Juvie Biography: Graphic Novel Biographies

Tells the life story of dynamic heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, who gained fame for his boxing skills, political views, and humanitarian efforts. Written in graphic-novel format.

Louis Armstrong, also known as "Satchmo" and "Pops", became an American jazz legend in the 1920s. His voice and skill with instruments helped him become a popular musician in a time where America was racially divided.

Graphic biographies in the classroom provide an intervention with proven success for the struggling reader.

A biography telling the life of labor leader Cesar Chavez and the boycotts that he led to gain fair working conditions for farmworkers. Written in graphic-novel format.

Michel Chikwanine was five years old when he was abducted from his school-yard soccer game in the Democratic Republic of Congo and forced to become a soldier for a brutal rebel militia. Against the odds, Michel managed to escape and find his way back to his family, but he was never the same again. After immigrating to Canada, Michel was encouraged by a teacher to share what happened to him in order to raise awareness about child soldiers around the world, and this book is part of that effort.

Henry ford revolutionized transportation with the design and invention of the car. He also introduced the assembly line concept, creating work and production across America. Perhaps most remarkable in a time when deplorable factory conditions were commonplace, Ford believed in treating his employees well.

Robert Fulton didn't actually invent what he is most commonly associated with, yet Fulton's innovations on the steamboat changed America's trade and travel in a progressive way. Readers will enjoy learning more about Fulton and his contributions to American society through easy to follow text and vibrant illustrations.

Tells the story of Mary "Mother" Jones, a leading labor union and child labor activist in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Written in graphic-novel format.

Not even half a century ago America was segregated, when everything depended on the color of one's skin. Access to schools, restaurants, parks, buses or even water fountains was segregated. And born into this segregated world was Martin Luther King Jr. The son of a black preacher, King was taught from a young age that he was equal. He deserved the same rights and freedoms as anyone. He dreams of a nation where people are not judged by the color of their skin but by their character.

Tells the life story of athlete Jim Thorpe, star of the 1912 Olympic Games and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Written in graphic-novel format.

A Year Without Mom follows 12-year-old Dasha through a year full of turmoil after her mother leaves for America. It is the early 1990s in Moscow, and political change is in the air. But Dasha is more worried about her own challenges as she negotiates family, friendships and school without her mother. Just as she begins to find her own feet, she gets word that she is to join her mother in America -- a place that seems impossibly far from everything and everyone she loves. This gorgeous and subtly illustrated graphic novel signals the emergence of Dasha Tolstikova as a major new talent.

Eli Whitney changed manufacturing with the cotton gin and helped make improvements in the area of mass production through interchangeable parts. Readers will see how Whitney also drastically changed farming in America with his inventions.