Paul Robeson: Singer and Actor (Black Americans of Achievement)

Grade 6-10 While Robeson's tremendous athletic, intellectual, musical, and dramatic talents are fully documented, the major thrust of Ehrlich's biography is Robeson's life as it was impacted by his advocacy of black civil rights and freedom of speech. His problems with the House Un-American Activities Committee, the FBI, and the State Department are vividly depicted as are his reactions to them. The black-and-white photographs of Robeson and his family are interesting and apropriate but not compelling. Preston's balanced characterization of Joplin presents him as the talented, ambitious, successful musician that he was while including his faults and problems. The black-and-white illustrations are fascinating; and while many are photographs of Joplin, his family, and important places in his life, others are reproductions that reflect the times in which he lived. Both volumes have useful appendixes; the Joplin book also includes a list of his compositions. Students will find that the format and organization of these volumes lend themselves extremely well to report writing; however, they are interesting and provocative enough to make good cover-to-cover reading. There are other good books such as Haskin's Scott Joplin: the Man Who Made Ragtime (Stein, 1980), Evans' Scott Joplin and the Ragtime Years (Dodd, 1976; o.p.), Freedomways Editor's Paul Robeson: the Great Forerunner (International Publishers Co., 1985), and Paul Robeson: the Life and Times of a Free Black Man (Dell, 1979; o.p.) by Virginia Hamilton, but none that are quite so appropriate to this age group because of the attractive format and readability. Janet E. Gelfand, Lawrence Junior High School, N.Y.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"The Black Americans of Achievement series is such a welcome addition to the body of works on Black American history. Here is a series with extensive illustrations and intelligent writing that makes history fun for young readers."