Who Is J.K. Rowling?
Who Was?
By Pamela D. Pollack & Meg Belviso
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell / 1 hour 4 minutes
Everyone loves Harry Potter. Now kids can learn about Harry's creator!
In 1995, on a four-hour-delayed train from Manchester to London, J. K. Rowling conceived of the idea of a boy wizard named Harry Potter. Upon arriving in London, she began immediately writing the first book in the saga. Rowling's true-life, rags-to-riches story is as compelling as the world of Hogwarts that she created. This biography details not only Rowling's life and her love of literature but the story behind the creation of a modern classic.
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Who Was Helen Keller?
By: Gare Thompson
Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
Length: 1 hour 1 minute
Abridged: No
At age two, Helen Keller became deaf and blind. She lived in a world of silence and darkness and she spent the rest of her life struggling to break through it. But with the help of teacher Annie Sullivan, Helen learned to read, write, and do many amazing things. This inspiring biography is perfect for young middle-grade listeners. Read More »
Who Was Rosa Parks?
By: Yona Zeldis McDonough
Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
Length: 1 hour 8 minutes
Abridged: No
In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama. This seemingly small act triggered civil rights protests across America and earned Rosa Parks the title "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." Read More »
Soon
Who Was Benedict Arnold?
By: James Buckley, Jr. & Who HQ
Length:
Abridged: No
Find out how this one-time American hero became the country's most notorious traitor.
As a young child, Benedict Arnold never shied away from a fight. So when the French and Indian War began in 1754, Benedict was eager to join the militia and fight for the British colonies in America. And when he was eighteen years old, he got his chance. Arnold... Read More »
Soon
Who Was Richard Nixon?
By: Megan Stine & Who HQ
Length:
Abridged: No
Learn more about Richard Nixon--one of America's most unpopular presidents and the only one to resign from the position.
On August 8, 1974, millions sat stunned as they watched Richard Nixon on TV when he announced he was stepping down as the President of the United States. He'd participated in a scandal that included secret tape recordings, a... Read More »
Who Was Mister Rogers?
By: Diane Bailey & Who HQ
Length: 1 hour 2 minutes
Abridged: No
Learn how Fred Rogers, a minister and musician from Pennsylvania, became one of America's most beloved television personalities and everyone's favorite neighbor.
Even though he's best known for his successful PBS series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Fred Rogers never dreamed of working in television. In fact, he hated the very first program that... Read More »
Soon
Who Was Celia Cruz?
By: Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso & Who HQ
Length:
Abridged: No
How did a working-class girl from Cuba become a symbol of artistic freedom for Cuban Americans and the "Queen of Salsa"? Find out in this addition to the Who HQ library!
Although her family and friends know her as Úrsula Hilaria Celia de la Caridad Cruz Alfonso, the world refers to her simply as Celia Cruz. Starting her career in 1950, Celia grew... Read More »
Who Was Queen Elizabeth?
By: June Eding
Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
Length: 51 minutes
Abridged: No
Our bestselling series is fit for a queen!
The life of Queen Elizabeth I was dramatic and dangerous: cast out of her father's court at the age of three and imprisoned at nineteen, Elizabeth was crowned queen in 1558, when she was only twenty-five. A tough, intelligent woman who spoke five languages, Elizabeth ruled for over forty years and led... Read More »
Who Was Steve Jobs?
By: Pam Pollack & Meg Belviso
Narrated by: Rob Shapiro
Length: 1 hour 2 minutes
Abridged: No
Steve Jobs, adopted in infancy by a family in San Francisco, packed a lot of life into fifty-six short years. In this Who Was…? biography, children will learn how his obsession with computers and technology at an early age led him to co-found and run Apple, in addition to turning Pixar into a ground-breaking animation studio. A college dropout,... Read More »
Soon
Who Was Ida B. Wells?
By: Sarah Fabiny & Who HQ
Length:
Abridged: No
The story of how a girl born into slavery became an early leader in the civil rights movement and the most famous black female journalist in nineteenth-century America.
