Who Was Pope Francis? by Stephanie Spinner

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade inspires with the story of Pope Francis – a man who became the first pope from South America.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio (1936-2025) was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Italian family. He was the oldest of five children. His grandmother took care of him during the day. She taught him about the Catholic saints, prayed with him, and took him to church. She also taught him to be open-minded, and accept all people of different faiths; and instilled the love for books in him.

In 1956, he enrolled at a seminary in Buenos Aires. In 1961, he continued his studies at Jesuit school in Santiago, Chile. When he taught religion to third- and fourth- grade children, he saw poverty of hungry children, some wearing rags, no shoes. His heart went out to them.

Upon returning to Buenos Aires in 1963, he taught at the best Catholic High Schools.

In 1973, he took his final vows. Soon after, he was made a Jesuit provincial superior of Argentina and Uruguay. He worked hard to help the poor. He opened new churches. But he made a lot of decisions on his own without listening to others. That had its consequences after the Dirty War 1974-1983. During the military dictatorship called the junta, he ordered the Jesuit priests to stay quiet. It was brought up after the Dirty War in 1983, and later in 2013 when he became pope. He admitted that he made mistakes and regretted them.

The priests, who disliked his actions, stopped his rise. Instead, he was sent to Cordoba where he needed permission for anything he wanted to do. It was a harsh punishment for him, to go from giving orders and making decisions on his own. Now, he was serving poor people of Cordoba.

In 1992, his punishment ended and he was appointed to help the archbishop of Buenos Aires run all the Catholic churches in the city. After many years of humble work and soul-searching, he had changed. Now, he listened to others before making decisions. And he focused even more on helping the poor.

When he became archbishop in 1998, he didn’t wear silk robes or used any luxuries. He remained in simple robes, lived in a small apartment, and used public transportation.

Now, he wasn’t afraid to speak up publicly against the government. His courage impressed many people, including the pope, at the time, John Paul II, who made Jorge a cardinal in 2001.

With his continuous work, he proved to be a strong leader who chose to lead humble life despite his titles and luxuries they offered.

On March 13, 2013, Jorge became the new pope taking the name of Francis, honoring St. Francis of Assisi who was known for helping the poor.

One of the first things he did, he got in touch with the US and Cuban presidents, and offered to be their go-between. So the two countries could bridge their differences.

He continued to be outspoken in regards to the poor. He said, “I want a Church that is poor and for the poor.”

This biography illustrates a man who found his calling as a teenager and followed through despite his parents wanting him to take a different vocation. He was smart and empathetic toward poor, always wanting to help them, but along his rise he made some decisions that made others question his actions. His descent gave him time to reflect on his decisions. After soul-searching, he had risen again to the very top by becoming a pope, and continuously serving those in needs.

Source: Penguin Workshop, 2017

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Through humility, he learned how to listen to others, and include them in decision making.

 

Traits:

·         His grandmother instilled good values in him, including to be open-minded, and accept all people of different faiths which he displayed throughout his life.

·         When he taught religion and saw poverty of hungry children, it touched him deeply, and reinforced his calling of serving the poor.

·         During war time, he made some questionable decisions, for which he felt regret afterwards, and paid a price of his descent.

·         He went from giving orders and making decisions, to having ask permission for anything he wanted to do.

·         His time of reflection and soul-searching allowed him to rise again and make much better decisions.

 

 

“Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated.” – Pope Francis

“Have the courage to swim against the tide. Have the courage to be happy.” – Pope Francis

“Let us not be satisfied with a mediocre life.” – Pope Francis

“Life flows through our relations with others.” – Pope Francis

“Trivial choices lead to a trivial life; great choices lead to a great life. We become what we choose, for better or for worse.” – Pope Francis

“We didn’t come into this world to vegetate. We came into this world to leave a mark.” – Pope Francis

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 Pope Francis’ one of the latest books is A Good Life: 15 Essential Habits for Living with Hope and Joy.

It’s written in a form of vignettes, capturing the significant passages of life. It’s one of those books that can be read one passage a day, and reread for months and years. It’s a kind of read that lingers and stays with a reader for a long time. 

We all have our mindsets, and in this book Pope Francis uses his wisdom and compassion to touch those mindsets with so much depth and warmth. They fill each fiber of human body. With gentle suggestions and nudges, he mentors how to have a meaningful life filled with purpose and growth.

