Collection: Biography & Memoir

We celebrate Valentine's Day with flowers, candy, and cards for the people we love. But have you ever wondered why we do this on February 14? Learn all about Saint Valentine, a man whose life of kindness and love inspires us each year to let others know how much they mean to us.

Told as a charming poem, this beautifully illustrated book will be enjoyed by children as well as the adults who read with them. Also included is a note from the author to encourage further conversation about the content.

Discover IVP Kids and share with children the things that matter to God!

Marco Polo was the most famous traveller of his time. His voyages began in 1271 with a visit to China, after which he served the Kubilai Khan on numerous diplomatic missions. On his return to the West, he was made a prisoner of war and met Rustichello of Pisa, with whom he collaborated on this book. The accounts of his travels provide a fascinating glimpse of the different societies he encountered: their religions, customs, ceremonies and way of life; on the spices and silks of the East; on precious gems, exotic vegetation and wild beasts. He tells the story of the holy shoemaker, the wicked caliph and the three kings, among a great many others, evoking a remote and long-vanished world with colour and immediacy. He found himself traversing the most exotic lands-from the dazzling Mongol empire to Tibet and Burma. This fascinating chronicle still serves as the most vivid depiction of the mysterious East in the Middle Ages.

She grew up in a world where women were supposed to be quiet. But Malala Yousafzai refused to be silent. Discover Malala's story through this powerful narrative telling, and come to see how one brave girl named Malala changed the world.

These biographies of the great quattrocento artists have long been considered among the most important of contemporary sources on Italian Renaissance art. Vasari, who invented the term "Renaissance," was the first to outline the influential theory of Renaissance art that traces a progression through Giotto, Brunelleschi, and finally the titanic figures of Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, and Raphael.

This new translation, specially commissioned for the Oxford World's Classics series, contains thirty-six of the most important lives. Fully annotated and with a brand new package, Lives of the Artists is an invaluable classic to add to your collection.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

WINNER OF THE 2022 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE

Annie Ernaux's most recent book, dazzling and breathtaking, published in France in 2022, is about her affair with a man 30 years her junior.

"A sublime book." --Elle

"Once again the work of the writer Annie Ernaux appears as both a rigorous study of life and an experiment. These fragments of living, however evanescent, are precious, irreplaceable, like a skin that never fades." --Caroline Montpetit in Le Devoir

The Young Man is Annie Ernaux's account of her passionate love affair with A., a man some 30 years younger, when she was in her fifties. The relationship pulls her back to memories of her own youth and at the same time leaves her feeling ageless, outside of time-- together with a sense that she is living her life backwards.

Amidst talk of having a child together, she feels time running its course, and menopause approaching. The Young Man recalls Ernaux as the "scandalous girl" she once was, but is composed with the mastery and the self-assurance she has achieved across decades of writing. It was first published in France in 2022.

Complete edition of the Story of a Soul by Saint Therese of Lisieux, translated by Thomas Taylor. This edition includes over 288 footnotes, and many additional letters, counsels, and prayers, creating a study edition for readers to better understand St. Therese's 'little way' to deepening a relationship with God.

Read with an open heart, this book is helpful to read again and again at various stages of life.

"To me it seems that humility is truth. I do not know whether I am humble, but I do know that I see the truth in all things."

No student of thought should be without this historic book. This edition is provided in a slim volume with full text at an affordable price.

Frederick Douglass's dramatic autobiographical account of his early life as a slave in America.

Born into a life of bondage, Frederick Douglass secretly taught himself to read and write. It was a crime punishable by death, but it resulted in one of the most eloquent indictments of slavery ever recorded. His gripping narrative takes us into the fields, cabins, and manors of pre-Civil War plantations in the South and reveals the daily terrors he suffered.

Written more than a century and a half ago by a Black man who went on to become a famous orator, U.S. minister to Haiti, and leader of his people, this timeless classic still speaks directly to our age. It is a record of savagery and inhumanity that goes far to explain why America still suffers from the great injustices of the past.