Born into slavery in 1862, Ida Bell Wells was freed as a result of the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865. Yet she could see just how unjust the world she was living in was. This... Read More »
Who Was Roberto Clemente?
By: James Buckley, Jr.
Narrated by: Ron Butler
Length: 59 minutes
Abridged: No
Growing up the youngest of seven children in Puerto Rico, Roberto Clemente had a talent for baseball. His incredible skill soon got him drafted into the big leagues where he spent 18 seasons playing right field for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Who Was Roberto Clemente? tells the story of this remarkable athlete: a twelve-time All-Star, World Series... Read More »
Who Was Ferdinand Magellan?
By: S. A. Kramer
Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
Length: 1 hour 3 minutes
Abridged: No
When Portuguese sailor Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Spain in 1519, he believed he could get to the Spice Islands by sailing west through or around the New World. He was right, but what he didn't know was that the treacherous voyage would take him three years and cost him his life. Read More »
Who Was Muhammad Ali?
By: James Buckley, Jr.
Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
Length: 1 hour 1 minute
Abridged: No
Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. won the world heavyweight championship at the age of 22, the same year he joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. He would go on to become the first and only three-time (in succession) World Heavyweight Champion. Nicknamed “The Greatest,” Ali was as well known for his unique boxing style,... Read More »
Who Was Frederick Douglass?
By: April Jones Prince
Narrated by: John H. Mayer
Length: 1 hour 4 minutes
Abridged: No
Born into slavery in Maryland in 1818, Frederick Douglass was determined to gain freedom--and once he realized that knowledge was power, he secretly learned to read and write to give himself an advantage. After escaping to the North in 1838, as a free man he gave powerful speeches about his experience as a slave. He was so impressive that he... Read More »
Who Was Leonardo da Vinci?
By: Roberta Edwards
Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
Length: 55 minutes
Abridged: No
Leonardo da Vinci was a gifted painter, talented musician, and dedicated scientist and inventor, designing flying machines, submarines, and even helicopters. Yet he had a hard time finishing things, a problem anyone can relate to. Only thirteen paintings are known to be his; as for the illustrated encyclopedia he intended to create, all that... Read More »
Who Was Alfred Hitchcock?
By: Pamela D. Pollack & Meg Belviso
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
Length: 52 minutes
Abridged: No
Known as one of the most influential filmmakers of all time, Alfred Hitchcock’s unique vision in movies like Psycho and The Birds sent shivers down our spines and shockwaves through the film industry. His innovative camera techniques have been studied for decades and his gift for storytelling cemented his place in history. Many directors make... Read More »
Who Was Dr. Seuss?
By: Janet Pascal
Narrated by: Danny Campbell
Length: 57 minutes
Abridged: No
Ted Geisel loved to doodle from the time he was a kid. He had an offbeat, fun-loving personality. He often threw dinner parties where guests wore outrageous hats! And he donned quirky hats when thinking up ideas for books-like his classic The Cat in the Hat. This biography brings an amazingly gifted author/illustrator to life. Read More »
Who Was Julius Caesar?
By: Nico Medina & Who HQ
Length: 1 hour 4 minutes
Abridged: No
He came. He saw. He conquered. Julius Caesar was a force to be reckoned with as a savvy politician, an impressive orator, and a brave soldier. Born in Rome in 100 BC, he quickly climbed the ladder of Roman politics, making allies--and enemies--along the way. His victories in battle awarded him the support of the people, but flush from power, he... Read More »
Who Was Blackbeard?
By: James Buckley, Jr. & Who HQ
Length: 58 minutes
Abridged: No
Though much of his early life remains a mystery, Blackbeard most likely began his life as Edward Teach in the sailing port of Bristol, England. He began his career as a hired British sailor during Queen Anne's War. He eventually settled in the Bahamas under Captain Benjamin Hornigold who taught the young sailor to go "a-pirating." Soon enough,... Read More »
Who Was Joan of Arc?