Review of this book, is on this site: https://biopurposeland.blogspot.com/2024/02/a-good-life-by-pope-francis.html

Who Was Frank Lloyd Wright? by Ellen Labrecque

 Who Was…? biography series for middle grade captivates with the story of Frank Lloyd Wright – the greatest American architect of all time.

Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959) was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin. His mother’s family moved from Wales to Wisconsin where there were no houses to buy. So his mother’s brother learned how to build a house and his skills became in high demand.

The mother wanted Frank to have the same useful skills as her brother. She hung drawings of English cathedrals on the walls of their house to inspire his young brain.

Because his family moved so often, Frank didn’t have any friends and to fill his time he turned to art and music. He cherished his birthday gift of blocks which taught him about geometry, math, colors, and shapes.

The mother adored Frank and was convinced he would grow up to be a great and famous man. Frank believed the same. (The seed planted in childhood and strongly believed in throughout the years manifested later in life).

Frank didn’t like the hard farm-work, but what he liked was the beauty of nature. He was observant of the nature, its colors and shapes. He saw the shapes of his boyhood toys everywhere on the farm.

When Frank was in High School, his parents divorced. To help out his mother, he dropped out of school. He was an average student. He didn’t like to sit still and listen to teachers. He liked to learn by exploring, creating, and doing things on his own.

He got a job as a draftsman and learned the skills on the job. At the same time, at University, he took classes in Civil Engineering, but only for a year. He dropped out after a year.

From the money he earned, he dressed himself well to have a look of a famous person. (He wasn’t famous yet, but played the part).

After the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871, he moved to Chicago as he wanted to learn from the best while the city was being rebuilt.

In Chicago, he not only learned from the best, but also fell in love with Kitty who came from a wealthy family.

Over the next few years, he designed many homes for wealthy families in the area in a style that was distinct, simple and uncluttered, which blended with the surrounding area. People started noticing his style, which he called “organic architecture.”

His design became in high demand, but the people were also drawn to Frank because of his personality. He was funny and his laugh was contagious.

After making his name in Chicago, he took a project in New York upstate to make his name known in the United States. Then, came book offer which made him worldwide famous, followed by project offers outside the United States.

After the Great Depression, there was mass-production of buildings. Frank had to reinvent himself and came up with opening a school next to his house and teaching his craft. One of his students was Edgar Kaufmann Jr. His father asked Frank to design a house near waterfall. What Frank did, he actually designed a house on the waterfall. Frank’s work once again became in high demand.

This biography exemplifies a person who had a guardian, namely mother, who believed in her son and showed him a way to thrive. It demonstrates how important it is to have mentors in our lives to help us thrive. It also exemplifies a man who was very observant of nature. Nature seems to be a common denominator helping people to get inspired and to find calmness. The latter helps to create space in our mind, which is needed to allow ideas to come to us.

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

Source: Grosset & Dunlap, 2015

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “Study nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

 

 

 

Traits:

 

·         His mother wanted him to have useful skills. Thus, hung drawings of English cathedrals on the walls of their house to inspire his young brain to become a builder.

·         His mother, despite of being tight on money, bought him blocks for his birthday. She continued to encourage him to build.

·         He was very observant and learned geometry, math, colors, and shapes from his blocks.

·         The mother was convinced he would grow up to be a great and famous man. Thus, Frank started believing the same.

·         He didn’t like the hard farm-work, but what he liked was the beauty of nature and how it related to shapes and colors of his blocks.

·         He was an average student. He didn’t like to sit still and listen to teachers. He liked to learn by exploring, creating, and doing things on his own.

·         He got a job as a draftsman and learned the skills on the job. He didn’t have a formal education in architecture.

·         After the Great Fire of Chicago in 1871, he moved to Chicago as he wanted to learn from the best while the city was being rebuilt.

·         He developed his style, which he called “organic architecture.”

 

 

“Space is the breath of art.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

“Regard it just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral.” – Frank Lloyd Wright - (Frank’s words align with many successful people’s words - who say whatever you do – do it with passion – no matter how minor or important work is).

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 The first book I’ve read by Wayne Dyer over two decades ago was “The Power of Intention.” While reading the biography of Frank Lloyd Wright, the book by Wayne Dyer came to my mind. I highly recommend the Power of Intention to understand better how Frank’s mind was shaped from childhood and manifested later in life.  

Who is Temple Grandin? by Patricia Brennan Demuth

  Who Is...? (Who Was?) biography series for middle grade fascinates with the story of Temple Grandin – a scientist who has changed America’s livestock industry. 

