Who Was Paul Revere? by Robert Edwards

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade fascinates with the story of Paul Revere who was a famous American patriot.

Paul Revere (1734-1818) was born in Boston. He was bright and full of energy. His father was a very good silversmith and taught his son the trade. Paul was only nineteen when his father died, and took over the shop.

He married in 1757 and had eight children. When his first wife died, he remarried and had eight more children.

Paul became a very good silversmith. He made whatever his customers wanted, including a silver chain for a pet squirrel or a silver whistle for a child. He even taught himself how to make false teeth.

He was hardworking but he also like the company of friends. After work, he often headed to a tavern where he talked about politics with his friends. He became a member of a few men’s groups. One group opposed taxes imposed by the government in England.

In 1765, the Stamp Act was passed in England, putting stamp requirement on many goods. That got Paul pretty angry. He joined secret group called the Sons of Liberty. Paul designed a medal for all the members. They marched through Boston protesting. It worked. The Stamp Act was over.

Two years later, new taxes were announced on glass, paper, paint, and tea. This put Paul and the other Sons of Liberty into work again. They asked people to stop buying things from England. Letters were sent to other colonies.

This time the king of England didn’t bend. Instead, he sent ships to the harbor of Boston as warning for the Bostonians to behave.

However, an event on March 5, 1770, led to Boston Massacre. Paul made an engraving of the event showing many details. Afterwards, the tax was lifted except a very small tax on tea.

When three ships arrived from England carrying tea, the Sons of Liberty decided that no one would by the tea. They came up with a secret plan to hold a very special tea party. On December 16, 1773, they dumped ten thousand pounds of tea into Boston Harbor.

Afterwards, Paul became the messenger between colonies, delivering news to NYC and Philadelphia about events in Boston. This brought the colonies closer together, uniting against the king of England.

Those events led to the American Revolution on April 19 – ending war in 1781.

Paul was forty-eight when thirteen colonies became the United States.

After the war, Paul opened a foundry making hammers, anvils, stoves, bells and more. Then, he built a copper mill. The Revere Copper Company is still in business today.

He died at eighty-three having more than fifty grandchildren.

This biography demonstrates a man who took actions over just words. He was active in discussions during which decisions were made by many and agreed upon. Then, actions were taken. He was passionate about the cause he took part in, and did it until the country became independent. It wasn’t just the talk. It was the actions that made him the famous patriot.

This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-10, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.

Published by Penguin Workshop in 2011

 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: It wasn’t just the talk. It was the actions that made him the famous patriot.

 

 

Traits:

·         He took part in discussions about freedom.

·         He took active actions, riding his horse for money hours between Boston and NYC and Philadelphia to deliver messages.

·         He took actions when feeling oppressed by government which felt foreign.

·         He continued to take active actions until colonies became united.

 

 

“Americans will always fight for liberty.” – Paul Revere

Who Was Johnny Appleseed? by Joan Holub

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade fascinates with the story of Johnny Appleseed – a nature lover who planted thousands of apple trees for pioneer families to enjoy and earned his nickname of Johnny Appleseed. His real name was John Chapman.

John Chapman (1774-1845) was born in Leominster, Massachusetts. He had lots of siblings. They all lived in a small farmhouse. Thus, in order to get some peaceful time, he spent much of his time outside. His fascination with apples began in his teenage years.

As settlers were moving westward, Johnny decided to do the same at the age of twenty-three. As he passed cider mills in Pennsylvania, he collected apple seeds, and began his journey of planting orchards.

In 1800, at twenty-six, he moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio as Pennsylvania was getting too crowded for him. In Ohio, he continued planting orchards. What made him stand out was his knack for figuring out where people moved next. He got there first and planted apple trees for them to enjoy.

He was also a good storyteller and entertained settlers with stories of wilderness. He interacted with Native Americans as well. Through his travels, he met many people.

He always carried a book with him written by Emanuel Swedenborg, who believed in importance of thinking for yourself and being useful in life, and not being afraid of being different.

