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.

Published in 2012 by Grosset & Dunlap

 

 

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

Who Was Bruce Lee? by Jim Gigliotti

 Who Was...? biography series for middle grade enthralls with the story of Bruce Lee – one of the greatest martial-arts masters of all time.

Bruce Lee (1940-1973) from childhood was a bundle of energy, always playing, running or jumping. His family called him ‘never sits still.” 

He was born in San Francisco. His father was an actor in a traveling Chinese opera. 

When he was just a few months, his family returned to Hong Kong, where his parents were born. His dad’s job meant that Bruce was around the performing arts at a young age. 

He didn’t have the same enthusiasm for school. Instead, he was getting into fighting. One day, he lost a fight and got beat up. He decided he had to learn to protect himself better. So he began to study the martial arts called kung fu.

But he continued to get into many fights. When police knocked on the door of the family and warned that next time it will be jail, the family decided to send Bruce back to the US. 

He stayed at their friend’s house in Seattle where he enrolled at the University of Washington where he studied philosophy. It made him question his behavior and his attitude about fighting started to change. 

While still in school, he began to teach his friends kung fu. Later, he opened a teaching studio. 

After getting married and having his son, the family moved to Oakland, California, where he opened his studio and began developing his own martial-arts system. 

In 1964, at the First International Karate Tournament in Long Beach, California, Bruce showcased his skills. Jay Sebring was in the crowd and introduced Bruce to his friend William Dozier, Hollywood producer. Bruce was cast in a few roles but his acting didn’t really take off.

He went back to teaching kung fu, but thanks to his moves on the screen, the martial arts became very popular in the US. The Hollywood stars started knocking at his door. This led him to choreographing the martial-arts scenes in some movies.

In 1970, Bruce developed a pain in his back. He had permanently damaged a nerve in his back. He was told that his career was over. As Bruce was confined to bed, he didn’t waste any time. Instead, he continued to develop his philosophy – his personal code of conduct. After six months, he slowly began his own strategy for getting better.

Same year in 1970, he took a trip to Hong Kong where he met adoring fans. This gave him an idea to do acting in Chinese movies, which he did. He started breaking records in Asia. Then, Hollywood started to make notice of his movies. 

But on July 1973, while working on another movie, he developed a headache. He took some medicine and went to sleep. He never woke up. He had brain swelling.

This biography exemplifies a man who never faltered at challenges. When life knocked him down, he used it to ponder about life; its meaning and how to be a better human being.

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

Published in 2014 by Penguin Workshop

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.” – Bruce Lee

 

Traits:

·         From childhood, Bruce was a bundle of energy, always playing, running or jumping.

·         At school, he did poorly as it was hard for him to sit still.

·         He got into fights all the time to a point that he almost faced jail, and was sent from Hong Kong to the US.

·         Despite his lack of enthusiasm for education, he was still encouraged to enroll in philosophy, which was a life changing experience for him. It opened his eyes, and made him realize that he was wrong to have sought out fights as a youngster.

·         In Hong Kong, he began to study the martial arts called kung fu. In the US, he began teaching it. Later combining it with philosophy, he began developing his own martial-arts system.

·         His acting didn’t take off in the US, but when visiting Hong Kong and seeing all the fans there, he realized that his audience was in Asia. Thus, he got into Chinese movies, and breaking records in Asia, which made Hollywood notice Bruce.

 

“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” – Bruce Lee 

“I don’t believe in pure luck. You have to create your own luck. You have to be aware of the opportunities around you and take advantage of them.” – Bruce Lee 

“If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” – Bruce Lee

“Always be yourself; express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” – Bruce Lee 

“Though we possess a pair of eyes, most of us do not really ‘see’ in the true sense of the word.” – Bruce Lee

 

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

 Inner Engineering: A Yogi's Guide to Joy by Sadhguru

Sadhguru is a guru from India. He teaches about self-transformation and exemplifies what he teaches about.

In this book, he relates the moment of his own awakening, and gives guidance to our highest spiritual enlightenment. He is devoted to humanitarian causes.

