Auckland Council Libraries: Real life young heroes

Real life young heroes

You’re never too young to be a hero - here are stories of real life children and teens who overcame adversity to make the world a better place.

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Malala, a brave girl from Pakistan

Jeanette Winter

Book

Meet Iqbal and Malala, two young heroes from Pakistan who stood up for the right to freedom. Their stories and courage which transcended their youth have provided hope and inspiration for people in Pakistan and around the world.

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Emmanuel's dream

Laurie Ann. Thompson

Picture book

Emmanuel was born with a severely deformed leg, but has not let this stop him leading a fruitful and inspirational life, culminating in a 400 mile cycle across Ghana to spread the message the disability is not inability.

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Brave girl

Michelle Markel

Book

Clara Lemlich arrived in the US unable to speak English. She worked long hours and spent her evenings learning English. When she saw women being treated poorly and not being paid fairly, she did not back down, and did something remarkable about it.

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Electrical wizard

Elizabeth Rusch

Book

At three-years-old Nikolai Tesla became fascinated with electricity. As a teen he moved to America and began radically changing the world with revolutionary ideas: remote controls, fluorescent lights, X-rays, radio and even cell phones!

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March forward, girl

Melba Beals

Book

For fifty years, no African-American had been allowed at Little Rock Central High School. This is the story of one of the first nine black students to be allowed at the school, and the struggles she had to endure to challenge inequality.

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The boy who harnessed the wind

William Kamkwamba

Book

Drought hit William’s village and nobody had money for food, let alone school. William read a book on windmills from his library, and, even though people thought he was crazy, built one out of junkyard scraps to provide electricity for his village.

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Six dots

Jennifer Bryant

Book

Louis Braille lost his sight the age of five, but was determined to learn to read. Braille invented a system for reading using touch instead of sight, a system which is still used almost 200 years later.

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Anne Frank

Anne Frank

Book

Anne Frank’s family was forced into hiding weeks after her thirteenth birthday. The diary she kept of her experiences shows the courage and optimism with which she bravely faced the situation.

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The youngest marcher

Cynthia Levinson

Book

At the age of nine Audrey Hendricks marched during a civil rights march knowing that she would be arrested for doing so. This tells the story of the Birmingham Children's March through her eyes.

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Annie and Helen

Deborah Hopkinson

Book

Deaf and blind from at two, nobody expected Helen Keller to achieve much, but, with the help of Anne Sullivan, she learned to communicate with the outside world and has been a source of inspiration for millions.

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50 impressive kids and their amazing (and true!) stories

Saundra Mitchell

Book

Did you know that Philo T. Farnsworth came up with the idea for TV at age 14? Read more about him and forty-nine other incredible kids proving that you’re never too young to change the world!

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Auckland Council Libraries:Book list Recommended reading lists about different topics and genres to help you find new books to read.