"Shel SIlverstein" is a great text that looks into the life and times of a very famous children's author. It provides an interesting and in depth look at his childhood, interests, and accomplishments.
I feel that this text is a great way to have students look into biographies and auto-biographies. I feel that this genre is sometimes difficult for students to dive into, and something that students really need some guidance into.
I think it would be really cool to have students sit down and write their own short biographies. I feel that this would give me an insight as to the backgrounds and attitudes of my students.