December 1, 2012
Gr 7-10-These books trace the lives of pop-culture notables from childhood to their sudden deaths, and the personal and professional triumphs and troubles in between. The opening chapters detail a specific performance by the celebrity. This career highpoint exemplifies the individual's qualities and abilities that were admired, generated sales, and attracted legions of fans. The chapters conclude with a statement that tells when the person died, piquing readers' interest to discover how the star had gone from one of the brightest moments to such a tragic ending. The narrative history has an informative tone, balancing opinions and quotes from the subjects and insiders close to them, and critics' views, along with important facts and milestones. The books convey a sense of what made these performers legendary, how they influenced others, and why their legacies endure. The authors provide helpful context to the eras in which they lived, such as the common practice of prescribing sleeping pills and amphetamines. Large color, captioned photographs appear throughout, and sidebars supply helpful background material. These up-to-date biographies should find an audience in middle and high school collections. While the books maintain that the tragic ends do not diminish their subjects' accomplishments, the authors neither romanticize nor glamorize these lifestyles marred by substance abuse.-June Shimonishi, Torrance Public Library, CA
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