The year is about to come to an end and thoughts are turning to what we are determined to accomplish in the coming year. One of the things we have accomplished in the children's library in recent weeks is the unearthing of some wonderful biographies. If young people have aspirations to better themselves in the coming year, reading some new and interesting books can be just the ticket.

Biographies are particularly good because from them we learn about the struggles and challenges that great people have faced to achieve success. Learning from obstacles that had to be overcome is a great way to get young people to realize that the things truly worth having in life do not come without sacrifice.

Some of our biographies include a series called "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists." This series features the Old Masters, like Renoir and Monet, as well as 20th century artists, such as Norman Rockwell and Georgia O'Keefe. This large set will now be shelved for easier access by the name of each artist featured in the set.

For those who enjoy reading about explorers, "I, Columbus," written in journal style is a good pick. I was struck by the difficulties Columbus had with those on his crew. Young readers can learn that it often takes real people skills to be the one in charge.

Since I once lived within an hour's drive of Rochester, Minnesota, "Frontier Surgeons: A Story about the Mayo Brothers" was interesting to me. The Mayo Brothers were responsible for the founding of the now world-famous Mayo Clinic.

Anyone who likes reading about the frontier life of the Wild West will enjoy "Doc Holliday." This book contains real photographs of scenes from the late 1800s, and some of the story takes place in Dodge City. Sports heroes abound in any biography section, and ours is no exception. Everyone from baseball's Dizzy Dean to NFL great Brett Favre can be found on our shelves.

Musicians are not to be left out either. With composers and performers alike, we have George Gershwin and Duke Ellington, along with many others.

Here's a real eye-catching title you might want to check out…"Chewing the Cud." This book is particularly good for fans of author Dick King-Smith of Babe, the Gallant Pig fame. Through King-Smith's humorous memoir, readers meet a variety of animals that have been part of his life. The book jacket tells about "Anna, the dachshund who turned out to be just stubborn, not deaf; the 600-pound pig Monty, who liked to be scratched on top of his head; and Wilhelmina, a pet badger, who was fond of bestowing love bites."

Readers can easily see where the inspiration for characters in King-Smith's books comes from. King-Smith's approach to writing will assure aspiring young writers that one doesn't have to follow a strict writing guideline to reach a good end product.

I have touched on just a few of our great biographies. If none of these sound interesting, why not browse our biography section and find something that appeals to you? A gem of wisdom may be found that will be an inspiration for the new year.