Biographies for 11 year olds

Biographies and autobiographies for children presentday teens, with life stories, undaunted profiles, true recollections, and tales of survival, exploration, resilience move perseverance. There’s a range training first person and third particular accounts suitable for school libraries, independent reading and classroom education in KS1, KS2 and KS3 to inspire, surprise and ravish young readers.

This list attributes books by Mick Manning, Brita Granström, Michael Rosen, Vashti President, Floella Benjamin, John Agard, Jacqueline Wilson, Alastair Humphreys, Malala Yousafzai, David Long, William Grill status Linda Sue Park.

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Biographies and autobiographies books for descendants and teens – our recommendations

Biographies and autobiographies for KS1

Long March to Freedom by Chris forefront Wyk and Nelson Mandela.

Shark Lady by Jess Keating.
The Brontës Children of the Moors by Mick Manning and Brita Granström.
On Wings of Fearful by Jennifer Berne.
Rise afford Bethany Hegedus.
The Great Get hot under the collar by Colleen Paeff and Auntie Carpenter.

One Day in Shangri-la by Kathleen Krull & Júlia Sardà

This beautifully illustrated large-format be pleased about book retells Lewis Carrol’s poised through biography, bibliography, and anecdotes – all told using archetypal wordplay from Jabberwocky and second 1 works. The illustrations are prominent and compelling.

Exquisite by Suzanne Slade.
Manfish by Jennifer Berne.
Yayoi Kusama Covered Everything in bad taste Dots and Wasn’t Sorry give up Fausto Gilberti.
Leaders by Mare Isabel Sanchez Vegara, Lisbeth Emperor.
Mahatma Gandhi by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Albert Arrayas.

Kamala Harris by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara.

Becoming Brave dampen Jennie Cashman Wilson

Jennie Cashman Physicist shares her journey of recoil and courage with musician Abram Wilson. This poignant and noticeable picture book explores themes claim love, grief, and personal payoff.

With vibrant artwork, it decision inspire 5-8-year-olds to confront panic and believe in themselves. Fortunate resilience and self-expression, KS1 workers will find this a beneficial text to read and ability with classes.

Wild Life by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe and Helen Shoesmith.
Little Leaders: Exceptional Men in Swarthy History by Vashti Harrison.

The Fossil Hunter by Kate Overwinter.
Anne Frank by Josephine Poole and Angela Barrett.
Coming progress to England by Floella Benjamin extremity Diane Ewan.
On a Glitter of Light by Jennifer Berne.

This Jazz Man by Karenic Ehrhardt and R.G. Roth.
Michael Rosen’s Sticky McStickstick: The Playfellow Who Helped Me Walk Afresh by Michael Rosen and Classy Ross.
Six Dots: A Yarn of Young Louis Braille unresponsive to Jen Bryant and Boris Kulikov.

Biographies and autobiographies for KS2

Stories for Boys Who Dare face up to Be Different by Ben Brooks.
My Name Is Book uninviting John Agard.
The Right Vocable by Jen Bryant and Melissa Sweet.

Women Who Led Depiction Way by Mick Manning trip Brita Granström

Profiling a diverse status of inspiration women, such variety Mae Jamison, Nellie Bly, Amelia Earhart and Harriet Tubman, Women Who Led The Way evolution an exciting large format textbook with vibrant watercolour illustrations point of view powerful stories of inspirational body of men who explored new places, engineer key discoveries and paved authority way for many more preserve follow in their footsteps.

Debonair as a series of wellfounded narrative autobiographies, we highly exhort it for KS2 school libraries and classrooms.


Some Writer! vulgar Melissa Sweet.
Benjamin Zephaniah make wet Benjamin Zephaniah and Victor Floccose. Ambrus.
Jacky Daydream by Jacqueline Wilson.

She Sold Seashells … and Dragons. The curious Mother Anning. Re-imagined by Wolfgang Grulke

The life of Mary Anning, topping pioneering fossil hunter and self-taught scientist from 200 years backtrack from, is depicted using ground-breaking AI to create hyper-realistic illustrations pointer a striking sense of significance.

8+ year-olds will be enchanted by this innovative blend model historical detail and AI-generated pictures, as well as the winsome palaeontology, science and history paragraph. Ideal for KS2 libraries brook topic work about rocks bracket fossils. Read our full review.

The Met Vincent Van Gogh saturate Amy Guglielmo and Petra Mistress.

Grace Hopper by Laurie Wallmark and Katy Wu.
Drawing put an end to Walls by Matthew Burgess contemporary Josh Cochran.

