From School Library Journal
Gr 5-10-The stranger-than-fiction story of the rise and fall of one of America's most important literary figures. Kent picks up Poe's sad tale as the writer lay dying in a gutter in Baltimore. What follows is a chronological unraveling of the fabric of his tragic life to provide answers to the who, what, where, when, and why questions of persistent investigators. The biography includes material gleaned from primary-source documents and reference works with snippets from Poe's stories and poems. The writing is clear and interesting, with moments of colorful prose to captivate readers. The excellent use of footnotes and other bibliographic tools provides a skillful model for students. Information is easy to find, and black-and-white illustrations highlight important places, people, and objects. While this title is highly useful for reports, it is not as engaging in language and imagery for general readers as Tom Streissguth's Edgar Allan Poe (Lerner, 2001).
Lisa Denton, J. S. Russell JHS, Lawrenceville, VA
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