Mary Temple Grandin was born in 1947 in Boston. She was autistic and her behavior wasn’t understood in 1940s. But her mother couldn’t imagine putting her in an institution, instead Temple was given speech therapy and it helped her thrive. However, the school didn’t interest her the way the horses did. She became a great rider. 

While spending her summer vacation in Arizona at her aunt’s ranch, she grew fond of cattle and became fascinated by wooden chute used to calm down the cows. Temple tried it herself and realized that it had a calming effect on her and helped her with her outbursts. 

Back at school’s dorm, she built a Squeeze Machine. A science teacher encouraged her to use science to test her machine. She developed passion for science and did very well in college. Her interest was animal science which further led her to a field surrounded by men. But she gained their respect when they saw how she handles and understands cattle. 

Her study became the basis of a new animal welfare standard for the industry. She drew up guide rules and trained inspectors on what problems to look for. 

This biography exemplifies a person who thrived despite her disadvantaged state but the key was she had a guardian who believed in her and helped her thrive. It demonstrates how important it is to have mentors in our lives to help us thrive. 

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

Source: Penguin Workshop, 2020

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Her advice was sought after which is a sign of true leadership.

 

Traits:

 

·         Her behavior wasn’t understood but she had her mother who wanted her to thrive.

·         She had a natural way with animals and observed them.

·         By observing animals, it helped her to understand their behavior.

·         With her knowledge gained by observation, she gained respect of men in a field where there were no women.

·         As she built equipment to help her understand animal’s behavior, she was encouraged to pursue science and became passionate about it.

 

 

“I cannot emphasize enough the importance of a good teacher.” – Temple Grandin 

“The most important thing people did for me was to expose me to new things.” – Temple Grandin

“If I did not have my work, I would not have my life.” – Temple Grandin 

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 “True leaders are hardly known to their followers.” – Lao-Tzu, Chinese philosopher

Temple Grandin became an expert in her area and her advice was sought after, and that is a true leadership.

Dr. Wayne Dyer explores the subject further in his book “Wisdom of the Ages” in chapter three – Leadership.

“Who were the leaders of the Renaissance? Were the leaders the mayors, governors, and presidents of the European capitals? No indeed. The leaders were the artists, writers, musicians who listened to their hearts and souls and expressed what they heard… (…) True leaders are not known by titles. It is ego that loves titles! (…) Fear-based leaders are poorly qualified to genuinely lead. (…) The true leader acts in such a way as to be hardly known in the entire process. This leader offers trust, encouragement, and congratulations as others find their own way.”

Benjamin Franklin by Kathleen Krull

The Giants of Science biography series for middle-grade brings Benjamin Franklin - a man who was an American polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher and political philosopher.

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) was born in Boston. He was ten when his formal education came to an end. He had only two years of schooling but was always an avid reader.

At twelve, he became apprenticed to his brother at printing house. His brother was a bit of a tyrant. After a few years, Ben quit and left Boston for NYC, then Philadelphia, then London. There were always some challenges, but ever resourceful, he landed on his feet.

At twenty-one, back in Philadelphia, he worked at print shops and missed the lively atmosphere he enjoyed in London. Thus, he created Junto group of like-minded men who wanted to improve themselves and their community.

When he set up his own printing shop, he founded his own newspaper. He was bringing topics that were grabbing readers’ attention, and becoming a respected man in his community.

Meanwhile, he went through illness which almost claimed his life, and through a death of his son. This was a sharp reminder for him that time was not limitless, and that he wanted to make his mark, to be useful with his knowledge.

At the time, the way the homes were heated was inefficient. He came up with a new kind of wood-burning stove.

It was also a time of great mysteries in science – electricity. He avidly started experiencing with it.

He made himself useful in politics and science, beginning each day with a question, “What good shall I do this day?” And ending each day with a question, “What good have I done today?”

In 1757, Pennsylvania Assembly sent him to London as its agent to serve as colonial “ambassador” to negotiate on behalf of thirteen colonies to be treated fairly. At the same time, he continued with his scientific experiments. But it was actually the alliance he formed with France which had been vital to victory in the American Revolution.

Surrounded by family, he died at the age of eighty-four.

This biography exemplifies a man who understood the purpose of life and the limited time we have on this earth. He used his time wisely, to serve humanity.

Source: Puffin Books, 2014

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “Love your enemies, for they tell you your faults.” – Ben Franklin

 

Traits:

·         His education was very limited but he was an avid reader.

