Collection: Biography & Memoir

Discover the inspiring story of Augustus Jackson, an African American entrepreneur who is known as "the father of ice cream," in this beautifully illustrated picture-book biography.

Augustus Jackson was born in 1808 in Philadelphia. While most African Americans were enslaved at that time, in Pennsylvania, slavery was against the law. But while Augustus and his family were free, they were poor, and they depended on their garden and their chickens for food. Augustus enjoyed helping his mom prepare meals for their family. He dreamed of becoming a professional cook, and when his mom suggested he may be able to make meals for the president one day, Augustus didn't waste any time in making that dream a reality. In 1820, when he was only twelve years old, he set off for Washington, DC. He applied to work in the White House, where the head cook offered him a job as a kitchen helper. After five years of working hard, Augustus, or Gus, was promoted to cook. He went on to serve presidents James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Andrew Jackson.

During his time at the White House, Augustus became an expert at making a popular egg-based dessert. He soon made an eggless version--known to us today as ice cream--and left the White House determined to make and sell the frozen treat to everyone, not just the wealthy. Gus headed back home to Philadelphia, and in 1830, he opened his very own ice cream parlor. He devised a way to keep the ice cream frozen so that it could be shipped and sold to other businesses. Gus also began adding rock salt to the ice that he used to make his ice cream, which made the mixture freeze more quickly. This allowed him to speed up his production process. He created more ice cream with new flavors, and soon he was shipping product via train to places like New York City, which was 100 miles away. Gus's dream had come true, and better yet, he had brought smiles to many faces.

Shining a light on a little-known visionary, this inspiring picture-book biography includes an afterword, a list of sources, and an easy-to-follow recipe so readers can make their own delicious ice cream!

"On September 9, 1965, I flew at 500 knots right into a flak trap, at tree-top level, in a little A-4 airplane--the cockpit walls not even three feet apart--which I couldn't steer after it was on fire, its control system shot out. After ejection I had about thirty seconds to make my last statement in freedom before I landed in the main street of a little village right ahead. And so help me, I whispered to myself: 'five years down there, at least. I'm leaving the world of technology and entering the world of Epictetus' "What Epictetus [told] his students was that there can be no such thing as being the 'victim' of another. You can only be a 'victim' of yourself. It's all how you discipline your mind."

Introduce your baby to Henry David Thoreau, his time at Walden Pond, and how he enjoyed living in the woods.

Henry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, historian, and philosopher. Millions of people have read his writings, and a favorite of many is Walden, the story of the year he spent gardening, whittling, and walking in the woods around his tiny house Walden Pond. Thoreau still influences people today, and is considered extremely important to the environmentalist movement. Kate Coombs' enchanting poem and Seth Lucas' adorable illustrations share Thoreau's experiences with the next generation of little nature-lovers, fostering a life-long appreciation of the world around them while learning to Be Creative, Be Brilliant, and Be Yourself.

You fell in love. Your partner was charismatic, caring, and attentive. On your wedding day, you never dreamed life could be any better. It certainly never occurred to you that it could end in divorce.

Now you're in the midst of a heated battle; your head spinning and your heart broken, wondering where that person went. You're discovering that you may have married someone with a narcissistic personality disorder.

All is not lost.

You can - and will - get through this. Tracy A. Malone, an internationally recognized expert on emotional abuse and narcissistic personality disorder, survival coach and founder of a Narcissistic Abuse Support website, has been there, along with countless others whose successes offer quick, enlightening glimpses into methods used to outlast the attempts at destruction, and flourish after the dust has settled.

Delve inside and uncover:

- What to expect when divorcing a narcissist

- Terminology like gaslighting, flying monkeys, narcissistic rage, and more

- Insightful checklists that will help keep you on top of your game

- An understanding of the unlimited masks that narcissists wear interchangeably

- Words of wisdom to handle the crippling fear, how to tell your children, family and friends about the divorce without sounding crazy

- How to hire the right lawyer so you don't drain your bank account

Highly praised by experts in the field, this life-changing book is the ultimate guide for maneuvering through the minefield of a high-conflict divorce. Buckle up and hold on tight as Tracy guides you down the road to successfully divorcing a narcissist.

Alithia Ramirez dreamed of studying art in Paris.She drew the world as it should be--full of color and joy, creativity and fun. From her teachers to her family and friends, Alithia shared her gifts with an open heart. Being an artist is never easy, but she drew every day to practice her skills and help everyone feel the love that art can bring.Written to honor Alithia and all the lives affected by the Uvalde school tragedy, Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist will help preserve the memory of this talented young girl through her story and her artwork.