This biography exemplifies a man who did what he loved all his life, always peaceful, never letting life to rush him. He was deeply connected with nature where he took long hikes which made space in his mind to show the way for his happiness in life. When he felt the rush invading his life, he moved away from it. Always, seeking freedom and calmness over materialistic things. He never settled down in a home or owned many things. It wasn’t necessary for his happiness. The traits that embody him are generous, kind, helpful to others, living simply and staying true to oneself.

This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.

Published by Penguin Workshop in 2005

 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: He did what he loved all his life, remaining peaceful, feeling whole without any need to rush to achieve what others sought. (Not staying true to yourself, will put a veil on you which with time will make you unhappy).

 

 

Traits:

·         He lived with many siblings in a small house, thus, in order to find his own space and comfort he spent a lot of time outside.

·         The outside showed him the way to his happiness.

·         He followed the settlers to find his purpose.

·         As he passed cider mills, he collected apple seeds and began his journey of planting trees.

·         He didn’t need much to be happy in life. Thus, he hardly had anything.

·         What made him happy was to be in nature, to be surrounded by peacefulness which led him to serve other people by planting orchards for them.

 

 

“Do not worry at being worried; but accept worry peacefully. Difficult but not impossible.” – Johnny Appleseed

 

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 Dr. Wayne Dyer explores the subject of Prayer in his book “Wisdom of the Ages.”

The prayer can come in many different forms, one of them is to be connected to nature and that’s what Johnny Appleseed did. In being connected with the One, he found his happiness and meaning in life.

The prayer should be an expression of “a wish to be the vehicle for God’s desires rather than a request for favors from an entity outside ourselves. (…) Instead of asking to be sheltered from danger, we ask for the strength to be fearless.”

Who Was Charles Schulz by Joan Holub

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade charms with the story of Charles Schulz – the cartoonist who created the beloved Peanuts gang.

Charles Schulz (1922-2000) was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was nicknamed Sparky from childhood.

With no TV back then, he listened to radio programs with his parents. Thus, the characters had to be imagined.

In those times, the comic books were very popular. He always carried a pencil in his pocket and copied comic characters.

After art school and during the Great Depression, he took any job he could. In his spare time, he kept on improving his drawing skills.

After the war, he got a job lettering the words in comic strips, and was also hired to teach at the Art Instruction Schools. His fellow instructors included struggling artists, too, but they learned from one another and helped each other improve.

Then, his work started appearing in a newspaper, and magazine. His characters were relatable and people loved them. By 1955, his Peanuts characters were in one hundred newspapers. By 1958, Peanuts was in 395 newspapers.

Meanwhile, he got married and had children. He had his routine/his work but he also dedicated some time to his children.

In 1962, he published a book which was about the simple pleasure that make people happy. The book became the New York Time best-seller.

Then, the time seemed right to try the Peanuts animated TV special. A Charlie Brown Christmas became a big success and won an Emmy Award. There were many more animated TV specials.

“The only thing I ever wanted to be was a cartoonist. That’s my life. Drawing.” – Charles Schulz

This biography exemplifies a man who lived during a time when imagination had to be used in order to see characters. His life was drawing and that was his driven force throughout his life. He was passionate about what he did, and that took him beyond his imagination, leading to animated movies based on his characters. 

This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts. 

Published by Penguin Workshop in 2022

 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Drawing was his life and his passion, which took him beyond his imagination.

 

Traits:

·         With no TV, only radio, he had to use his imagination to see characters.

·         During his times, the comic books were very popular. He always carried a pencil in his pocket and copied comic characters.

·         In his spare time, he kept on improving his drawing skills.

·         His first job closest to drawing was lettering the words in comic strips.

·         When he taught art, he struggled like many other artists, but the key was they supported each other and learned from each other how to improve their art.

·         Then, his work started appearing in a newspaper, and magazine. His characters were relatable and people loved them.

·         Then, the time seemed right to try the Peanuts animated TV special. A Charlie Brown Christmas became a big success and won an Emmy Award.

