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Cover of Biography Today

Biography Today

by Laurie Lanzen Harris

Book Details

Publisher:Omnigraphics Inc
Published:1992
Pages:180
Format:BOOK
Language:en
ISBN:9781558887619

Reading Info

About This Book

This is the first issue of a new quarterly periodical designed to provide young students (9 and above) with biographies/profiles of well-known people in a story-telling format that are more appealing and interesting than those found in more comprehensive and encyclopedic biographical dictionaries. The first issue features profiles of the following persons: Paula Abdul, Larry Bird, Judy Blume, Berke Breathed, Barbara Bush, George Bush, Bill Cosby, Mikhail Gorbachev, Steffi Graf, Wayne Gretzky, Ma

Our Review

This inaugural issue offers young readers an accessible entry point into biography, profiling contemporary figures from sports, politics, and pop culture in a compelling narrative style. The format deliberately moves away from dense, encyclopedic entries, instead presenting the lives of individuals like Paula Abdul, Larry Bird, and Mikhail Gorbachev as engaging stories. This approach makes the genre far more relatable for its target audience of students aged nine and up, transforming historical and contemporary figures into characters with compelling narratives.

What truly distinguishes this publication is its curated selection of subjects, which creates a cultural snapshot that will immediately resonate with its readership. By featuring a mix of political leaders, athletes, and entertainers, it ensures there is a profile to capture nearly every young person's interest. The storytelling format not only makes the content more digestible but also helps bridge the gap between assigned school reading and personal curiosity, fostering a genuine interest in nonfiction. This is a promising start to a series that understands how to make real-world figures compelling for a new generation.

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