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

 

Who Was Mark Twain? by April Jones Prince

 Who Was ...? biography series for middle grade brings fascinating character of Mark Twain who was a mischievous, adventurous boy named Samuel Clemens who became one of America’s best-loved authors.

Before he named himself Mark Twain, he was Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910). Sam grew up in the south where slavery was seen acceptable. While at his uncle’s farm, he listened to a black man telling folktales and ghost stories. It was also the words he used and the rhythm of his speech that stayed with Sam and inspired him later in telling his own stories. 

When Sam was eleven, his father died and the family fell on hard times. He had to grow up fast and skip schooling. He became a printer’s apprentice at a newspaper. In his free time, he read books. Later, he worked for his older brother at a journal. He began to write humorous stories, poetry and local news. He liked exaggerating, which his brother didn’t like even when it sold more copies. 

Sam was also a restless spirit. He packed his bags and travelled through northern states. He worked various printing jobs. Writing came natural to him, but those positions were boring to him. Thus, he decided to try his childhood dream of being a pilot on a riverboat. He made good money and enjoyed fine food and expensive clothes. Something, he always dreamed about. But he never forgot his true passion of storytelling, which he did to passengers and crew. 

When the Civil War broke out, he took different jobs. One of them as editor. He wasn’t sure how well he’d do in this position, but he was good at searching for exciting stories. If there weren’t any, he used his imagination. He realized that he had a knack for making stories interesting and that’s when he found his calling and developed his own writing style and created his pen name – Mark Twain. 

His pen-name was becoming famous for his wit, wisecracks, exposing injustice and fraud. During his time, lectures were popular form of entertainment. At first, he was terrified to speak on stage, but his nerves quickly melted and he became natural at it. 

But he was restless staying in one place for a long time. He set sail for Europe, where he judged sites if they were worth visiting. He wasn’t someone who accepted other’s opinions too easily. His letters to publishers about European sites became so famous that they were turned into a book, which became an instant success. 

Then, he went on creating stories drawing from experiences from his childhood: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. But the latter one was controversial and he had to start his own company in order to publish it. 

This biography embodies a character that was never bothered by the lack of schooling. He had a natural gift which he developed on his own and became very successful.   

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

Published in 2004 by Penguin Workshop

 

 

TRENDING INSPIRATION: “Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.” – Mark Twain

 

Traits:

·         He grew up listening to folktales and ghost stories with words and rhythm that stayed with him and inspired him later.

·         Throughout his life his jobs were close to his interests. He always seemed to have a paper and pen attached to him creating some sort of stories. At the same, time learning more about himself, and what he liked and didn’t like about writing business.

·         He was also a restless spirit which led him to exploring northern states, and later Europe while keeping a paper and pen close to him.

·         When his name became famous for his wit and wisecracks, he then used it in more serious matters exposing injustice and fraud.

·         When one of his stories became controversial, he went on publishing it himself.

·         He was unstoppable force of nature who did it all with a great sense of humor. Never too serious. His daughter Susy at thirteen wrote a biography about her father. “He is a very good man and a very funny one. He has got a temper, but we all of us have in this family. (…) He does tell perfectly delightful stories.”

 

 

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain

“When in doubt, tell the truth.” – Mark Twain

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” – Mark Twain.

 

FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS:

·         Practicing honesty

 The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra is a remarkable pocket book which can be a good companion wherever we are and a good constant reminder what life is about.

If you’re not up for reading, then maybe listening:

There are many podcasters offering interviews with Deepak Chopra and he has his own podcast, too.