J. R. R. Tolkien: Creator of Languages and Legends (Great Life Stories-Writers and Poets) [Hardcover]

Doris Lynch (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Great Life Stories: Writers and Poets

Meet important people who have made an impact on our political and social landscape. These titles make wonderful supplemental reading for students taking U.S. or world history classes.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9–In a thoughtful and appreciative biography, Lynch explains how the beloved hobbit came to be created by a man whose fascination with dead languages led him to write fantasy stories, as well as to create and study language throughout his lifetime. Tolkien's fans will meet the man behind the tales: a soldier, a teacher, an Englishman, and a Catholic. And most importantly, they will meet a writer and a father. Through a combination of his close relationship with his children and his discontent with the modern world, he was able to give his readers a mythical, imaginative world of the past. In Lynch's biography, despite his otherworldliness, Tolkien comes off as being entirely human, a man who drove his car into walls, had trouble writing at times, and even made spelling errors. Supplemental information, in the way of archival photographs and sidebars, help to put the material in context. There is an affectionate tone in the writing here, and readers will be touched and inspired by this carefully crafted portrait.–Holly T. Sneeringer, St. Mark School, Baltimore, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Reviewed with Christin Ditchfield's Condoleeza Rice.

Gr. 5-8. These biographies in the new Great Life Stories series, one about a contemporary political leader, the other about an enduring literary giant, tell of blazing success, without a hint of criticism or failure. The drama is in the struggle, and both books do a good job of relating the personal life story to the history of the times. Ditchfield describes Rice from her childhood in segregated Birmingham, Alabama, to her role as the first woman to be national security advisor in the White House, counseling President Bush on international affairs. Lynch's biography may surprise even ardent Tolkien fans, who will learn how much the famous writer's stories draw on his personal experience, including his childhood in the English countryside (which became Hobbit land) and his trauma in World War I. The books have an open design, with lots of photos and boxed insets, and a detailed chronology of the life and times of the subjects. Rice includes only a vague note about sources; Tolkien is better documented, with some sources given for direct quotes. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Franklin Watts (Scholastic) (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0531122530
• ISBN-13: 978-0531122532
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,452,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great biography, April 20, 2004

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: J. R. R. Tolkien: Creator of Languages and Legends (Great Life Stories-Writers and Poets) (Hardcover)

This slim and attractive book is a wonderful biography of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, the author of the classic works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Starting with his birth in South Africa in 1892, the book follows his life, focusing on the love of languages that he maintained throughout his life. Along the way, the reader is treated to many colorful pictures and informative sidebars.

Although this biography was written with the younger read (9-12) in mind, in truth it is a great biography for anyone interested in J.R.R. Tolkien. First my thirteen-year-old daughter read this book, then my wife did, and now I have; and I must say that we all enjoyed it. The book is easy to understand, but does not skimp on information. Overall, I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone interested in J.R.R. Tolkien.