The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
	The Bulletin Dozen is a monthly theme-based booklist available as an online-only Bulletin feature. Since we're awfully fond of bakers here at the Bulletin, we thought we'd adopt their philosophy of generosity and throw in an extra one or two when we have them to offer--so don't expect an even dozen. Please feel free to copy, download, or link to these lists. We ask only that you cite the source. See the archive for lists from previous months.
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Life Preservers: Biographies and Autobiographies of Character --selected by Cindy Welch, Reviewer There are many ways to tell the story of someone's life: in pictures or anecdotes or poetry. This month's Dozens revisit some of the world's most famous people – and some who may be new to young readers--to illustrate the richness of biography and the interesting ways we can tell our stories.

• Bruchac, Joseph. Jim Thorpe: Original All-American. Dial, 2006. Gr. 6-10
  Jim Thorpe is famous for winning and then losing his Olympic medals in track and field, but did young readers may not know he attended the Carlisle Indian School and played both major league baseball and football. (BCCB 9/06)



• Fleischman, Sid. Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini. Greenwillow, 2006. Gr. 6-10.
  Houdini was known for his amazing stunts, but the facts of his life are just as interesting as any of his famous tricks. (BCCB 10/06)



• Freedman, Russell. Adventures of Marco Polo; illus. by Bagram Ibatoulline and with photographs. Levine/Scholastic, 2006. Gr. 4-8
  Sprinkled liberally with quotes from Polo himself, this biography traces the journey to the Roof of the World made by seventeen-year-old Marco, his father, and his uncle. (BCCB 12/06)



• Jurmain, Suzanne Tripp. George Did It; illus. by Larry Day. Dutton, 2005. 6-10 yrs.
  Even though he wanted to retire after the Revolution, it seems the whole country thought it was "absolutely necessary" that George Washington be America's first president. (BCCB 2/06)



• Krull, Kathleen. Isaac Newton; illus. by Boris Kulikov. Viking, 2006. Gr. 5-8.
  A brilliant mathematician and scientist, Isaac Newton was also a miserly, bitter, and antisocial fellow. (BCCB 5/06)



• Krull, Kathleen. Sigmund Freud; illus. by Boris Kulikov. Viking, 2006. Gr. 5-8.
  The famous Dr. Freud was not only a doctor, he was his own patient and an advocate for using cocaine to relieve pain, and he once believed that the nose was the most important organ on the body. (BCCB 12/06)



• Lat. Kampung Boy; written and illus. by Lat. First Second/Roaring Brook, 2006. Gr. 5-8.
  Life in a small Malaysian village is filled with Lat's loving relatives, the pleasures of fishing – and bathing – in the river, and other humorous delights. (BCCB 1/07)



• Schlitz, Laura Amy. The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug for Troy; illus. by Robert Byrd. Candlewick, 2006. Gr. 5-8.
  Heinrich Schliemann was equal parts gambler, dreamer, scientist and storyteller, but he still made important contributions to the field of archeology. (BCCB 10/06)



• Siegel, Siena Cherson. To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel; illus. by Mark Siegel. Jackson/Atheneum, 2006. Gr. 4-8.
  Siena Siegel chronicles her dancing years, from age six to eighteen, in this graphic novel that illustrates a young girl’s journey to become a ballerina. (BCCB 1/07)



• Sis, Peter. Play, Mozart, Play!; written and illus. by Peter Sis. Greenwillow, 2006. 5-8 yrs
  Every kid who has had to practice piano will sympathize with Wolfgang Mozart, who never did anything but practice, practice, practice! (BCCB 6/06)



• Weatherford, Carole Boston. Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom; illus. by Kadir Nelson. 6-9 yrs.
  Harriet Tubman, a deeply spiritual woman, managed to free herself and many others through her faith in God. (BCCB 11/06)



• Winter, Jonah. Dizzy; illus. by Sean Qualls. Levine/Scholastic, 2006. 6-10 yrs
  When gifted musician Dizzy Gillespie first started performing in public, his crazy gags and on-stage antics nearly got him fired. (BCCB 11/06)



• Winter, Jonah. 39 Apartments of Ludwig van Beethoven; illus. by Barry Blitt. Schwartz & Wade, 2006. Gr. 3-5.
  Ludwig van Beethoven really did live in 39 different apartments around the city of Vienna, and he had 5 legless pianos that had to be moved every single time. (BCCB 11/06)

This page was last updated on March 1, 2007.

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