By: Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso & Who HQ
Length: 55 minutes
Abridged: No
Joan of Arc was born in a small French village during the worst period of the Hundred Years' War. For generations, France had been besieged by the British. At age 11, Joan began to see religious visions telling her to join forces with the King of France. By the time she was a teenager, she was leading troops into battle in the name of her... Read More »
Who Is Pele?
By: James Buckley, Jr. & Who HQ
Length: 56 minutes
Abridged: No
The story of a poor boy from Brazil who became the greatest soccer player of all time and one of the most important athletes of the twentieth century!
His parents may have named him Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but to the rest of the world, he is known as Pelé. The now-retired professional soccer forward stunned Brazil when he began playing for... Read More »
Who Was Selena?
By: Max Bisantz, Kate Bisantz & Who HQ
Length: 1 hour
Abridged: No
Discover why Selena, the Queen of Tejano music, became one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the twentieth century!
As a young girl, Selena Quintanilla sang in a band called Selena y Los Dinos with her brother and sister. The family performed at fairs, weddings, quinceañeras, and on street corners in their native Texas.... Read More »
Who Was Marie Antoinette?
By: Dana Meachen Rau & Who HQ
Length: 57 minutes
Abridged: No
From the palaces of Austria to the mirrored halls of Versailles, Marie Antoinette led a charmed life. She was born into royalty in 1755 and married the future king of France at age 15. By 21 she ascended to the throne and enjoyed a lavish lifestyle of masquerade balls, sky-high wigs, and extravagant food. But her taste for excess ruffled many... Read More »
Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
By: Bonnie Bader & Peter Jay Fernandez
Length: 1 hour 13 minutes
Abridged: No
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was only 25 when he helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott and was soon organizing black people across the country in support of the right to vote, desegregation, and other basic civil rights. Maintaining nonviolent and peaceful tactics even when his life was threatened, King was also an advocate for the poor and... Read More »
Who Was Coretta Scott King?
By: Gail Herman & Who HQ
Length: 1 hour 4 minutes
Abridged: No
The wife of Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King was a civil rights leader in her own right, playing a prominent role in the African American struggle for racial equality in the 1960s.
Here's a gripping portrait of a smart, remarkable woman. Growing up in Alabama, Coretta Scott King graduated valedictorian from her high school before... Read More »
Who Was Bruce Lee?
By: Jim Gigliotti
Narrated by: Fred Sanders
Length: 55 minutes
Abridged: No
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American action film star, martial arts instructor, filmmaker, and philosopher. His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim. Through such films as Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon, Lee helped to change the way Asians were presented... Read More »
Who Is J.K. Rowling?
By: Pamela D. Pollack & Meg Belviso
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
Length: 1 hour 4 minutes
Abridged: No
Everyone loves Harry Potter. Now kids can learn about Harry's creator!
In 1995, on a four-hour-delayed train from Manchester to London, J. K. Rowling conceived of the idea of a boy wizard named Harry Potter. Upon arriving in London, she began immediately writing the first book in the saga. Rowling's true-life, rags-to-riches story is as... Read More »
Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder?
By: Patricia Brennan Demuth
Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
Length: 58 minutes
Abridged: No
Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books, based on her own childhood and later life, are still beloved classics almost a century after she began writing them. Now young readers will see just how similar Laura's true-life story was to her books. Born in 1867 in the "Big Woods" in Wisconsin, Laura experienced both the hardship and the adventure... Read More »
Who Was Abraham Lincoln?
By: Janet Pascal
Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
Length: 59 minutes
Abridged: No
Born to a family of farmers, Lincoln stood out from an early age—literally! (He was six feet four inches tall.) As sixteenth President of the United States, he guided the nation through the Civil War and saw the abolition of slavery. But Lincoln was tragically shot one night at Ford’s Theater—the first President to be assassinated. Read More »
Who Was Betsy Ross?
By: James Buckley, Jr. & Who HQ
Length: 54 minutes
Abridged: No
Born the eighth of seventeen children in Philadelphia, Betsy Ross lived in a time when the American colonies were yearning for independence from British rule. Ross worked as a seamstress and was eager to contribute to the cause, making tents and repairing uniforms when the colonies declared war. By 1779 she was filling cartridges for the... Read More »
Who Was Albert Einstein?
