What+criteria+should+you+consider+when+selecting+biographies?

What are biographies? What are the different types of biographies? What criteria should you consider when selecting biographies? What are autobiographies and memoirs?
Biographies are true stories about the lives of real people. Students can learn about famous people, historical figures, and lesser-known individuals. By reading biographies, “children learn about interesting people with whom they can identify and from whom they can learn” (Norton 462).

Children’s biography include three types: 1. Authentic biography: Thoroughly researched, includes a bibliography, and only includes dialogue the person really said 2. Fictionalized biography: Based on research but uses artistic license to imagine details about the person’s life. 3. Biographical fiction: Completely made of imagined dialogue and thoughts. Different formats of children’s biography include: 1. Picture-book biographies 2. Simplified biographies 3. Partial biographies 4. Complete biographies 5. Collective biographies An autobiography is written by a person who tells the true story of his/her own life. A memoir is a shortened version of an autobiography. In a memoir, the author writes about a part of his/her life.

When evaluating children’s biography, the choice of subject, accuracy and authenticity, style, characterization, and theme must be considered. Having a wide range of subjects is crucial to ensure that each student will be able to identify with a biographical subject. Additionally, the subjects should include people studied in the school curriculum, famous people, lesser-known people, heroes, and antiheroes. The biographies selected should also recognize different points of view.

Accuracy and authenticity are also criteria for selecting biographies. Illustrations of the setting, dress, architecture, and objects should be authentic and accurately reflect the time period. Research should also be demonstrated by the inclusion of a bibliography with primary sources. The dialogue in biographies should also be documented.

Biographies told from the point of view of a child are particularly effective in helping students to understand and identify with the subject. Furthermore, the subject must be portrayed accurately with all his/her successes and failures. When selecting biographies, one also must be careful to select biographies that are as objective and free of bias as possible.

Three examples of excellent biographies include: 1. //Barack Obama: son of promise, child of hope// by Nikki Grimes: This biography inspires children to study hard and always keep hope alive. It is based on Barack Obama’s memoir, //Dreams of My Father//. 2. //Pocahontas: princess of the new world// by Kathleen Krull: This biography dispels the myths about Pocahontas, such as the myths from the Disney movie, //Pocahontas,// and includes a bibliography. //3. George vs. George: the American Revolution as seen from both Sides// by Rosalyn Schanzer: This collective biography is very well-researched and includes a bibliography and documented quotes. This biography gives students multiple perspectives on the American Revolution and does not cast Gerge III as a villain. The biography helps students better understand George Washington and George III as people.

__Biography Activity, Grade: 5__ The teacher will read students biographies about people involved in the Revolutionary War, such as //They Called Her Molly Pitcher// by Anne Rockwell. Then, students will each choose a person involved in the Revolutionary War to read biographies about. Next, students will discuss what they have learned in small groups. Finally, each student will write a condensed biography about the historical person he/she chose, in order to create a collective biography of people involved in the Revolutionary War for the class.

Works Cited

Grimes, Nikki. //Barack Obama: son of promise, child of hope.// New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008. Krull, Kathleen. //Pocahontas: princess of the new world.// New York: Walker & Co., 2007. Norton, Donna E. //Through the Eyes of a Child: An Introduction to Children’s Literature//. 7th ed. Pearson: N.J. 2007. Rockwell, Anne. //They Called Her Molly Pitcher//. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2002. Schanzer, Rosalyn. //George vs. George: the American Revolution as seen from both// //sides//. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2004.