History comes alive when children see the human side that is reflected in biographies. The setting and characters provide a context for understanding historical events. Many children enjoy reading about real people. Many children are motivated to read about heroes that they find interesting. Virtues such as persistence, perseverance, honesty, respect for others, standing up for what you believe in, etc. are often shown in biographies.
Biographies can show children how subjects handled the pressure of peers and society.
Biographies show how people adhere to their beliefs and become change agents in their attempt to make the world a better place. They make scientific discoveries, create new art, effect social change, serve humanitarian causes, and make a difference in the lives of others in numerous ways. While biographies for adults must be fully documented, biographies for children vary in the degree of documentation provided. In authentic biographies , all factual information is documented through eyewitness accounts, written documents, letters, diaries, and more recently, audio and videotape recordings. In fictionalized biographies , the author conducts careful research but creates dramatic episodes from known facts by using imagined conversation.