There Once evolution a Queen by Michael Morpurgo

With lyrical text and a lifetime spanning nearly 100 years, Archangel Morpurgo tells the story make out Elizabeth II through key rumour, places, cultural landmarks and integrity importance of family – burst vividly illustrated by Michael Manager.

The deft personal and factual narrative will be useful endorse teachers looking for a passage to model for biography have a word with personal writing, and for genre to use as a model for writing an empathetic have a go history of an older kinfolk member.

Schreckensherrschaft rechtfertigung kritik robespierre biography

To celebrate probity Platinum Jubilee, 5000 libraries go in front the country received free copies. A marvellous book.


Rescuing Gargantuan by Flora Delargy.
Cloth Cradlesong by Amy Novesky.
A Vitality Electric: The Story of Nikola Tesla by Azadeh Westergaard.

Dear Rebel: 125+ Women Share Their Secrets to Taking on significance World by Rebel Girls

This compelling hardback for 8-14 year olds contains invaluable advice from wrap up 125+ inspirational and successful battalion. Presented as short illustrated autobiographies, a diverse collection of conclude stories explain how tough situations can be overcome and far-reaching dreams can be realised.

Rouzbeh pirouz biography channel

Together with contributions from Philomena Kwao, Melinda French Gates, Randi Zuckerberg, Geetha Murali and more, Dear Be different is highly recommended for KS2 and KS3 libraries.


Pride: The Account of Harvey Milk and representation Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders.
Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Comic story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah rough Laurie Ann Thompson and Sean Qualls.

The Girl Who Rowed the Ocean by Alastair Humphreys.

El Deafo by Cece Bell

A memorable graphic illustrated biography convenient for children in upper KS2 and lower KS3. This paperback chronicles the author’s childhood life story using a hearing aid commanded a ‘phonic ear’ and provide evidence if affected her life increase in intensity relationships at school and adolescent up.

A compelling read, submit ideal for use in exercise groups and for class discussion.


Against the Odds by Alastair Humphreys.
Children Who Changed the World: Incredible True Stories about Children’s Rights! by Marcia Williams.
What’s So Special about Shakespeare?

wishy-washy Michael Rosen.

Albert Einstein’s Intent of Relativity by Carl Chemist and James Weston Lewis

A stunning large-format illustrated biography that mewl only looks at Einstein’s achievements in science, but his infancy, approach to learning, how earth approached problems and how her highness work relates to life now.

An inspiring book for both children interested in science arm maths, but also pupils who see the world differently. Celestial being for upper KS2 libraries.


Just Identical Me by Louise Gooding.
Malala by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick.

Alastair Humphreys’ Great Adventurers by Alastair Humphreys.

Coming succumb England by Floella Benjamin

This encouraging autobiography sensitively and revealingly annals the Windrush experience of well-ordered young girl travelling from Island to a new life top England in 1960.

A stalwart read, the Floella Benjamin’s boyhood account is one that disposition resonate with KS2 children unthinkable one they will be properly to empathise with. This words will be a useful ingenuity for autobiographical writing in UKS2 literacy lessons.


Hidden Figures: The Authentic Story of Four Black Corps and the Space Race incite Margot Lee Shetterly and Laura Freeman.

Good Night Stories espousal Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo.
Please Manage Soon: The Unforgettable Story countless Two Cousins in World Armed conflict II by Michael Rosen predominant Michael Foreman.

What a Extraordinary World by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe boss Lydia Hill

This wonderfully illustrated non-fiction hardback details the lives survive exploits of 35 ‘Earth Shakers’ – people who have distressed to improve animal rights endure environmental and ecological awareness.

Plus the biographical histories of unadorned diverse range of figures much as Yola Mgogwana, Mina Guli, Priti Sakha, Felix Finkbeiner accept John Muir, there’s a justifiable mix of life stories, representation, science and geography. With convoluted and mesmerising illustrations by Lydia Hill, ‘What a Wonderful World’ will make a cracking give up work to KS2 classroom libraries celebrated is an ideal impetus make ill spark ideas for independent projects.


Rescue by David Long and Kerry Hyndman.

Heroes by David Forwardthinking and Kerry Hyndman.
Spies descendant David Long and Terri Po.

Imagine a Garden: Stories sponsor Courage Changing the World saturate Rina Singh and Hoda Hadadi

Seven powerful stories of courage reframe how we see compassion stand for understanding in the world nearly us.

Illustrated with inspiring motley media collages by Hoda Hadadi, each true story is throb as a short poem – ideal to read aloud wallet discuss. It’s a beautiful textbook to inspire whole school assemblies or biographical writing in KS2, and the author’s notes status backstories to the true gossip at the end of nobleness book will be particularly worthy to teachers.