·         He was very resourceful.

·         When he missed the lively atmosphere he enjoyed in London, he created Junto group of like-minded men who wanted to improve themselves and their community.

·         When he founded his own newspaper, he was bringing topics that were grabbing readers’ attention.

·         His illness and his son’s death made him realize that time is not limitless, and every moment counts.

·         When heating system was inefficient, he came up with a new kind of wood-burning stove.

·         He avidly started experiencing with electricity.

·         When he entered political fray, he acted as “ambassador” between the thirteen colonies and British Crown to be treated fairly.

·         He began each day with a question, “What good shall I do this day?” And ended each day with a question, “What good have I done today?”

 

“Better slip with foot than tongue.” – Ben Franklin

“Look before, or you’ll find yourself behind.” – Ben Franklin

“Don’t throw stones at your neighbors, if your own windows are glass.” – Ben Franklin

“Well done is better than well said.” – Ben Frnaklin

Who Was Abigail Adams? by True Kelley

 Who Was...? biography series for middle grade captivates with the story of Abigail Adams – who was both, wife and mother of a president. Above all, she was a smart and independent woman who believed in the power of education, and spoke out for the right of women and African American. 

Abigail Smith (1744-1818) was a curious child, always with her nose in all the books the family owned. She was also stubborn and strong-willed which worried her mother but the grandmother was of different opinion. 

Visitors often gathered at family’s library and talked about politics. Abigail’s father encouraged her to have her own opinions. 

One of the visitors was John Adams. With time, they discovered that they both had lively minds, thought alike and loved politics. This led to their marriage. 

John was a lawyer but he loved farming, and Abigail loved tending to farm duties. 

As different battles began between colonists and British, people sought shelter which Abigail provided and food. With money becoming tight, she was becoming creative with continuously providing what was needed. She made soap, spun cloth, ink from ashes and berries. She even melted down pewter spoons to make bullets for the soldiers.

John was spending a lot of time in Philadelphia doing important work in the Congress. Abigail felt lonely but she also understood how important was her husband’s work. 

While her husband was working on Declaration of Independence, she wrote him about equal right for everyone. She believed that there should be no slavery in a free country. And women should have the same right as men. 

When her husband became the second president of the United States, she became busy with writing letters, organizing, planning the days and holding dinners for important people. 

This biography exemplifies a woman who was a wife and a mother and yet very independent with her mind. She was ahead of her time, believing in equal rights for all. She was also very resourceful. In hard times, coming up with ideas for survival, which also led further to good profits.

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

Source: Penguin Workshop, 2014

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands.” – Abigail Adams

 

Traits:

·         From childhood, she was immersed in books.

·         She was stubborn and strong-willed.

·         From childhood, she was exposed to political conversations and her father encouraged her to have her own opinion.

·         During the battles between colonists and British, when food and other supplies became short, she was very resourceful how to deal with the shortages.

·         Even when she felt lonely, she understood that her husband’s absence was for good cause, serving humanity.

·         When her husband became a president, she became busy with writing letters, organizing events, planning the days and holding dinners for important people. She understood the higher purpose in this all, to serve humanity.

·         She was a wife and a mother and yet very independent with her mind.

 

 

“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence.” – Abigail Adams

“If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind whom should we serve?” – Abigail Adams

“We have too many high-sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them.” – Abigail Adams

“I begin to think, that a calm is not desirable in any situation in life. Man was made for action and for bustle too, I believe.” – Abigail Adams

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 When we create labels, we create separation. Thus, stop the labeling process. That’s the path to inner peace.

Dr. Wayne Dyer explores the subject of Oneness in his book “Wisdom of the Ages,” where he further explains that it’s “our ego mind that insists that we’re separate from others and defined by where our boundaries stop and others start.”

Who Was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart

 Who Was...? biography series for middle grade captivates with the story of Walt Disney – a leader in the American animation industry.

Walter Elias Disney (1901-1966) was born in Chicago. When he was four, his family moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri. It was a happy childhood for Walt. He liked to ride on pigs which often meant landing in mud. After school, he fished and skinny-dipped. In winter, he went sledding or skating on a frozen creek. From childhood, he had a natural nag for entertaining people. He liked attention and liked being the class clown. Once, he caught a field mouse, made a leash for it, and paraded his new pet around the classroom. He also had some talent for drawing which at times got him in trouble, especially after drawing with the tar on the side of their white house. 