A Kirkus Reviews Most Anticipated Book of 2024

A child of the Harlem Renaissance and an artistic collaborator of Langston Hughes, Roy DeCarava is an unsung hero of Black history. Convinced that the lives of ordinary Black people deserved to be immortalized and documented in photos, Roy celebrated Black people through his art, a process that the incomparable author Gary Golio and illustrator E. B. Lewis capture in this beautiful picture book.

"Life is how you look at it." And for Black photographer Roy DeCarava, life in his neighborhood was beautiful. Follow Roy through 1940s Harlem, as he takes out his camera, pops in a roll of film, and opens his eyes to the beauty all around him. There's a little boy drawing on the sidewalk with chalk. SNAP! A young man at the bus stop with a baby in his arms. SNAP! Kids playing in an open fire hydrant. SNAP! Looking at them all, Roy sees beauty everywhere in Harlem, and so do the people who look at his photos.

This deeply researched picture book also includes additional information on DeCarava, a list of places to view his photos, a bibliography, and photos.

This epic work--named a best book of the year by the Washington Post, Time, the Los Angeles Times, Amazon, the San Francisco Chronicle, and a notable book by the New York Times--tells the story of the Hemingses, whose close blood ties to our third president had been systematically expunged from American history until very recently. Now, historian and legal scholar Annette Gordon-Reed traces the Hemings family from its origins in Virginia in the 1700s to the family's dispersal after Jefferson's death in 1826.

Award-winning author and critic Emily Raboteau crafts a powerfully moving meditation on race, climate, environmental justice--and what it takes to find shelter.

Lessons for Survival is a probing series of pilgrimages from the perspective of a mother struggling to raise her children to thrive without coming undone in an era of turbulent intersecting crises.

With camera in hand, Raboteau goes in search of birds, fluttering in the air or painted on buildings, and city parks where her children may safely play while avoiding pollution, pandemics, and the police. She ventures abroad to learn from Indigenous peoples, and in her own family and community, she discovers the most intimate examples of resilience. Raboteau bears witness to the inner life of Black womanhood, motherhood, the brutalities and possibilities of cities, while celebrating the beauty and fragility of nature. This innovative work of reportage and autobiography stitches together multiple stories of protection, offering a profound sense of hope.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong stepped on the moon and, to an audience of over 450 million people, proclaimed his step a "giant leap for mankind." This Eagle Scout built his own model planes as a little boy and then grew up to be a test pilot for experimental aircraft before becoming an astronaut. Over 80 black-and-white illustrations bring Armstrong's story to life.

A powerful account of a Korean American daughter's exploration of food and family history to understand her mother's schizophrenia.

"Our world then was both wide and narrow -- wide in the immensity of sea and mountain; narrow in that the boat was very small, and we lived and camped, explored and swam in a little realm of our own making."
-- M. Wylie Blanchet

The 50th anniversary edition of this coastal British Columbia classic, now in beautifully illustrated hardcover, will make a timeless keepsake. This is a biography and astonishing adventure story of a woman who, left a widow in 1927, packed her five children onto a 25-foot boat and cruised the coastal waters of British Columbia, summer after summer. Muriel Wylie Blanchet acted single-handedly as skipper, navigator, engineer and, of course, mother, as she saw her crew through encounters with tides, fog, storms, rapids, cougars and bears. She sharpened in her children a special interest in Haida culture and in nature itself.

In this book, she left us with a sensitive and compelling account of their journeys.

Did you know that the white material on the outside of space shuttles was not metal or glass but actually fabric? Specialized quilts, two inches thick, covered the space shuttles and protected the astronauts from deadly heat and radiation. Jean Wright was one of the eighteen "Sew Sisters" who crafted these thermal blankets, mostly by hand, with incredible precision and skill. Capturing both the grandeur of space flight and the intimacy of a needle and thread, Sew Sister tells the story of Jean's childhood passion for space and sewing, and her fascinating work for NASA's shuttle program.Elise Matich's elegant prose and stunning, detailed artwork harmonize with the STEAM concept at the heart of this story: the role of skilled hands and artistry in STEM fields like aeronautics. Sew Sister offers a heroine in the context of space exploration who doesn't go to college or excel at math; instead, it is her excellence in a trade--one traditionally practiced by women--that allows her to achieve her dream. NASA's space shuttle fleet was retired in 2011.

"By God, Brooke Jones is a Hell of a writer!" -- Ben Fong-Torres/former EDITOR of ROLLING STONE Magazine

If you think a CONVERSATION WITH GOD could not possibly be FUNNY, you're in for a very BIG surprise!

Brooke Jones, Breast Cancer Warrior, Political Satirist, and former San Francisco and Los Angeles Radio Personality died, but her death was short-lived. Eight minutes passed on Earth while she was busy being dead, but she wasn't on Earth, she was at Heaven's Front Door, interviewing God!