He explains the term guru: “dispeller of darkness, someone who opens the door for you…” He states, “As a guru, I have no doctrine to teach, no philosophy to impart, no belief to propagate. And that is because the only solution for all the ills that plague humanity is self-transformation. Self-transformation means that nothing of the old remains. It is a dimensional shift in the way you perceive and experience life.” 

Who Was Jane Austen? by Sarah Fabiny

 

 Who Was...? biography series for middle grade captures the story of Jane Austen – a beloved English author whose books are more popular today than they were in her own lifetime. She achieved success as a published author in a time when there were no women writers officially.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was the seventh child of Reverend George Austen and his wife Cassandra. He looked after a small parish in Steventon, a small village west of London.

The Austen’s house was crowded and noisy, but it was a happy and comfortable place. The Reverend’s library was filled with books and Jane spent a lot of time reading them. The parents also encouraged all children to put on short performances for their entertainment. 

Jane enjoyed the busy atmosphere at home as well as her long walks in the countryside. The nature inspired her to start writing. She was dazzled by their cousin Eliza’s life, married to a French count. Eliza’s exciting life gave Jane further inspiration for her stories. Jane was drawn to strong female characters. She didn’t like the silly or sentimental characters. She was also very outspoken, not afraid to speak her mind, and explore it in her writing. She based her stories on people she met and the events she attended. The more she wrote, the better she got at it.

She was twenty-one when she finished writing First Impressions. It was rejected by the publisher, but Jane wasn’t to give up on her dream of becoming an author. Meanwhile, she wrote two more novels.

At twenty-six, with the help of her brother, she found a publisher for one of her novels, Susan. But at the end, the book was never published. 

In 1810, at thirty-five, she found a publisher for Sense and Sensibility which appeared in bookstores in October 1811, and received good reviews. By July 1813, all copies were sold. In 1813, Pride and Prejudice was published. In 1814, Mansfield was published. In 1815, Emma was sold to publisher. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published after the death of Jane.

This biography illustrates a strong woman who believed in her writing and the characters she portrayed. Despite many rejections, she persisted with what she believed in. 

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

Published in 2017 by Penguin Workshop

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Never Give Up believing in Your Talent

 

Traits:

·         She spent a lot of time reading books.

·         The walks in nature inspired her to start writing.

·         The exciting life of her cousin gave Jane inspiration for more stories.

·         She was drawn to strong female characters and that’s what she portrayed in her stories.

·         She was outspoken, and explored it in her writing.

·         She based her stories on people she met and the events she attended.

·         The more she wrote, the better she got at it.

·         She received many rejections before her first book was published.

 

“There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.” – Jane Austen

“There is safety in reserve, but no attraction. One cannot love a reserved person.” – Jane Austen 

“We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” – Jane Austen

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:

 Jane Austen trusted her incredible mind power which served her very well.

Dr. Wayne Dyer explores the subject of Mind Power in his book “Wisdom of the Ages,” where he explains the words of Sir Edward Dyer in his poem. He was an English poet of the Elizabethan period best known for his lyric beginning, “My mind to me a kingdom is.”

Dyer further explains the poet’s words as comfort of detaching from everything, including body, and being in the kingdom of a quiet mind. Your mind gives you the power of choice.

“The need to acquire more than is necessary, to chase after success at all costs, to consistently pursue approval from others is not imposed on us, it is a function of how we choose to use that invisible mystery within us, our mind.”

Who Was Georgia O'Keeffe by Sarah Fabiny

 Who Was...? biography series for middle grade brings an American artist – Georgia O’Keeffe - who was known for her stunning paintings of flowers and landscapes.

Georgia O’Keefe (1887-1986) was raised on a farm in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where she fell in love with her art classes. The nature she observed and drew became her best companion. 

In Catholic school, she didn’t like the strict rules, and rebelled, which often got her into trouble. When her schoolmates talked about finding husbands, Georgia thought of becoming an artist. 

At seventeen, she enrolled at the School of Art Institute of Chicago. Due to illness, she had to take a break and later continued her studies in NYC.