 

 

“I have a new philosophy. I’m only going to dread one day at a time.” – Charles Schulz

“Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.” – Charles Schulz

“If I were given the opportunity to present a gift to the next generation, it would be the ability for each individual to learn to laugh at himself.” – Charles Schulz

 

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 Charles’ words - “My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?” - reminded me of Sadhguru’s words.

Life is not about searching for purpose but about learning how to be happy. Once we’re happy the purpose will follow.

This subject is further explored in his book – “Inner Engineering” by Sadhguru

Who Was Jules Verne? by James Jr. Buckley

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade inspires with the story of Jules Verne – a famous French author, often called “the father of science fiction.”

Jules Verne (1828-1905) was born in Nantes, France. The family home was located on Feydeau Island, located on the Loire River. From the balconies of their home, Jules with his brother watched many boats move up and down the river. Jules dreamed of seeing faraway places those ships had come from, and with his brother learned to sail a small boat on a shallow river.

Jules didn’t like school much, but he did like writing. After graduating from High School, he wanted to join a ship’s crew, but his father, who was a lawyer, wanted him to study law. He studied law in Paris, but he never worked as a lawyer. Instead, he followed his dream to become a writer.

While living in Paris, he met famous writers of its time, Victor Hugo and Alexander Dumas.

He worked at a theater, his job wasn’t related to writing but it paid his bills.

Five years later, in 1857, he got married to a widow with two children.

In 1859, thanks to his friend’s brother who worked for a cargo shipping line, he was offered a free trip to England and Scotland. His dream of adventure was becoming real.

In 1862, Jules met Pierre-Jules Hetzel who was a magazine and book publisher, and agreed to publish Jules’ first novel – Five Weeks in a Balloon which was a story of a journey over Africa.

Jules belonged to a group of men who discussed the latest science news, which Jules integrated into his story-writing. His publisher saw it as profitable venture and signed a contract with Jules despite his first novel not doing that well.

Jules wrote the Adventures of Captain Hatteras. Then, Journey to the Center of the Earth. These two novels made him one of the most famous writers in France.

From the Earth to the Moon was published in the fall of 1865 and sold out by Christmas.

He continued to gather his knowledge from famous scientists and inventors. Joined with the experience from his travels, he used it for writing.

He combined all things he was passionate about in his book Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which made him very famous.

In 1870, he received the National Order of the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award.

1871 was a hard year for everyone during the Franco-Prussian War. During war, the distinction has no meaning, so he had to go back to doing whatever paid his bills and supported his family.

In 1872, he published Around the World in Eighty Days, which became his most popular book.

With his success, he built a grand house in Amiens. When his publisher died, he was very well-off, and decided to represent the town council of Amiens. He wanted to make sure that poor people in the city were cared for.

At seventy-seven, he had a stroke and never recovered.

This biography exemplifies a man who stood by what he dreamed about. When opportunity presented, he explored the world. Throughout his life, he continuously gathered knowledge that interested him and utilized it in his writing which took him to stardom.

This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.

Published by Penguin Workshop in 2016

 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: He Stood by His Dreams which Took Him to Stardom.

 

 

Traits:

·         From childhood, he craved adventure as he observed boats passing by their house.

·         He wasn’t a good student but he recognized that he liked writing.

·         Even when his father wanted him to study law, he continued his writing.

·         After graduating law, he never worked as a lawyer. Instead, he had the guts to stand by his dreams and defy his father in following his calling.

·         His persistence made him one of the best writers of all time.

·         His curiosity about science and travel combined propelled him to be called the father of science fiction.

 

“We may brave human laws, but we cannot resist natural ones.” – Jules Verne

“When one has taken root one puts out branches.” – Jules Verne

“While there is life, there is hope.” – Jules Verne

 

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 Jules’ dream became real because he made it part of his present time, NOW. It didn’t become some illusion. Dr. Wayne Dyer explores the subject of Now in his book “Wisdom of the Ages”

It is said that circumstances do not make a man, they reveal him. There is the tendency to blame our past for our current shortcomings. It is a ready excuse for refusing to take the risks. Jules’ was the first born and it was expected of him to follow in his father’s footsteps. When he decided not to work in law but to follow his dream, he was cut off from any financial help from his father. He took risks and it paid off.

