11/14/11 Biography Series proposal
Ages-- 4th-5th grades
Purpose— Biographies are a popular tool that secular schools use to engage students in their subject
matter. This is reflected in the prominence of bio series in bookstores. B&N even publishes their own bio
series. But Jewish subjects in these series are generally limited (with exception of Holocaust series from
Rosen Publishing).
Just as secular schools do, religious schools can supplement their curriculum by examining the life of
relevant figures in relation to their times. Will also have appeal to libraries who want to round out their
biography and history sections, and to kids and families who enjoy biographies and want more Jewish
choices.
Subjects—A wide range of Jewish individuals whose life and times illuminate a topic in Jewish history, a
particular mitzvah or set of mitzvot, or Jewish identity and culture. Subtitles will emphasize the subject
matter focus. For example:
-
Theodor Herzl: the Dream of Zionism
David Ben-Gurion: the Birth of a State
Anne Frank: Surviving the Holocaust
Hannah Senesh: Courage Behind Enemy Lines
Abraham Joshua Heschel: the Mitzvah of Tikkun Olam
Steven Spielberg: the American dream, and remembrance (Schindler’s List)
Others: Golda Meir, Menachem Begin, Natan Sharansky, Albert Einstein, Sandy Koufax, Ruth
Bader Ginsburg, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Elie Wiesel, etc
Format:
- 96-128pp
- Paperback
- 5 ½ x 7 ½ trim
- 4-color or 1-color with 4-color insert
- Photos (and historical illustrations as needed)
- Sidebars to dig into relevant topics, plus content-rich captions
- Timeline, glossary, index, bibliography
Similar to the DK and Sterling books, but downspec a little, re: page count or paper stock.
Authors:
- Start with Emma Bernay, who has experience writing bios, and had contacted us regarding
freelance writing opportunities. Good samples, offered to write a sample on spec.
\Vendors\Authors\Emma Bernay samples
- Other people we know who write biographies: Stacia Deutsch/ Rhody Cohen team, Devra
Speregen,
See samples from Barnes & Noble store, which had a big section of biographies, organized primarily
around these series.
What B&N samples have in common:
-
Chapter book or novel trim
Appealing design
Illustration or photo
Black-and-white or color
Limited Jewish subjects (mostly just Einstein and Helen Keller)
Sterling Biographies: $5.95, ages 10 up (grades 5up), photos, historical illustrations, content-rich
captions and sidebars, glossary, timeline. full color. “packed with info and unique images ranging from
rare documentary photography and artwork to maps and personal artifacts. Young readers will be
captivated…will assist readers in their intro to history’s most fascinating figures.”
Series includes Einstein and Anne Frank. No other Jewish subjects.
DK Biography: $5.99, ages 10-17 (grades 5up) (others are 8-13), photos, content-rich captions and
sidebars, timeline, full color. “photos, artworks, artifacts, fresh point of view based on the latest
scholarship, defn boxes sidebars and timeline of events”
Series includes Einstein. No other Jewish subjects.
Who Was…? (Grosset & Dunlap), grades 2/3 up, illustrated, b&w, sidebars, timeline. No photos or
captions.
Series includes Einstein and Anne Frank. No other Jewish subjects.
History Maker Bios (B&N, with Lerner Publishing), $5.95, ages 7-10 (grades 2-5), full color illustration
and historical illustration, timeline, content-rich captions and sidebars.
Series includes Einstein and Anne Frank…and Levi Strauss.
Holocaust Biographies (Rosen), Hc: $33.25/ 24.95, grades 7-12, black-and-white, photos w/content-rich
captions, glossary, timeline. Series includes figures from the Holocaust: Elie Wiesel, Adolf Hitler, Oskar
Schindler, etc.