Biographies of famous women?

[gingersmom]

I want my daughter to read at least 5-6 biographies of famous women.

I really like the series from Sterling Biographies but was looking for something on a tad bit higher reading/comprehension level.

Any suggestions?

[Cindyg]

We're in the middle of Eleanor Roosevelt A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman. It's been quite interesting.

[gingersmom]

We're in the middle of Eleanor Roosevelt A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman. It's been quite interesting.

I just found our first book. Thanks so much!!

Any other suggestions?

[Karin]

My inclination would be to find women that fit more with my dd's interests (I have two dd'). Therefore, if I make my eldest do this (she's not my history or literary buff), I would lean toward women in science or women who swim. I might try to find at least woman not everyone has heard of, such as Sophie Germain http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/germain.html (the link is since most people probably have never heard of her.) ETA Here's a better link http://www.agnesscott.edu/Lriddle/WOMEN/germain.htm as it give more info and at least one of these gives the name of a biographer.

For my history loving dd, I'd look for something about women who broke the stereotypes, such as a good one about Harriet Tubman (there is one, but I can't think of the title at the moment), Sojourner Truth (because she is interested in her), Amelia the aviator (can't remember how to spell her surname all of a sudden), and I'd include some Christian women who broke stereotypes.

I haven't given you any titles, I know, but more how I would go about selecting who my dd's would read about. Right now I just want to get through my eldest's freshman year, and we're not doing history until February.

[FloridaLisa]

Are you interested in biographies of strong Christian women? If so, look at bios of Gladys Alyward, Amy Carmichael, and Mother Teresa.

HTH,
Lisa

[kpupg]

Marie Curie, Grace Hopper, Ada Lovelace (Byron), Elizabeth Blackwell, Sister Kenny, Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton

[gingersmom]

Its not such much the person as finding a biography that is interesting enough to read and at her reading level.

So many of them are written for adult, 500 pages long and quite dull. I know, I've tried pre-reading some of them.

[Kareni]

I've no specific recommendations but perhaps these links will lead you to some:

Find a New Hero: 10 Stories of Great American Women (http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/books/books-great-women-biographies)

The Coolest Ladies Ever (http://www.amazon.com/The-Coolest-Ladies-Ever/lm/39QF1FZ7NX8R1/ref=cm_lmt_fvlm_f_2_rlrsrs0)

So you'd like to... be Queen (or at least read about one) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/R2UV8MJRCPARWC/ref=cm_syt_fvlm_f_3_rlrsrs0)

Regards,
Kareni

[LNC]

A bio of Maria Mitchell. We just saw her telescope at the Smithsonian museum of American History! Love her - can't find too many adult bios of her though.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/1883551439/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

[Karin]

Its not such much the person as finding a biography that is interesting enough to read and at her reading level.

So many of them are written for adult, 500 pages long and quite dull. I know, I've tried pre-reading some of them.


This is true. I just can't think of any like that, since most of the biographies of women I read were either in university, or things I just picked up at home or the library. I can't remember the titles anymore.

I find it's not so much that adults are reading at a higher level all the time, but that the style, and sometimes some of the content, is different.

[aggieamy]

I can't think of any titles but I know there's a bunch of young adult level books out there about Annie Oakley.