By: Jess Brallier
Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
Length: 1 hour 2 minutes
Abridged: No
Everyone has heard of Albert Einstein-but what exactly did he do? How much do kids really know about Albert Einstein besides the funny hair and genius label? For instance, do they know that he was expelled from school as a kid? Finally, here's the story of Albert Einstein's life, told in a fun, engaging way that clearly explores the world he... Read More »
Who Was Jim Henson?
By: Joan Holub
Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
Length: 1 hour 3 minutes
Abridged: No
Jim Henson broke into television with a five-minute puppetry segment when he was only a freshman in college. He created puppets like none ever seen before, with expressive fabric faces and rod-controlled arms. His Muppets became world-renowned celebrities and formed the backbone of a media empire. With black-and-white illustrations throughout,... Read More »
Who Was Bob Marley?
By: Katie Ellison
Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo
Length: 1 hour 3 minutes
Abridged: No
Get Up, Stand Up! for the king of reggae music!
Bob Marley was a reggae superstar who is considered to be one of the most influential musicians of all time. Born in rural Jamaica, this musician and songwriter began his career with his band, The Wailing Wailers, in 1963. The Wailers went on to spread the gospel of reggae music around the globe.... Read More »
Who Was Walt Disney?
By: Whitney Stewart
Narrated by: Dan Woren
Length: 59 minutes
Abridged: No
Walt Disney always loved to entertain people. Often it got him into trouble. Once he painted pictures with tar on the side of his family's white house. His family was poor, and the happiest time of his childhood was spent living on a farm in Missouri. His affection for small-town life is reflected in Disneyland Main Streets around the world.... Read More »
Who Was George Washington Carver?
By: Jim Gigliotti & Who HQ
Length: 56 minutes
Abridged: No
Born in 1860s Missouri, nobody expected George Washingtoni Carver to succeed. Slaves were not allowed to be educated. After the Civil War, Carver enrolled in classes and proved to be a star student. He became the first black student at Iowa State Agricultural College and later its first black professor. He went on to the Tuskegee Institute where... Read More »
Who Was Ben Franklin?
By: Dennis Brindell Fradin
Narrated by: Paul Michael
Length: 1 hour
Abridged: No
Ben Franklin was the scientist who, with the help of a kite, discovered that lightning is electricity. He was also a statesman, an inventor, a printer, and an author-a man of such amazingly varied talents that some people claimed he had magical powers! Full of all the details kids will want to know, the true story of Benjamin Franklin is by... Read More »
Who Was Jesse Owens?
By: James Buckley, Jr.
Narrated by: Charles Constant
Length: 55 minutes
Abridged: No
At the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, track and field star Jesse Owens ran himself straight into international glory by winning four gold medals. But the life of Jesse Owens is much more than a sports story. Born in rural Alabama under the oppressive Jim Crow laws, Owens's family suffered many hardships. As a boy he worked several jobs like... Read More »
Who Was George Washington?
By: Roberta Edwards & Who HQ
Length: 1 hour 3 minutes
Abridged: No
In 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States. He has been called the father of our country for leading America through its early years. Washington also served in two major wars during his lifetime: the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. Washington's fascinating story comes to life--revealing the real... Read More »
Who Was Leif Erikson?
By: Nico Medina & Who HQ
Length: 1 hour 2 minutes
Abridged: No
Hold on to your Viking helmets as you learn about the first known European to set foot on North America in this exciting addition to the Who Was? series!
Leif Erikson was born to be an explorer. His father, Erik the Red, had established the first European settlement in present-day Greenland, and although he didn't yet know it, Leif was destined... Read More »
Who Was Susan B. Anthony?
By: Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso & Who HQ
Length: 1 hour 5 minutes
Abridged: No
Susan B. Anthony may be an international icon but her campaign for women's rights had personal roots. Working as a school teacher in New York, Anthony refused to settle for less pay than her male colleagues which ignited her lifelong devotion to women's equality. Anthony toured the United States and Europe giving speeches and publishing articles... Read More »
Who Was Harry Houdini?
