Juvenile Biographies of famous americans series 1950s or 1960s

Dear All:

I read in about 1966 and '67, around when I was eight, a series of biographies of US figures such as Daniel Boone, etc. The books were hardcover and, I think, the covers were light green (...but the memories are over 40 years old...). Does anyone recall this series of books? My school library had them.

I think that's the same series I've been trying to recall for years. Were they for 5th/6th grade level? I for some reason always remember them as being red, but you may be right. They got me started on my interest in reading bios. Did the ones you're thinking of also have small drawings in them, although, otherwise being "chapter books"?

My public library had them, or a similar set, which I read around the same time, at about the same age. I remember where they were in the library, but not the color of the covers. Maybe black and blue illustrations at the beginning of each chapter? First one that came to mind was Amelia Earhart, quick search gets to a biography "originally published in 1950", now revised and included in the Young Patriots Series, description sounds awfully familiar: http://www.amazon.com/Amelia-Earhart-Young-Pioneer-Patriots/dp/1882859022.

They sound like contemporaries of the Landmark Book Series (Random House).

That was going to be my guess too, Sandydog.

I remember the books you're referring to; I probably read every one the school library had.
The books listed for writer Augusta Stevenson sound like the same series:
http://www.librarything.com/author/stevensonaugusta

Some LTers have included covers for the older editions.

I think we've got it surrounded! :-)

It's the "Young Patriots" series now, but I'm pretty sure it was the Childhood of Famous Americans Series back when I was devouring it in grades 3-5 or so. The ones I remember were the editions with the tan covers highlighted in pale green and white, but the earlier versions had red covers with black printing.

There was also a similar series (not mentioned yet, I think) called "The American Adventure," which told the entire life of the individual and not just their childhood. The titles I *remember* from that series were: Pilot Jack Knight (early airmail pilot), and Alec Majors (trail boss on Texas cattle drives), but I know there were others . . . maybe Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Kit Carson, etc. The problem is that my memory conflates the two series. :-)

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I remember a turquoise or deep aqua cloth bound series with red script lettering (in a somewhat abstract circle.) Some line drawings. It wasn't the Landmark series. I'd love to figure out what they were....

I loved the Childhood of Famous Americans series. Many of the people I read about I had never heard of before. I learned to love reading biographies and remember the turquoise cloth covers. There was a 3-book limit at my library, but I spent so much time there, the children's librarian let me checkout 5.