Check It Out:

The world is full of fascinating stories. From early times, the human race has recorded the stories of its people. One reason we love learning about other people is that we gain knowledge and inspiration from hearing about their experiences.

Biographies are a great way to learn about people and the things they do. These recently published biographies geared for boys and girls introduce children and their caregivers to well-known and some not-as-well-known people who have influenced our lives in many ways:

At some point, most American children learn about a little girl named Anne Frank. Her writings give us a glimpse of what life must have been like during World War II. Menno Metselaar has given readers another interesting look into Anne’s life in his book, “Anne Frank, Her Life in Words and Pictures.” Not only do we see pictures of Anne and her family, but photographs of the annex where they hid.

“Tutankhamun” is a beautiful book written and illustrated by Demi. She used Egyptian paintings, temples and artifacts for her inspiration and the gold lined photos make the pages shine. The life of King Tut is clearly depicted in Demi’s signature style.

If the fluorescent colors on the cover of this book do not grab your attention, the fun story inside will. In “The Day-Glo Brothers,” Chris Barton tells the story of Bob and Joe Switzer, the two brothers who discovered and created fluorescent paint.

Their color creations can be seen around the world on signs, in paintings, on all kinds of objects — even on the clothes you wear!

Susy, the daughter of Mark Twain, writes a biography about her father in “The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy)” by Barbara Kerley. Susy details both the fine and the not-so-fine qualities her father possesses. The book’s construction is intriguing due to a small inset of “journal” pages, where Susy records her observations and the actual text and pictures that tell the rest of the story.

Most kids today have grown up with television, but not that long ago, there was no such thing. Philo was a boy with lots of ideas and questions. He was fascinated by all kinds of machines, science and inventions. In “The Boy Who Invented TV, The Story of Philo Farnsworth” by Kathleen Krull, we learn about the boy who figured out how to transfer an image onto a screen using electricity. Because of his curiosity and persistence, Philo helped change the way we are entertained and learn things today.

“Bad News for Outlaws” by Vaunda Michaeux Nelson tells the story of Bass Reeves, a deputy U.S. marshal. This riveting tale tells the story of Reeves life, including stories about his time as a deputy marshal. Reeves was feared by criminals and made more than 3,000 arrests in his law enforcing career. Despite his hard life, Reeves always had a strong sense of justice.

Children will gain respect for this real-life African American hero of the Old West.

CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public Library. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers by accessing the catalog at www.newportbeachlibrary.org. For more information on the Central Library or any of the branches, please contact the Newport Beach Public Library at (949) 717-3800, option 2.