With an Introduction by Peter J. Gomes
and an Afterword by Gregory Stephens

The Red Book, published to wide acclaim in 2009, contains the nucleus of C. G. Jung's later works. It was here that he developed his principal theories of the archetypes, the collective unconscious, and the process of individuation that would transform psychotherapy from treatment of the sick into a means for the higher development of the personality. As Sara Corbett wrote in the New York Times, "The creation of one of modern history's true visionaries, The Red Book is a singular work, outside of categorization. As an inquiry into what it means to be human, it transcends the history of psychoanalysis and underscores Jung's place among revolutionary thinkers like Marx, Orwell and, of course, Freud." The Red Book: A Reader's Edition features Sonu Shamdasani's introductory essay and the full translation of Jung's vital work in one volume.

We're simply meant to be . . . cross-stitching! Bring Tim Burton's creepy, merry tale to life with this all-in-one mini cross-stitch kit! Perfect for crafters of any skill level, the kit includes:

• A 32-page mini book with simple cross-stitching instructions and four easy patterns (1 of Jack Skellington, 2 of Jack and Sally, and 1 of Zero the dog)
• 3 pieces of 4" x 4" 14-count cotton Aida cloth
• A 3" embroidery hoop in which to stitch and display designs
• 2 tapestry needles
• 4 skeins of embroidery thread

"How horrible our Christmas will be!" -- The Mayor
"No. How jolly!" -- Jack Skellington

An Unabridged Edition with All 6 Chapters to include: My Early Life - How Tesla Conceived the Rotary Magnetic Field - The Discovery of the Tesla Coil & Transformer

A USA TODAY BESTSELLER
A New Yorker Best Book of the Year
A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
A Washington Post Best Graphic Book of the Year

#1 New York Times bestselling, award-winning New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast's new graphic narrative, exploring the surreal nighttime world inside her mind--and untangling one of our most enduring human mysteries: dreams.

Ancient Greeks, modern seers, Freud, Jung, neurologists, poets, artists, shamans--humanity has never ceased trying to decipher one of the strangest unexplained phenomena we all experience: dreaming. Now, in her new book, Roz Chast illustrates her own dream world, a place that is sometimes creepy but always hilarious, accompanied by an illustrated tour through "Dream-Theory Land" guided by insights from poets, philosophers, and psychoanalysts alike. Illuminating, surprising, funny, and often profound, I Must Be Dreaming explores Roz Chast's newest subject of fascination--and promises to make it yours, too.

The classic multimillion copy bestseller

Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients.

For over forty years, generations of readers have thrilled to Herriot's marvelous tales, deep love of life, and extraordinary storytelling abilities. For decades, Herriot roamed the remote, beautiful Yorkshire Dales, treating every patient that came his way from smallest to largest, and observing animals and humans alike with his keen, loving eye.

In All Creatures Great and Small, we meet the young Herriot as he takes up his calling and discovers that the realities of veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire are very different from the sterile setting of veterinary school. Some visits are heart-wrenchingly difficult, such as one to an old man in the village whose very ill dog is his only friend and companion, some are lighthearted and fun, such as Herriot's periodic visits to the overfed and pampered Pekinese Tricki Woo who throws parties and has his own stationery, and yet others are inspirational and enlightening, such as Herriot's recollections of poor farmers who will scrape their meager earnings together to be able to get proper care for their working animals. From seeing to his patients in the depths of winter on the remotest homesteads to dealing with uncooperative owners and critically ill animals, Herriot discovers the wondrous variety and never-ending challenges of veterinary practice as his humor, compassion, and love of the animal world shine forth.

James Herriot's memoirs have sold 80 million copies worldwide, and continue to delight and entertain readers of all ages.

