Who Was? (2025)

How did a girl growing up near the rainforests of Puerto Rico become a Hollywood star and the first Puerto Rican woman to win an Academy Award? Find out in this addition to the Who HQ library!Before she was Rita Moreno, Rosita Dolores Alverío emigrated to New York City from Puerto Rico with her mother when she was five years old. With a talent for dancing and performing, she started her career on the stage at age nine. By the time she was thirteen, Rita made her Broadway debut! Best known for her role in West Side Story, Rita became the first Puerto Rican woman to win an Academy Award and eventually the first Latina woman in history to win an EGOT, all four of the major entertainment awards. After thriving in Hollywood and on Broadway, Rita found joy in children’s television, and became a regular cast member with The Electric Company and a guest star on The Muppets. While sharing her love for music, dancing, and performing, she also focused on political activism in the 1960s, supporting Martin Luther King Jr. and the idea that by working together, change can be made for the better. Learn all about the career and life of the inspirational Hollywood and Broadway star Rita Moreno in this biography for young readers!

Learn about the Dutch artist behind beloved paintings like The Starry Night, Sunflowers, and over thirty self-portraits in this fascinating biography about Vincent Van Gogh for young readers.Today, Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most famous artists of all time. During his lifetime, he sold just one painting. This misunderstood painter was passionate about his craft and created over 2,100 pieces of art in just over a decade before he passed away at the age of thirty-seven. Bold shades of blue and yellow, dramatically thick paint application, and heavy brush strokes define Vincent's pieces that are now adored by millions of people all over the world.In his brief life, Vincent was an often lonely person who struggled with his mental health. Yet he was always supported by his brother Theo, who encouraged Vincent as he pursued his dreams of being a painter. Much of what we know about Vincent today is thanks to the hundreds of letters from him that Theo kept safe.