1st grade autobiography books for 4th

One of the most common projects in elementary school, especially around 4-6 grades is a biography project or book report.

It can be tricky to find biography books for kids that hit that sweet spot between a picture book and an absolutely overwhelming non-fiction tome (lots of biographies lean too far into the young adult realm and they’re just too hefty for an elementary school reader!).

Here are some great options that are interesting, readable and perfect for school or personal reading!

(P.S. If you’re looking for biography series like the extremely popular “Who Was. . .?” series, I have a whole list of favorites here! The books on that list tend to steer a little younger and shorter).

10+ Great Kids Biography Books

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P. T. Barnum by Candace Fleming
If your child was obsessed with The Greatest Showman, this book is for them. It is almost unreal how fascinating the real P.T. Barnum was and what a life he lead. I included this one on the family reads section in the 2020 Summer Reading Guide. (Full review here)

Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board by Bethany Hamilton
After Bethany Hamilton, a teenage surfer, lost her arm in a shark attack off the coast of Hawaii, she does what ever it takes to return to surfing. This incredible biography shares the details of her recovery and what she has done to make her way back to the top of the surfing world.

Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift’s “Chocolate Pilot” by Michael O. Tunnell
This is the incredible story about post WWII pilot, Gail S. Halvorsen, who begins dropping candy for the children in post-war occupied Berlin. This middle grade biography does a great job explaining the post-war occupation of Berlin more clearly than I’d understood it before. (Full review here)

Undefeated: Jim Thorpe