather phenomena are fascinating to watch, yet terrifying because of the destruction they leave behind. The fierceness of tornadoes and hurricanes leave one speechless and amazed. The beauty of lightning fills one with admiration for the hand that guides this streak of electricity to its destination. Each accompanying boom of thunder reminds us of the One in control of it all.

Then there are the calming weather phenomena. The gentle rains that water the earth, the snow that blankets the ground, the cooling breezes, and the clouds that form pictures for those with an imagination.

Phobias exist for all types of weather phenomena. In this article, I will share information about six of them.

Anemophobia is the fear of air, wind, or air drafts. Those with this phobia fear that wind has the ability to blow away their personal identity and belongings.

Chionophobia is the fear of snow. Some people with this phobia simply hate snow of any kind and amount. Others fear being snowbound. I don’t like being snowbound, but those with chionopohobia fear it and won’t venture out in the snow at all for fear of being stranded. Even just a forecast of a terrible winter storm can cause panic and feelings of helplessness.

Lilapsophobia is the fear of tornadoes and/or hurricanes. Some fear of these fierce storms is perfectly natural when you consider the damage and destruction that they bring. Those afflicted with this phobia could possibly have lived through an extremely fierce hurricane or tornado. Think about the survivors of the damaging tornado that struck Joplin, Missouri. How have they been affected by this terrible weather phenomenon? For those who have survived such a catastrophe, even just a forecast of such an event occurring can bring on severe anxiety attacks.

Nephophobia is the fear of clouds. Hard to believe that a person could be afraid of the white, fluffy things in the sky, but remember, they aren’t always so innocent looking. When filled with rain, they grow dark and sinister looking. Just pictures of clouds have the ability to send into distress those afflicted with nephophobia.

Ombrophobia is defined as a persistent, irrational fear of rain. Has anyone ever told you that “you will catch your death” if you go out in the rain? Maybe you were told that going out in the rain would make you sick. Some people take these words to heart and become really depressed when it rains The majority of people don’t like being rained on, unless maybe they are coming out of a long, dry drought. But not liking being rained on and having a phobia of being rained on are two completely different things.

Astraphobia is the fear of thunder and lightning. My indoor dog has astraphobia. Anytime she hears thunder, she heads straight for the bathroom and climbs in the tub. One of my outdoor dogs definitely does not have this phobia; he tries to leap up and attack the flashes of light and the loud booms. People who have this phobia may hide in the basement during a thunderstorm or seek shelter in an inside room, such as the bathroom. Attempts to block out the noise may be attempted by turning up the volume of the television or stereo. Closing the curtains or blinds may be done in an attempt to block out the brilliant flashes of light. Since a person with this fear would not want to get caught out in a thunderstorm, an astraphobiac may also be obsessed with checking the weather forecast.

Shannon has been afraid of fierce storms since she was a little girl. On vacation with her parents, she became separated from them while hiking up to the bridge at Natural Bridge. Before she was reunited with her parents, the sky grew dark and a fierce storm developed. Caught out in the open, she watched the fierce lightning strike the trees around her and cause them to fall as the thunder boomed. Her only comfort was the stuffed animal she kept with her at all times. Now an adult, she has made plans to go camping with her friends. She has been assured by the forecasts that absolutely no storms are possible. But the weather forecasters get it wrong sometimes. The first night out is clear and beautiful. The second evening, though, is not so calm. As the winds pick up and the rain begins to come down gently, Shannon is ready to run for home, but something prevents her from leaving. What prevents her from going and how does she handle being stuck out once again in a fierce storm?

You can use the above story line and adapt it to just about any weather phobia mentioned in this article. Or you can make up one of your own. The most important thing is for you to have fun with it and practice your writing.