It's no easy task writing a biography that will appeal to young readers. While kids like the idea of "a true story," biographies have a way of turning dry and pedantic. It takes skill to make the history of another person come alive for young people. But, true stories can be even more inspiring than fiction. Plus, they provide that all-important background knowledge that helps your kids across subjects. Here’s why biographies can help your children learn.
Biographies make history come alive!
Reading from history books that have a bunch of names and dates won’t keep anyone’s attention or interest for long, but learning about history of a specific person’s life and accomplishments can help children see how it matters. Key events become real moments that affect the people living through them instead of empty facts.
Biographies talk about real people doing real things
A real story of a courageous person overcoming challenges can inspire kids to face their own obstacles with hope and determination, and also spark a desire to make the world a better place. Reading about the real experiences of others gives context for the decisions and consequences that we all will face. But more than that, biographies prove that one person can make a difference, and that small steps can lead to big things — great life lessons for little ones.
Biographies are a great way to learn history
They can offer memorable glimpses into history and insights into breakthroughs in philosophy, history, science, and the arts. And they can provide role models often sought out by young people. Biographies allow readers to learn history through the lives of men and women who lived it and can make you children fall in love with history!
Biographies help you see the world in a new way
Reading about someone from a different era, a different background or a totally different set of life experiences will give you new perspective to various issues. Biographies make it easy to form connections about whose lives intertwined and role the economy, geography, and world events played in our history.
Kids will find inspiration from important lives in biographies
Your child loves animals? Give her Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell, a picturebook bio of Jane Goodall. A science lover? Try Starry Messenger by Peter Sis. From accounts of sports superstars to books about presidents and pioneers of change, there are as many types of biographies as there are people! Just hook into your child’s interest to get him going.
You can read some fantastic biographies for children here.