When his father became sick, the family moved to Kansas City where Walt had to pitch in. At nine, he started delivering papers. 

In school, he wasn’t doing well. Instead, he was thinking of ways to make his classmates laugh. He also liked drawing funny characters or animal in the corner of the pages making it appear as moving while flipping the pages. These were his first cartoons.

Walt attended High School in Chicago where the family returned, but again he was bored in all of his classes. The only thing he liked was drawing cartoons for the school newspaper. After a year, he dropped out of school. At the time, he didn’t know what he wanted to be, but he certainly had faith in himself. 

At night, he took art classes. He bought himself a movie camera. 

When he applied for a job at the post office, he was told that he was too young. He went home, put on a man’s hat, drew a mustache on his face and went back to the post office where this time, he got the job. He knew how to find a solution to a problem. 

When he moved back to Kansas City, he teamed up with another artist. They got jobs at the Kansas City Slide Company. Here, Walt learned all about animation. This was life changing for him. After creating his first cartoon, he sold it to the Newman theatres, and started up a small company. 

He recruited artists to help him make cartoons. He promised to share any money earned from the cartoons. But he went bankrupt. Kansas City was not the center of entertainment business. He moved to Hollywood. 

With his brother Roy, they formed the Disney Brothers Studio. They were doing well with Oswald cartoons which in a way got stolen from him. Then, in secret with a few trusted people, Walt created a new character – a mouse. Mickey Mouse was born. Then, came Donald Duck.

As popular Mickey Mouse is today, at the time of its inception no theater wanted to show mouse cartoons. But Walt wasn’t someone to give up. Once, he added soundtracks, the audience fell in love with Walt’s characters. Then, Mickey Mouse Club was created and sprang up all over America.

Walt was always looking for the next big idea, pushing the boundaries. Up until then, cartoons were short. His next goal was a full – length movie. It took him years to create Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He borrowed more than one and a half million dollars for this project. Snow White was called a masterpiece and won a special Academy Award. 

In the following years, he produced: Fantasia, Pinocchio, and Bambi. 

And he continued to face challenges. There was WWII which affected the sales in Europe. Then, his employees went on strike. His following movies weren’t as successful.

When he spent time with his two daughters, playing and goofing around, it gave him his next idea of an amusement park. Thus, Disneyland was born in Anaheim, California. Even with age, he never slowed down. He had too many ideas to quit working.

At sixty-five, he died of lung cancer. He didn’t get to see the opening of Disneyworld in Orlando, Florida.

This biography illustrates a man who believed in himself and the characters he created. Despite many obstacles, he persisted with what he believed in. 

This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 7-10, is presented in a relatable way, with simple sentences, and insightful inserts.

Source: Grosset & Dunlap, 2012

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Never Give Up believing in Yourself

 

Traits:

·         From childhood, he had a natural nag for entertaining people.

·         He liked attention and liked being the class clown.

·         He had some talent for drawing. To improve it, he took evening classes.

·         In school, he wasn’t doing well. Instead, he was thinking of ways to make his classmates laugh.

·         He liked drawing funny characters or animal in the corner of the pages making it appear as moving while flipping the pages. These were his first cartoons.

·         While in HS, the only thing he liked was drawing cartoons for the school newspaper.

·         After a year, he dropped out of high school. At the time, he didn’t know what he wanted to be, but he certainly had faith in himself.

·         While working at the Kansas City Slide Company, he learned all about animation. This was life changing for him.

·         After creating his first cartoon, he sold it to the Newman theatres, and started up a small company in Kansas City which went bankrupt due to location.

·         Thus, he moved to Hollywood, with his brother Roy, they formed the Disney Brothers Studio.

·         His Oswald cartoons got stolen from him but this didn’t stop him. Afterwards, came his most successful characters: Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

·         Walt was always looking for the next big idea, pushing the boundaries. Up until then, cartoons were short. His next goal was a full – length movie. It took him years to create Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which was called a masterpiece and won a special Academy Award.

·         In the following years, he produced: Fantasia, Pinocchio, and Bambi.

·         He continued to face challenges. There was WWII which affected the sales in Europe. Then, his employees went on strike. His following movies weren’t as successful.

·         When he spent time with his two daughters, playing and goofing around, it gave him his next idea of an amusement park. Thus, Disneyland was born in Anaheim, California.

·         Even with age, he never slowed down. He had too many ideas to quit working.

 

 

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” – Walt Disney

“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” – Walt Disney

“If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.” – Walt Disney