The 14th Dalai Lama: Spiritual Leader of Tibet (Lerner Biographies) [Hardcover]

Whitney Stewart (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up | Series: Lerner Biographies

A biography of the current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, discussing the history of Tibet and the role of the Buddhist leader in this country's spiritual and political life.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up?This clearly written book chronologically traces the subject's life, from the fascinating discovery that he was the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, to his childhood of rigorous Buddhist religious education, to his present situation as a leader in exile. As a theocracy, the political and spiritual in Tibet are intertwined, and this biography reflects that fact by concentrating on both the political history of the country and on the spiritual life of the subject. The author's sympathies are clearly with the Dalai Lama and his decisions. Chinese justifications for annexing Tibet are presented, but easily explained away. The Dalai Lama's accomplishments in maintaining and promoting Tibetan culture in exiled Tibetan communities around the world are praised. The text is illustrated with well-chosen black-and-white and full-color photographs from various archives. A useful addition for reports.?Susan Middleton, LaJolla Country Day School, CA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Lerner Publications (February 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822549263
• ISBN-13: 978-0822549260
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,689,019 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #68 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( D ) > Dalai, Lama

More About the Author

Whitney Stewart is an award-winning author of young adult biographies, middle grade novels, and picture books. She has traveled widely in Asia and interviewed such figures as the 14th Dalai Lama, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Sir Edmund Hillary.

Whitney experienced Hurricane Katrina while trapped in a building in downtown New Orleans. She was helicoptered out of the city with her son and elderly mother-in-law. During her semester away from home, Whitney lived on Nantucket, researched the island's history and ghost lore, and wrote three children's books.

Whitney loves to travel, read, meditate, hike, bike, kayak, and do yoga. She is also a Level III Reiki practitioner and is studying Classical Tibetan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating interview-based biography, June 29, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The 14th Dalai Lama: Spiritual Leader of Tibet (Lerner Biographies) (Hardcover)

I've read several of Whitney Stewart's bios, and come to realize she is a highly conscientious biographer who bases her bios on iterviews with her subjects. Few biographers for children bother with interviews; most glean highlights about theis subjects' lives from secondary materials.

In contrst, Stewart interviews her subjects. She interviewed the dalai lama for this book and it shows in the quality and quantity of details she presents. For example, she mentions a heartbreaking childhood memory of the dalai lama's: When he was a child, a poor couple passed their house with a dead child. The Dalai Lama's mother offered to help them bury the child, but they were so desperately hungry that--well, you can guess what they were intending, in their desperation. Instead, the dalai lama's family fed and helped them.
That's the kind of detail a biographer doesn't come up with easily--not unless they have their subject before them, telling them their first hand story.
I am an adult reader, and feel the book, like all her bios, are appropriate for both kids and adults. Bravo!

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Little Dali Lhama, March 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The 14th Dalai Lama: Spiritual Leader of Tibet (Lerner Biographies) (Hardcover)

A great biography about the Dali Lhama and Tibet. It is easy to read and very instresting. A good amount of vocabulary for 7-10 year olds. Whitney Stewart makes it much easier to understand about the Dali Lhama and what is happening in Tibet. END

0 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Where's my daughter's review?, March 31, 2000

By 

Miriam - See all my reviews

This review is from: The 14th Dalai Lama: Spiritual Leader of Tibet (Lerner Biographies) (Hardcover)

My nine year old daughter wrote a review of this book which we bought from you. What happened to it? [e-mail]