From Booklist
Reviewed with Leslie Garrett's Helen Keller.Gr. 5-10. Most of the famous people in the new DK Biography series have been well covered in books, films, and plays, and their autobiographies have remained international best-sellers. That said, these attractive books are, nonetheless, highly readable, worthwhile overviews for young people that introduce both personal and wider background and historical issues. For Anne Frank, Sawyer drew extensively on several sources, including the diary in its various versions and accounts by Anne's father and their rescuer Miep Gies. Her clear history makes this a good place to start research. Less has been written about Keller, so many readers will find Garrett's book a fascinating first look at the amazing woman, blind and deaf since childhood, who, helped by a devoted teacher, learned to read and speak and traveled the world as an inspiring public speaker and political activist. The publisher's familiar illustration-rich page design works well in the smaller format of this series, and the smooth narratives are broken up on every page with boxed facts and quotes as well as well-chosen, small color photos. For other titles in the series, see the Series Roundup in this issue. Hazel Rochman
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Book Description
Tells the incredible story of this courageous young writer.
In this groundbreaking new series, DK brings together fresh voices and DK design values to give readers the most information-packed, visually exciting biographies on the market today. Full-color photographs of people, places, and artifacts, definitions of key words, and sidebars on related subjects add dimension and relevance to stories of famous lives that students will love to read.
Anne Frank FROM THE PUBLISHER
Anne Frank's life in Amsterdam was happy and full of friends. But as the Nazis gained power during World War II, Anne's family and friends, like other Jews, faced harsh new rules, curfews, arrest, and worse. When the danger struck close to home, the Franks went into hiding in the secret annex...and 13-year-old Anne's life changed forever.
FROM THE CRITICS
KLIATT - Penelope Power
These four titles are part of the new Dorling Kindersley biography series for children and young adults. Printed in China on glossy paper with an abundance of photographs (color photos produced in Italy), the books are wonderful to look at and most interesting to read. The four authors have good credentials and all have a talent for getting a lot of information in the 127-page books. The page is laid out so that almost all pages have a photograph—sometimes spreading over two pages. Across the top of the open pages is, in each book, a frieze of photographs. Small "definition boxes" explain what may be new in the text. In the biography of Helen Keller, for example, one chapter has definition boxes for Emanuel Swendenborg and the Braillewriter. While the number of chapters may vary, each book has a timeline, a bibliography and suggested places to visit for further study. The titles are definitely recommended for libraries. The cost is reasonable and they may also be considered as textbooks. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2004, DK, 127p. illus. bibliog. index., Ages 12 to 15.
Art & Photography
Book Info