"What is the meaning of life?" "What religion is God?" "Is God male or female?" Brooke asked every question she could think of, and God provided the answers. The first thing she learned was that God has a sense of humor! (of course God has a sense of humor -- have you ever seen a Platypus?)

Was she returned to the Land Of The Living because of the startling final question she asked? Did all that she experienced really happen, or was it just the hallucination of her dying brain? She didn't know, until she was given proof - absolute proof - proof she could not possibly deny!

"WHY ARE THERE MONKEYS? (and other questions for God)" is the absolutely TRUE, deeply INSPIRATIONAL, laugh-out-loud FUNNY story of one woman's Near-Death Question and Answer Session with God. (and there is undeniable proof that it really did happen!)

"PROFOUND...HYSTERICALLY WITTY...NOT TO BE MISSED!" US REVIEW OF BOOKS

"A HOOT & A HALF WITH A POWERFUL & INSPIRING MESSAGE!" ***** READERS' FAVORITE

"A BRILLIANT BOOK! I COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!" ***** READERS' FAVORITE

"FASCINATING...HUMOR-LADEN...THOUGHT-PROVOKING...UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED!" MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

"By God, Brooke Jones is a hell of a writer!" Ben Fong-Torres -- former Editor of ROLLING STONE Magazine

"Smart, funny and profoundly spiritual -- a deeply-moving experience that skeptics and believers alike can embrace. I loved it!" Howard Rosenberg - Pulitzer Prize winning former Los Angeles Times columnist and author.

"Delightful, insightful, spiritual and startlingly funny! It left me, an atheist, more of a believer than I was before!" Ray Richmond -- former columnist with The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Variety, Orange County Register, LA Herald Examiner.

Help your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography all about Misty Copeland, the American Ballet Theatre's first Black principal dancer! The perfect introduction to nonfiction for young readers!

This Little Golden Book introduces ballet prodigy Misty Copeland to the youngest readers. The first Black principal dancer in the history of the American Ballet Theatre--who didn't start dancing until she was almost thirteen--continues to impress the world and pave the way for young Black girls to chase their dreams.

Look for more Little Golden Book biographies:
- Jackie Robinson
- Simone Biles
- LeBron James
- Lionel Messi
- Tom Brady
- Muhammad Ali
- Katie Ledecky

Named Most Anticipated by: Good Morning America ・ New York ​Post​・Pure Wow ・BuzzFeed ・ ​Los Angeles Times ・ Book Riot・ ​Apple Books

Part memoir and part social critique, Drinking Games is about how one woman drank and lived-- and how, for her, the last drink was just the beginning.

On paper, Sarah Levy's life was on track. She was 28, living in New York City, working a great job, and socializing every weekend. But Sarah had a secret: her relationship with alcohol was becoming toxic. And only she could save herself.

Drinking Games explores the role alcohol has in our formative years, and what it means to opt out of a culture completely enmeshed in drinking. It's an examination of what our short-term choices about alcohol do to our long-term selves and how they challenge our ability to be vulnerable enough to discover what we really want in life.

Candid and dynamic, this book speaks to the all-consuming cycle of working hard, playing harder, and trying to look perfect while you're at it. Sarah takes us by the hand through her personal journey with blackouts, dating, relationships, wellness culture, startups, social media, friendship, and self-discovery.

In this intimate and darkly funny memoir, she stumbles through her twenties, explores the impact alcohol has on relationships and identity, and shows us how life's messiest moments can end up being the most profound.

"Beauchemin discovers again and again that happiness is a function of the connection between beings--the nonhuman animals as well as the human."--Maria Popova, A Favorite Book of 2023

For readers of Ross Gay's The Book of Delights comes a joyful, tender memoir of encounters with animals and their potential to transform our lives through joy.

Two mismatched ducks quarrel amorously. A tortoise basks on a rock in the sun. Four deer ceremoniously visit a writer's garden to announce the arrival of a newborn fawn. In Archives of Joy, renowned poet, essayist, and novelist Jean-François Beauchemin turns his poetic and playful gaze to memories of animals he has known throughout his life, from fleeting encounters to deep relationships. With each meeting, Beauchemin returns to a simple thought: that joy in nature is an essential counterweight to the inescapable awareness of the brevity of life.

In short, humorous, and often dreamlike vignettes, Beauchemin meditates on the mysteries of existence, the alchemy of memory, and the entwinement of the animal world with our own--whether he's nursing an injured bird back to health, deciphering the gaze of a judgmental cat, or keeping company with a workhorse nearing its death.

His life as a writer and his beloved pet dogs and cats feature often, as do the creatures he encounters in his garden, at farms, or on woodland walks: sparrows, crows, deer, foxes, horses, and cows. Deeply restorative, imaginative, and dreamily poetic, Archives of Joy is a memoir that will stay with readers long after its final page.