Not since the days of the Louisiana Purchase has America seen any bigger real estate transactions than those executed by William Zeckendorf, the derring-do head of Webb & Knapp. Figuring with supersonic speed and an uncanny flair for making money, the flamboyant impresario bought and sold property, remodeled whole sections of New York, Denver, Washington, Montreal and Dallas, and moved the UN, the capital of the world, to New York. At the peak of his power, William Zeckendorf was a man with the Midas touch in an age of computers. From his windowless teakwood igloo office set in a white marble lobby, William Zeckendorf played a real-life game of Monopoly and won the largest real estate empire in the world - so large, in fact, that Wall Street tottered when he went bankrupt. And bankrupt he was, but never in spirit. An autobiography bursting with vitality, enthusiasm and financial know-how, Mr. Zeckendorf reveals himself as a visionary whose creativeness and sense of adventure are matched only by his unalloyed joy at being able to successfully juggle a dozen incredibly complicated transactions at once. The spectacular Mr. Zeckendorf, who has fished for piranhas in South America and sold ships to the Greeks at profit, comes to life in this autobiography. You will not want to miss meeting him.

NEW EDITION with a Foreword by award-winning author Meg Medina.

During a time of heated immigration debate and unrest, this book is an opportunity to hear directly from youth who are often in the headlines but whose stories don't get told in full. Sixteen young people from the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) in Washington, D.C. came together to tell their own stories of immigration and transformation in comics form. The result is this side-by-side bilingual collection of graphic memoirs that not only builds connections across language, but also breaks down barriers and expands hope.

The authors of this collection are members of the Latino Youth Leadership Council of the Latin American Youth Center in Washington, DC. This group of teen immigrants from Central America and the Caribbean are dedicated to promoting cross-cultural understanding and social justice in their community. The book was produced through a collaboration with Shout Mouse Press, a nonprofit writing program and publishing house for unheard voices. Learn more at shoutmousepress.org

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En tiempos de inquietud y acalorados debates sobre la inmigración, este libro representa una oportunidad para escuchar directamente a los jóvenes quienes suelen ocupar los titulares en la prensa, pero cuyas historias no se alcanzan a narrar por completo. Dieciséis jóvenes del Latin American Youth Center (LAYC) en Washington, D.C. se unieron para contar sus propias historias de inmigración y de transformación en formato de cómic. El resultado es esta colección de memorias gráficas bilingüe, que no sólo construye conexiones entre los idiomas, sino que también elimina barreras y abre un espacio a la esperanza.

TRUE STORIES OF DYNAMIC FATHER-DAUGHTER DUOS

In this collection, you'll meet 25 amazing father-daughter pairs. Dive into their worlds and learn about how they built businesses, trained horses, made music, advocated for others, and dreamed big dreams--together.

Climb the cloud-skimming mountain the Grand with Marina Vasarhelyi-Chin and Jimmy Chin. Make movie magic with Bryce Dallas Howard and Ron Howard. Soar to tennis superstardom with Coco and Corey Gauff. Rescue animals with Bindi and Steve Irwin.

The inspiring, easy-to-read stories in Rebel Girls Dads and Daughters come with colorful full-page portraits created by female artists from all around the world. Plus, scannable codes let you listen to longer stories on the Rebel Girls app!

Discover the life of Audrey Hepburn--a story about grace, passion, and helping others for kids ages 6 to 9

Audrey Hepburn was a famous actress, fashion icon, and humanitarian. Before she became a movie star, she was a young girl in Belgium who wanted to be a ballerina. She lived through a world war and many other difficult times, but never gave up on her dreams and was always kind to everyone around her. This Audrey Hepburn kids' book explores how she went from hiding her identity to being one of the most beloved celebrities in the world.

Independent reading--This Audrey Hepburn biography is broken down into short chapters and simple language so kids 6 to 9 can read and learn on their own.

Critical thinking--Kids will learn the Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How of Audrey's life, find definitions of new words, discussion questions, and more.

A lasting legacy--Find out how Audrey's love of animals, children, and learning new languages made her an amazing ambassador who traveled the world to help people in need.

How will Audrey's positive attitude and generous spirit inspire you?