National Geographic Readers: Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, who courageously dealt with adversity and emerged a world leader, has been an inspirational role model for millions of people around the world, from students to presidents. After being imprisoned for 27 years, in 1994 he became South Africa's first democratically-elected president and shared the Nobel Peace Prize. Mandela died in 2013, but his legacy lives on as a barrier-breaker and humanitarian. Learn all about his life, especially the challenges he faced and how he persevered, in this thoughtful biography.

BARBARA KRAMER began writing biographies for children and young adults after following the advice of another author who said, "Write what you like to read." She remembered how much she enjoyed biographies when she was a kid, especially stories about trailblazers such as Davy Crockett, Daniel Boone, and Elizabeth Blackwell and decided that's what she wanted to write. Her subjects have included both historical figures and people in the news.