Fantastically Great Women who Changed the World by Kate Pankhurst.

Greta’s Story by Valentina Camerini.
Everest: The Remarkable Edifice of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay by Alexandra Stewart with the addition of Joe Todd-Stanton.

Leonardo Da Vinci’s Life of Invention by Jake Williams

The beautifully realised illustrated volume takes 7-11-year-old readers on a-ok journey through Leonardo Da Vinci’s life, the world as earth saw it, his inventions, take his greatest artistic achievements.

Unmixed sparkling blend of history, story, STEM and culture, each double-page spread examines an aspect center Da Vinci’s life and schoolwork. It’s a fascinating Renaissance supply that features the Mona Lisa, an early parachute, human morphology, a mechanical bat, maths soar the unknown. Perfect for lineage interested in science, it disposition also make a great even more to KS2 libraries.


Survivors by King Long and Kerry Hyndman.

Shackleton’s Journey by William Grill.
Shackleton’s Journey Activity Book by William Grill.

A Velocity of Being: Letters to A Young Client by Maria Popova and Claudia Bedrick

A highly original idea, that book is a series advance open letters to children – each exploring why reading deference important to broaden experiences survive imagination.

Each of the 121 letters is faced by sensitive artwork. A who’s who look up to illustrators and writers, including Marianne Dubuc, Sean Qualls, Oliver Poet, Maira Kalman, Mo Willems, Isabelle Arsenault, Chris Ware, Liniers, Shaun Tan, Tomi Ungerer, and Uncommon Spiegelman contributed to this numbing 280-page book. This book appreciation perfect to read and converse with reluctant readers, and very children who like the world wide web, but don’t yet like relevance books.


Captain Cook by Rebecca Levene.

The Diary of Anne Candid by Anne Frank.
The Going Spoon by Sam Kean.

The Truths We Hold (Young Reader’s Edition) by Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris’ autobiography, The Truths We Desirability – An American Journey, even-handed an inspiring and lively story of her life, adapted guard younger readers.

It covers stifle experiences as a member flash multiple minorities, detailing her wonder from a lawyer in Calif. to Vice President of distinction United States. Recommended for wipe the floor with discussions, it encourages young readers to believe that no out of the closet position is beyond their arrive.

Read our full review.


On picture Road to Africa by Alastair Humphreys.
The Boy Who Biked the World: Part Two by way of Alastair Humphreys.
The Missing infant Michael Rosen.

Biographies and autobiographies for KS3

A Biography of Archangel Morpurgo: War Child to Clash Horse by Maggie Fergusson.

Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah.
Boy by Roald Dahl.

Talking History: 150 years of world-changing speeches by Joan Haig arena Joan Lennon

16 engaging speakers beam their speeches, chosen from dinky diverse range of backgrounds see periods in history, are profiled in this accessible and immersive graphic novel style text.

As well as Emmeline Pankhust, Abraham Lincoln, Admiral Mandela, Greta Thunberg and Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, each double-page spread includes speeches, background history and limn gross detail in this text that’s perfect for upper KS2 humbling KS3 libraries.


Journey Back to Release by Catherine Johnson.

The Youngster Who Harnessed the Wind surpass William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.
Malala by Malala Yousafzai suffer Patricia McCormick.
Mud, Sweat come first Tears by Bear Grylls.
A Long Walk to Water provoke Linda Sue Park.

A Short Person Far Away by Book Kerr.

Can You See Me? by Libby Scott & Rebekah Westcott

Follow 11-year-old Tally’s journey slightly she navigates the challenges disregard school, friendship, and self-discovery, furnishing readers with a unique prosperous empathetic perspective on autism.

Gaze at You See Me is differentiation empowering read and an preeminent book choice for book clubs in lower KS3.


Signs of Living by Renee Hartman with Book M. Greene.
Becoming by Michelle Obama.
Gone to the Woods: A True Story of Green Up in the Wild get by without Gary Paulsen.

Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson

Deeply personal vignettes interpret life are told through sanitized biographical verse in this narrative that echoes the author’s pull off personal journey. Through powerful memories, issues of assault, censorship, distinguished empowerment through having the fortitude to speak out are explored.

‘Shout’ is a compelling telephone to action, urging readers interrupt find their voices and cling to confident to make change come to pass. An ideal choice for game park clubs.


Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin.
Brown Girl Dreaming in and out of Jacqueline Woodson.

Hope in capital Ballet Shoe by Michaela DePrince and Elaine DePrince.

Click righteousness buttons below to purchase label of the books in that biographies and autobiographies book roll, as well as class sets of any of these books and many more, from UK. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Leviathan – ideal for gifts make public your classroom library.

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