By: Tui Sutherland
Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
Length: 1 hour 18 minutes
Abridged: No
Every kid has heard of Harry Houdini, the famous magician who could escape from handcuffs, jail cells, and locked trunks. But do they know that the ever-ambitious and adventurous Houdini was also a famous movie star and the first pilot to fly a plane in Australia? This well-told biography is full of the details of Houdini's life that kids will... Read More »
Who Was Harriet Beecher Stowe?
By: Dana Meachen Rau
Narrated by: Susan Hanfield
Length: 58 minutes
Abridged: No
Born in Connecticut in 1811, Harriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist, author, and playwright. Slavery was a major industry in the American South, and Stowe worked with the Underground Railroad to help escaped slaves head north towards freedom. The publication of her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a scathing anti-slavery novel, fanned the flames that... Read More »
Who Was Gandhi?
By: Dana Meachen Rau & Who HQ
Length: 1 hour 1 minute
Abridged: No
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in 1869 in British-occupied India. Though he studied law in London and spent his early adulthood in South Africa, he remained devoted to his homeland and spent the later part of his life working to make India an independent nation. Calling for non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi led India to independence... Read More »
Who Was King Tut?
By: Roberta Edwards
Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
Length: 52 minutes
Abridged: No
Ever since Howard Carter uncovered King Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922, the young pharaoh has become a symbol of the wealth and mystery of ancient Egypt. This Who Was . . . ? explains the life and times of this ancient Egyptian ruler, covering the story of the tomb’s discovery, as well as myths and so-called mummy curses. Read More »
Who Is Hillary Clinton?
By: Heather Alexander
Narrated by: Nan McNamara
Length: 56 minutes
Abridged: No
Who Is Hillary Clinton? Readers of our New York Times best-selling series can find out now!
At age fourteen, Hillary Clinton thought it would be thrilling to become an astronaut, so she sent an application to NASA. The reply was a flat out rejection: the space program didn't take women. It was a critical moment for the young girl, one that made... Read More »
Who Was Amelia Earhart?
By: Kate Boehm Jerome
Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
Length: 49 minutes
Abridged: No
Amelia Earhart was a woman of many "firsts." In 1932, she became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1935, she also became the first woman to fly across the Pacific. From her early years to her mysterious 1937 disappearance while attempting a flight around the world, readers will find Amelia Earhart's life a fascinating... Read More »
Who Was Claude Monet?
By: Ann Waldron
Narrated by: Arthur Morey
Length: 55 minutes
Abridged: No
Claude Monet is considered one of the most influential artists of all time. He is a founder of the French Impressionist art movement, and today his paintings sell for millions of dollars. While Monet was alive, however, his work was often criticized and he struggled financially. With over one hundred black-and-white illustrations, this book... Read More »
Who Is Derek Jeter?
By: Gail Herman
Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne
Length: 58 minutes
Abridged: No
When Derek Jeter was eight years old, he announced that he was going to play baseball for the New York Yankees. Jeter earned the attention of major league scouts in high school and was drafted to the New York Yankees in 1992. Named Rookie of the Year, he helped the Yankees win the World Series five times, and became team captain in 2003. With... Read More »
Who Was Pablo Picasso?
By: True Kelley
Narrated by: Fred Sanders
Length: 44 minutes
Abridged: No
Over a long, turbulent life, Picasso continually discovered new ways of seeing the world and translating it into art. A restless genius, he went through a blue period, a rose period, and a Cubist phase. He made collages, sculptures out of everyday objects, and beautiful ceramic plates. True Kelley's engaging biography is a wonderful introduction... Read More »
Soon
Who Is Jackie Chan?
By: Jody Jensen Shaffer & Who HQ
Length: 1 hour
Abridged: No
How did Jackie Chan become one of the most recognizable and beloved actors in the world? Find out in this exciting biography of this martial artist turned international film superstar.
When Kong-sang was a young boy in Hong Kong, he enjoyed practicing martial arts with his dad but hated going to school. He was eventually enrolled in the China... Read More »
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