Let go of the past, the choice is yours to make the NOW. Remove all blame from your vocabulary. We can learn from the past but we live in the NOW.  

The life changes when our approach to life changes. And there is no better time than NOW.

Who Was Galileo? by Patricia Brennan Demuth

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade fascinates with the story of Galileo – the father of modern science who proved Copernicus’ theory that Sun doesn’t circle the Earth.

Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was born in Pisa, Italy. His father was a musician who also wrote books about music theory. There were strict rules even for composing. His father liked to question those strict rules. And that’s something that Galileo learned from his father to question in search of truth.

From childhood, Galileo was very curious, taking apart machines to see how they worked. He even invented some toys. He also liked music and drawing. During his time, very few people attended university. His father was determined to give his smart son the best possible education.

In 1581, Galileo enrolled at University of Pisa, where he liked to argue about ideas. His classmates nicknamed him “the Wrangler.” He poured himself into study of math. He noticed that a pendulum swinging wide and fast takes the same amount of time to go back and forth as when it slows nearly to a stop.

At nineteen, he’d discovered a mathematical law. He was the first one to use a scientific method. Thus, he is known as the father of modern science.

After four years, he left university without any degree. He returned home which was now Florence, where his family lived. He privately taught math and gave lectures.

Meanwhile, he continued to do his own research. He was interested in nature and how the energy and water worked. It led him to invent a water pump which helped farmers irrigate their crops.

Later, he invented a scale and published a book about it. Word spread out about his outstanding work, and he was offered a job in mathematics as professor at University of Pisa. But the thinking here was still too restricted for him.

Then, came a position at University of Padua which was a much better fit for him as it was a freethinking place. His brilliant reputation continued to grow.

In 1957, he invented compass. Then, thermometer.

In 1609, he heard of a spyglass being invented. He set to work to make his own spyglass. After improving his own telescope, he turned it toward the heavens and observed it. He uncovered an outstanding number of heavenly secrets.

His next book made him famous all over Europe. He also secured a patron - Grand Duke Cosimo II Medici. Thus, he was able to leave his job in Padua and return to Florence where he could fully dedicate himself to research.

After observing the sky, he proved what Copernicus noticed in 1543 that it’s the earth that moves and not the sun. The attacks against him grew as he continued to make findings that clashed with old ideas.

He was silenced by the Church and later charged with heresy at the age of seventy. He spent the rest of his life under house arrest and was never to publish another book.

What restored his spirit was going back to studying motion. He invented a better clock. His last book about motion and matter was smuggled to Holland in 1638 where it was published and became important groundwork for future scientists, including Isaac Newton.

This biography epitomizes a man who, because of his curious mind and constant questioning, was able to discover so much like Leonardo da Vinci before him. 

This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 7-11, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.

Published by Penguin Workshop in 2015

 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it within himself.” – Galileo

 

 

Traits:

·         Galileo learned from his father to question in search of truth.

·         From childhood, he was very curious, taking apart machines to see how they worked.

·         At school, he liked to argue about ideas.

·         He left university without any degree since the thinking and rules of the time were too restricted for him, but he continued his own research.

·         His research led him to different inventions which he described and published. Word spread out about his outstanding work.

·         His ideas clashed with the Church at the time and he was put under house arrest which restricted him to the rest of his life. Despite that he still continued his research within his confinement, and was able to smuggle his last findings to Holland to be published. That turned out to be pivotal for future scientists.

 

 

“Passion is the genesis of genius.” – Galileo

“I have never met a man so ignorant that I could not learn something from him.” – Galileo

“Philosophy is written in that great book which ever lies before our eyes – I mean the universe – but we cannot understand it if we do not first learn the language and grasp the symbols in which it is written.” - Galileo

Sam Walton: The Man Who Invented Walmart by Wil Mara

 This biography for middle grade explores the traits of a fascinating man who became the founder of the world’s largest retail business.

