Parental Compass

Genre

Biography books

True stories of real people.

96 books

Safe
A Girl from Yamhill: A Memoir

Beverly Cleary

Ages 12–16

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A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Ishmael Beah

Ages 16–18

Seabiscuit: An American Legend
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Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Laura Hillenbrand

Ages 14–18

Caution
Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II

Darlene Deibler Rose

Ages 14–18

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Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History

Art Spiegelman

Ages 16–18

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The Hot Zone: A Terrifying True Story

Richard Preston

Ages 16–18

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The Boys in the Boat (Young Readers Adaptation)

Daniel James Brown

Ages 10–14

Caution
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King

Ages 16–18

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
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I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

Malala Yousafzai

Ages 14–18

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This Boy's Life: A Memoir

Tobias Wolff

Ages 16–18

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution
Caution
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution

Ji-li Jiang

Ages 12–16

Sisters
Safe
Sisters

Raina Telgemeier

Ages 8–12

Caution
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

Trevor Noah

Ages 16–18

Caution
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Jon Krakauer

Ages 16–18

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Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter

Adeline Yen Mah

Ages 12–16

A Severe Mercy
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A Severe Mercy

Sheldon Vanauken

Ages 16–18

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Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life

C.S. Lewis

Ages 16–18

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The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan

Robert Kanigel

Ages 16–18

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The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy

Jeanne Birdsall

Ages 8–12

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On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Ages 10–14

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Boy: Tales of Childhood

Roald Dahl

Ages 10–14

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie

Ages 14–18

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Rosa Parks: My Story

Rosa Parks

Ages 10–14

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The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley

Malcolm X

Ages 16–18

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Biography books by age

Biography for ages 0–4Biography for ages 5–7Biography for ages 8–10Biography for ages 11–13Biography for ages 14+

Biography books by reading level

Biography for early reader readersBiography for independent readersBiography for middle-grade readersBiography for young-adult readers