At twenty-five, she obtained a position in Texas where she taught art classes, but authorities wanted the teachings to be the old way. And there was a new movement in art. Again, this wasn’t the right place for her. 

Georgia continued to take classes to improve her drawings, visiting galleries where she saw a new way of painting, not traditional one. Her ideas continued to shape in her head. 

Her life continued to be a progress in developing her own style. She continued to teach art classes at different schools and taking classes from those who would benefit her progress. 

When Alfred Stieglitz displayed her art in his gallery in NYC, it became a turning point in her life.

It started with art between them, but later developed into a relationship and marriage.

At fifty-eight, she became the first woman artist to have a major show at MOMA in NYC. 

This biography illustrates a strong woman who became a pioneer by breaking rules throughout her life. In the process, finding her iconic style of objects very close-up. 

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

Published in 2022 by Penguin Workshop

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: She Stayed True to Who She Was. She Wasn’t Afraid to Go Against Convention.

 

 

Traits:

·         She grew up on a farm which gave her inspiration for her iconic style.

·         She didn’t like strict rules, and limitations it created.

·         When her schoolmates talked about finding husbands, Georgia thought of becoming an artist.

·         She observed a new movement in art and continued to observe what was on display in museums and galleries. She never stopped observing.

·         She took classes to improve her drawings. Her learning progress never stopped.

·         Her life continued to be a progress in developing her own style.

 

“My painting is what I have to give back to the world for what the world gives to me.” – Georgia O’Keeffe 

“I know now that most people are so closely concerned with themselves that they are not aware of their own individuality. I can see myself, and it has helped me to say what I want to say - in paint.” – Georgia O’Keeffe 

“I’ve been absolutely terrified every moment of my life and I’ve never let it keep me from a single thing that I wanted to do.” – Georgia O’Keeffe

Who Was P.T. Barnum? by Kirsten Anderson

 Who Was ...? biography series for middle grade brings fascinating character of P. T. Barnum – a legendary showman, one of the world’s greatest entertainers.

Phineas Taylor Barnum (1810-1891) was born in Bethel, Connecticut. In Bethel, people liked playing pranks and telling tall tales. It influenced Taylor to develop his sense of humor. 

In school, he enjoyed writing essays. He didn’t like working on his father’s farm. Thus, he was thinking of ways to make money in a different way. He sold candy, cookies, and drinks in town.

When he was sixteen, his father died. He got a job at a store to support the family. It led him to other opportunities, eventually he opened his own store where he ran lotteries, which became very profitable. 

Another of his ventures was starting a newspaper which took him to NYC, where he opened a small boardinghouse. There, he heard of an enslaved woman who performed a live stage show. His first shows involving Joice were big success. This is when he found his true passion – show business.

For a few years, he worked as a manager of performers. This gave him valuable experience to start his own show business. But life on the road was a life away from his family. Then, he found a way to do his entertainment from one place. 

In 1841, when Scudder’s American Museum decided to sell its entire collection, he grabbed this opportunity. At the time, museums were becoming one of the most popular forms of entertainment, which included lectures and educational shows. He knew how to attract crowds to his museum and became the most successful in the city. But he never stopped adding to his museum. He sent agents around the world to find something unusual. 

Discovering Tom Thumb made them both rich and well-known across the US and Europe. With his success, he got involved in developing the city of Bridgeport in Connecticut. He ended up spending more money than he made. He slowly worked his way out of bankruptcy. 

After his museum got burned twice, he thought of retiring at the age of fifty-eight. But he got bored quickly and accepted an offer from two circus managers.

This biography personifies the true nature of an entertainer, a man who early at his age was influenced by his community to create his own sense of humor, which further led him to discovering his true passion which was entertainment.

