Biographies

"Did they tell you stories about the saints of old,
stories about their faith?
Stories like that make a boy grow bold,
stories like that make a man walk straight..."

Rich Mullins, Boy Like Me, Man Like You

Stories about people have a way of affecting us in ways other stories can't. The Bible is primarily stories about people, and it is through these multiple biographies that we understand human nature, the history of redemption, and even to a great extent God Himself. The purpose behind any other biography is largely the same—to help us understand what it means to be human from the examples (sometimes even the bad examples) of those who have preceded us.

The biographies we have chosen for this section represent those of great leaders in history, social and military heroes, and Christian saints past and present who struggled to conform their lives to Christ's perfect example. We have avoided for the most part biographies of history's villains and chronic immoralists, not because they aren't interesting but because they don't represent lives worthy of imitation. We've also decided not to focus on athletes, actors, and celebrities, unless they've made important contributions outside their fields. That's not to say everyone found here was above reproach or even a Christian, but they all demonstrated real human virtues for which they are remembered.

Biographies are also useful for better understanding of a given historical period. While history books can provide good overviews of a period or events, the intimate detail of a good biography can better illustrate a time period and what it was like to be alive then. This also serves to demonstrate the universality of human nature, that people will behave basically the same during any given period and in any given place. Sometimes we get the impression that people of the past, especially people like missionaries and ministers, were somehow more pious than we are—the personal view offered by a good biography dispels this myth and offers encouragement that not even the best men and women are any closer to perfection than we are.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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57 Items found Print
Active Filters: 5th grade (Ages 10-11), Mass market paperback, Used Books & Materials
26 Fairmont Avenue
by Tomie De Paola
from Puffin Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Abe Lincoln
Landmark Series
by Sterling North
from Random House
Biography for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Albert Einstein: Young Thinker
by Marie Hammontree
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia
Landmark Series
by Margaret Cousins
from Random House
Biography for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Benjamin Franklin: Young Printer
by Augusta Stevenson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$7.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
from Laurel-Leaf Books
Realistic Fiction for 4th-6th grade
2000 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
Buffalo Bill: Frontier Daredevil
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Meryl Stevenson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Chasing Vermeer
Balliet Art Mystery Series
by Blue Balliett, Brett Helquist (Illustrator)
from Scholastic Inc.
Mystery & Suspense for 4th-6th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Columbus and the Renaissance Explorers
from Scholastic Inc.
for 3rd-7th grade
in Age of Exploration (1450-1700) (Location: HISA-16EXP)
$3.00 (3 in stock)
Crispus Attucks: Black Leader of Colonial Patriots
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Dharathula H. Millender
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Daniel Boone: Young Hunter and Tracker
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Augusta Stevenson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
George Washington, Spymaster
by Thomas B. Allen
from National Geographic
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Great Little Madison
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
Biography for 5th-8th grade
1990 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
Harry Houdini: Master of Magic
by Robert Kraske
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Helen Keller
by Margaret Davidson
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Henry Ford: Young Man with Ideas
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Hazel B. Aird
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$6.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Hidden
by Fanya Gottesfeld Heller with Joshua M. Greene
from Scholastic Inc.
for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
House of Dies Drear
by Virginia Hamilton
Reissue from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 4th-6th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.99 $4.00 (4 in stock)
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
by Bette Bao Lord
from HarperCollins
Immigration for 2nd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.99 $4.00 (7 in stock)
In Their Own Words: Lewis and Clark
by George Sullivan
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Lewis & Clark (Location: HISA-19L&C)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Jim Elliot - Unit Study Curriculum Guide
by Janet Benge, Geoff Benge
Study Guide from Emerald Books
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Christian Heroes: Then and Now (Location: BIO-BENGE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
John Wesley
Heroes of the Faith
by Sam Wellman
from Barbour Publishing
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Kidnapped Prince
by Olaudah Equiano
from Yearling
for 3rd-7th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Lights In Lisuland
CF4Kids Trail Blazers
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
in TorchBearers & TrailBlazers (Location: BIO-TRAIL)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Lost Star
by Patricia Lauber
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Magic Tree House #38 (Merlin Mission #10) - Fact Tracker
companion to Merlin Mission #10 - Monday with a Mad Genius
by Mary Pope Osborne, Natalie Pope Boyce
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 2nd-6th grade
in Magic Tree House (Location: SER-MTH)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Meet Christopher Columbus
Second Series Landmark / Step Up reprints
by James de Kay
from Random House
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.99 $2.50 (2 in stock)
Meet George Washington
Second Series Landmark / Step Up reprints
by Joan Heilbroner
from Random House
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.99 $3.00 (2 in stock)
Meet George Washington
by Joan Heilbroner
First Scholastic Printing 2001 from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Molly Pitcher: Young Patriot
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Augusta Stevenson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$8.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
Moon & I
by Betsy Byars
from Beech Tree Books
for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.50 (2 in stock)
One Thousand Paper Cranes
by Takayuki Ishii
2001 Printing from Laurel-Leaf Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Out of Darkness
by Russell Freedman
from Clarion Books
Biography for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$9.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Planet of Junior Brown
by Virginia Hamilton
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 3rd-5th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Pocahontas and the Strangers
by Clyde Robert Bulla
from Scholastic Inc.
Biographies for 3rd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Roberto Clemente: Young Ball Player
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Montrew Dunham
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
by Mildred Taylor
from Puffin Books
Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade
1977 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
Saint Athanasius
by F. A. Forbes
from Tan Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Shoes for Everyone
by Barbara Mitchell
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
Biography for 4th-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$8.95 $6.00 (3 in stock)
Shoes That Love Made
Trailblazers
by Lucille Travis
from Christian Focus Publications
for 4th-6th grade
in TorchBearers & TrailBlazers (Location: BIO-TRAIL)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Sojourner Truth
by Patricia & Frederick McKissack
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 4th-7th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
from HarperCollins
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1970 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Squanto
by Clyde Robert Bulla
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 3rd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Harriet Tubman
Dell Yearling Biography
by Kate McMullan
from Yearling
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Thomas Alva Edison
Landmark Series
by Margaret Cousins
from Random House
Biography for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Thomas Alva Edison, Inventor
Scholastic Biographies
by Margaret Davidson
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-7th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.50 (3 in stock)
Ten Boys Who Made a Difference
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
$5.50 (2 in stock)
Ten Girls Who Made a Difference
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
Ten Girls Who Made History
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
Ten Girls Who Used Their Talents
by Irene Howat
from Christian Focus Publications
Biography Collection for 3rd-7th grade
in Light Keepers (Location: BIO-LIGHT)
$5.50 (1 in stock)
To Be a Pilgrim
by Joyce Reason
1980th edition from Christian Literature Crusade
for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Traitor: The Case of Benedict Arnold
by Jean Fritz
from PaperStar Books
Biography for 5th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$6.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Trial by Ice
by K. M. Kostyal
from Scholastic Inc.
Picture Book Biography for 4th-8th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Who Was Christopher Columbus?
Who Was?...Series
by Barbara Bader, illustrated by Nancy Harrison
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 3rd-5th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Wilbur and Orville Wright: Young Fliers
by Augusta Stevenson
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Wilma Rudolph: Olympic Runner
Childhood of Famous Americans
by Jo Harper
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Childhood of Famous Americans (Location: BIO-COFA)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Wright Brothers At Kitty Hawk
by Donald J. Sobol
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.00 (1 in stock)