Samuel Moore Walton (1918-1992) was born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. When he was five, his family moved to Missouri. He had one younger brother.

He came to understand the importance of money early in life. His father worked on family farm barely making ends meet. Sam helped out with any chore he could. He also made milk deliveries, sold magazine subscriptions and delivered newspapers after school, while other boys played with friends.

When the Great Depression struck in 1929, he saw how important it was to have enough money. He worked hard at school and outside school. His work ethic was very strong. He had friendly personality and it made him popular at school. He liked sports because he liked to compete and win.

The parents encouraged his both sons to go to college. Sam took various jobs to help with paying for tuition. In 1940, he got a degree in economics from the University of Missouri.

He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do afterwards. He decided to give it a try in the retail business. He got a job with J.C. Penny. He became a manager of a store in Iowa. As much as he enjoyed his job, he gave it up to serve during WWII.

In 1945, he got back to the retail business, but this time he wanted his own business. He invested in Ben Franklin chain of retail stores. He took over the Ben Franklin in Newport which wasn’t doing well. Sam quickly figured out how to improve sales but the chain owners had their own ideas how to run the business which clashed with Sam’s ideas. Sam decided to ignore the company’s rules and did things his own way. Despite his success, he had to give up his store after five years due to rent renewal issue. He used what he learned here for his next venture.

He found a struggling business in Arkansas and bought it. He fixed up the store and made it more modern. He listened to customers what they wanted. And they wanted to look at the merchandise themselves instead having a clerk hand it to them. Sam saw an opportunity on saving money by hiring fewer people. This also led customers to buying more than they needed. Thus, higher sales. Sam was a strong believer in selling more for less and that’s what he did. The store became a huge success. Thus, he started opening more stores.

Sam believed that discount stores were the future but the owners of the Ben Franklin chain disagreed. Sam decided to open his own chain with his brother. Thus, the first Walmart was opened on July 2^nd, 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Within five years, he opened twenty-four Walmarts.

Sam was full of energy, enthusiasm and vision, always looking for new ideas how to improve the successes he already had. In 1980, he opened Sam’s Club to buy products in bulk.

This biography exemplifies a man who wasn’t afraid to try new things, who wasn’t afraid to fail as he knew there were lessons to be learned from failures and to apply the knowledge to the next venture. He always had a positive attitude. He started from nothing and through learning and listening he got to the top.

The story is presented with simple sentences so it could be read by its target audience ages 8-10 years. It gives much depth to Walton’s story and how enthusiastic and full of vision he was. He understood the importance of learning from setbacks which is visible in this story.

Source: Children’s Press, 2013

 

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “If you try something and it doesn’t work, learn from that failure and try something else. But above all else, always try something.” – Sam Walton

 

 

 

Traits:

·         He understood the importance of money early in life. Thus, he helped his father with any chores he could around the farm.

·         He made milk deliveries, sold magazine subscriptions and delivered newspapers after school while other boys played with friends.

·         He worked hard at school and outside school.

·         His work ethic was very strong.

·         He had friendly personality and it made him popular at school.

·         He liked sports because he liked to compete and win.

·         After college, not sure what to do, he decided to give it a try in the retail business. He became successful as manager at J.C. Penny.

·         Then, applied his knowledge to managing his own business.

·         Not agreeing with chain owners, and having visions others didn’t see at the time led him to open his own retail chain.

·         He listened to customers what they wanted while shopping.

·         He was full of energy and positivity.

 

 

“If you love your work, you’ll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can.” – Sam Walton

“Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom.” – Sam Walton

“We’re all working together, that’s the secret.” – Sam Walton

“One person seeking glory doesn’t accomplish very much.” – Sam Walton

“Outstanding leaders go out of their way to boost the self-esteem of their personnel. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish.” – Sam Walton

“Celebrate your successes. Find some humor in your failures.” – Sam Walton

“Nothing else can quite substitute a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They’re absolutely free and worth of fortune.” – Sam Walton