Book Recommendations: Memoirs & Biographies

Uses text and illustrations to tell the story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor who spoke out against the Nazi regime.

Author Kindra Neely recounts her journey to healing after surviving a mass shooting during her first year of college.

Derf describes his classmate Jeffrey Dahmer's teenage years as a lonely oddball. Dahmer would go on to become one of the United States' most notorious serial killers.

In graphic novel format looks at the lives of twenty-nine charismatic women in history, including Josephine Baker, Betty Davis, Cheryl Bridges, and many others.

Graphic novel of the author's life as a Filipino-Egyptian-American with a large, unique, loving family striving for the American Dream.

A graphic novel biography of African American author Zora Neale Hurston from her childhood in Alabama through her life as a folklorist and novelist, including her rise to fame during the Harlem Renaissance.

A graphic novel account of some pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement.

A brief biography, in graphic novel format, of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, an eleven-year old African American gang member from Chicago who went on the run after shooting a young girl and was later found dead, shot by members of his own gang.

A graphic novel memoir depicting the author's experiences with teenage depression and how a search for her missing cat becomes a search for herself.

Diagnosed with ASD at age five, McCreary got hit with the performance bug not much later. During a difficult time in junior high, he started journaling, eventually turning his pain into something empowering—and funny. He scored his first stand-up gig at age 14, and hasn't looked back.

Comedian and activist Akilah Hughes shares everything about her journey from a childhood in the south to the big screen while dispensing invaluable big-sister-style advice to a generation of future YouTubers.

A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

Trevor Noah, host of The Daily Show, shares his remarkable story of growing up in South Africa, with a black South African mother and a white European father at a time when it was against the law for a mixed-race child like him to exist. In a country where racism barred blacks from social, educational, and economic opportunity, Trevor surmounted staggering obstacles and created a promising future for himself, thanks to his mother's unwavering love and indomitable will.

Writer and performer on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' Amber Ruffin writes with her sister Lacey Lamar with humor and heart to share absurd anecdotes about everyday experiences of racism.

Through poetry the author shares stories of her life, including her rape at thirteen, her difficult early childhood, and her experiences surrounding her publication of 'Speak.'

The story of Sandra Uwiringiyimana, a girl from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who tells the tale of how she survived a massacre, immigrated to America, and overcame her trauma through art and activism.

Malala Yousafzai's describes her fight for education for girls under Taliban rule, the support she received from her parents to pursue an education, and how the Taliban retaliated against her by trying to kill her.

Chronicles the life and career of samurai Minamoto Yoshitsune, discussing his exile as a child, running away as a teenager, becoming a military genius and more.

The story of a group of Allied POWs in WWI who dared to escape from Germany's most notorious prison camp, Holzminden.

A young adult adaptation of the memoir of Jimmy Settle, an Alaskan pararescue jumper, Special Forces Operator, and decorated war hero.

The numbers are staggering: nearly one in five girls ages fourteen to seventeen have been the victim of a sexual assault or attempted sexual assault. This is the true story of one of those girls. It also takes a magnifying glass to the institutions that turn a blind eye to such behavior and a society that blames victims rather than perpetrators

Based on extensive interviews with Claudette Colvin and many others, Phillip Hoose presents the first in-depth account of an important yet largely unknown civil rights figure, skillfully weaving her dramatic story into the fabric of the historic Montgomery bus boycott and court case that would change the course of American history.

Profiles the life of feminist pioneer and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her fight for gender equality and civil rights.

At nine years old, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh watched from her home in New Jersey as two planes crashed into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. That same year, she heard her first racial slur. Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age is the extraordinary account of Amani's coming of age in a country that too often seeks to marginalize women like her. Her spirited voice and unflinching honesty offer a fresh, deeply necessary counterpoint to current rhetoric about the place of Muslims in American life.

Leslie Odom, Jr. burst on the scene in 2015, originating the role of Aaron Burr in the phenomenon Broadway musical "Hamilton." Since then, he has performed for sold-out audiences, sang for the Obamas at the White House, and won a Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.

Rex Ogle's companion to Free Lunch and Punching Bag weaves humor, heartbreak, and hope into life-affirming poems that honor his grandmother's legacy.

Two victims of an infamous Cleveland kidnapper share the story of their abductions, their decade in captivity and their dramatic escape.

The autobiography of Shyima Hall, who at the age of eight, was sold by her Eygptian parents into domestic slavery.

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents’ betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

Traces the author's experiences as a child born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, describing her participation in her family's paranoid stockpiling activities and her resolve to educate herself well enough to earn an acceptance into a prestigious university and the unfamiliar world beyond.

Thirty-one YA authors share their own struggles with mental illness, ranging from such topics as neurodiversity and addiction to OCD and PTSD.

A brave teen recounts her debilitating struggle with obsessive-compulsive disorder--and brings readers through every painful step as she finds her way to the other side--in this powerful and inspiring memoir.

The story of Elena Dunkle a girl whose armor against anxiety becomes artillery against herself as she battles on both sides of a lose-lose war in a struggle with anorexia.

Seven-year-old Leslie has a serious problem. Someone is trying to kill her. Leslie and her little brother must confront the stark reality of living with their mother's raging psychosis. Leslie attempts to control the chaos, but her obedience results in terrifying consequences, and her rebellion angers her mother, who forces her children to live on the run from Russian spies she believes are after them. Her mother's ultimate goal is to protect her children from capture even if it means she must kill them herself.

In 1967, after a session with a psychiatrist she'd never seen before, eighteen-year-old Susanna Kaysen was put in a taxi and sent to McLean Hospital. She spent most of the next two years in the ward for teenage girls in a psychiatric hospital as renowned for its famous clientele—Sylvia Plath, Robert Lowell, James Taylor, and Ray Charles—as for its progressive methods of treating those who could afford its sanctuary.

The author describes his childhood in California, his addiction to crystal meth and heroin at a young age, his relapse after eighteen months of sobriety, and his path to recovery.

Phil Knight opens up about how he went from being a track star at an Oregon high school to the founder of Nike.

A biography in graphic novel format of Brazilian soccer star Pelé, considered by many to be the greatest soccer player of all time.

Presents in graphic novel format of the life of Harry Haft, a Holocaust survivor who was forced to fight other Jews in the concentration camps during World War II for the perverse entertainment of SS officers and managed to escape the camps and find freedom in America.

In graphic novel format looks at the life and career of basketball player Michael Jordan.

On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships.

Two decades before the formation of the WNBA, the '76 US women's basketball team laid the foundation for the incredible rise of women's sports in America at the youth, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels. Though they were unknowns from small schools, the American team included a roster of players who would go on to become some of the most legendary figures in the history of basketball. These women took on the world and proved everyone wrong.

A great American sport and Native American history come together in this true story of how Jim Thorpe and Pop Warner created the legendary Carlisle Indians football team

Basketball player Kobe Bryant looks back at his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

An autobiography of the Olympic fencer, Ibthihaj Muhammad,and how she became the first American woman to compete in the Olympics wearing a hijab.

In this book Pulisic talks candidly about his journey so far, revealing the extraordinary excitement of fulfilling some of his goals and the great challenges involved. He also shares experiences from behind the scenes playing for club and country, his most memorable career moments, moving to a new country without knowing the language, training drills he’s used over the years to hone his skills, and his daily life as a soccer player.

The story of Jordan Romero, who at the age of 13 became the youngest person ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest. At age 15, he reached the summits of the world's 7 highest mountains.

An autobiography of basketball player Derrick Rose, discussing his childhood and career.