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

Published in 2019 by Penguin Workshop

  

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Search Your Childhood Experience to Find Your Passion (experience that happened at the age of 10-13 which is a research finding)

 

Traits:

·         His childhood experience led him to find his true passion

·         He was a genius for publicity

·         He never stopped improving on whatever business he was working on at the time

·         His many businesses led him to realization that he was a showman at heart

·         He was successful because he knew how to get people interested in new ideas

·         He built up excitement months before a big show (a method that is still used in some businesses such as movies)

·         He loved his audiences and he loved entertaining

 

“Fortunes always favors the brave, and never helps a man who does not help himself.” – P.T. Barnum

“Literature is one of the most interesting and significant expressions of humanity.” – P.T. Barnum

“Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now.” – P.T. Barnum

“Money is in some respects life’s fire: it is a very excellent servant, but a terrible master.” – P.T. Barnum

Who Were the Brothers Grimm? by Avery Reed

 Who Were ...? biography series for middle grade brings two captivating brothers - Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm - who loved folktales and became the most famous collectors of fairy tales of all time.

Jacob Grimm (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859) were born in Hanau, today’s Germany. From early age, the brothers were inseparable. The boys were young when their father died. They were sent away to school in Kassel where they could get proper education. Later, both brothers decided to study law, following in the footsteps of their father. But at their hearts’ was a different interest. They both loved literature, and telling each other stories: myths, fables, and fairy tales. 

They spent many evenings at one of their professor’s home. Professor Savigny taught them how to study old manuscripts. At his house, they met many writers and artists. They all had a great appreciation for German history. Clemens Brentano, poet, had an idea to collect German folk songs, but they were rarely written down like fairy tales. This inspired the brothers to collect the fairy tales. 

In order to collect those unwritten fairy tales, they sought storytellers who turned out to be local women. At the end of 1812, they published eighty-six stories which became an immediate success. The second volume included seventy stories. 

While working at the library and on other projects, Wilhelm published German Legends in 1816, and Jacob published German Grammar in 1819. 

When they accepted positions at University of Gottingen, Wilhelm turned out to be a patient and popular lecturer, which wasn’t the same with Jacob who turned out to be a better scholar. In 1835, Jacob published German Mythology. 

When the new king took over the reign, he wanted to take people’s rights away. Both brothers and five other professors protested. This resulted in all of them losing their positions, and other people were afraid to go against the king to hire them. But all over Germany students, faculty, and townsfolks collected money for them. 

Soon, a publisher asked both brothers to create a German dictionary. The brothers involved over fifty scholars to help them collect words. At the time, the most important European scholars were members of the Berlin Academy of Sciences. They awarded money to scholars for their research projects. Both brothers were invited to join the Academy. They happily accepted their new position. 

By February 1841, the Grimms moved to Berlin where for the first time they gave lectures to large audience. The several hundred listeners cheered loudly making Jacob pause to collect his thoughts, and moving Wilhelm to tears. This was the biggest praise they have received for their work. 

They became the celebrities, dining with the new king and his family, and receiving honors for their work all across the world.

After the death of Wilhelm on December 16, 1859, Jacob continued the work on the dictionary until his death on September 20, 1863. 

This biography exemplifies two characters that showed the true love for their history and storytelling by collecting the unwritten stories and preserving them for generations. “The fairy tales live on because they teach us to see the world differently.” The Grimm brothers initially wanted to preserve the fairy tales for the German people, but in reality they did it for the world. Grimm’s fairy tales have been translated into more than 160 different languages, and adapted into countless movies and plays.  

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

 

Published in 2015 by Penguin Workshop

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: Open up to the magical world. Wake up your childhood creativity. Deepen the forgotten hobbies.

 

Traits:

·         Both brothers studied law, following in the footsteps of their father, but at their hearts’ was a different interest – literature and telling stories.

·         When a German poet gave an idea to collect German folk songs, which were rarely written down like fairy tales, this inspired the brothers to collect the fairy tales.

·         They persisted with their endeavor. In order to collect the fairy tales, the brothers had to visit many houses as the storytellers turned out to be local women. The published fairy tales became immediate success.

·         They stood up for freedom. When the new king wanted to take people’s rights away, they spoke up and lost their positions.

·         When a publisher asked the brothers to create a German dictionary, they involved over fifty scholars to help them collect words. The act of collaboration led them to even a greater position at the Berlin Academy of Science.

 

“Thus it is with proud silly people, who think themselves above everyone else, and are too proud to ask or take advice.” – Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm