Paul Laurence Dunbar (Black Americans of Achievement) [Library Binding]

Tony Gentry (Author), Nathan Irvin Huggins (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1989 | Age Level: 11 and up

Examines the life of the poet and novelist who battled racism and accepted the challenge of depicting the black experience in America.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-- The life of a man once dubbed "the poet laureate of the Negro People." The son of two former slaves, Dunbar wrote lyrical poems both in standard English and in black dialect which gave voice to black experiences. Gentry weaves together the details of Dunbar's personal life with his literary accomplishments, often providing excerpts of his work to demonstrate Dunbar's thinking. In a clear style, Gentry emphasizes that Dunbar struggled not only for literary success but also for social equality. This chronicle is informative, and the succinct presentation provides a well-drawn picture of Dunbar's life as well as an outline of his work. The liberally supplied black-and-white photographs and illustrations add to the text and give readers a sense of the era. This would be useful for reports for a slightly older audience than for Patricia McKissack's Paul Laurence Dunbar: a Poet to Remember (Childrens, 1984). --Susan Fichtelberg, Woodbridge Public Library, N . J .
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Library Binding: 110 pages
• Publisher: Chelsea House Publications (December 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555465838
• ISBN-13: 978-1555465834
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #395,940 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative and fascinating, January 12, 2002

By 

gaylelbf (Montgomery, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paul Laurence Dunbar (Black Americans of Achievement) (Paperback)

The books I have read in this series, Black Americans of Achievement, have all been terrific. They are clearly written and easy for children to understand. They have marvelous black and white illustrations and photographs throughout. Each illustration and photograph has a caption that gives the reader more information about places, people, and events related to the subject of the biography.

The length of the books is just right. These books are long enough to cover the important events in the subject's life and to meet the requirements that teachers often give for book reports (a book longer than 50 pages. Yet they are short enough that they don't intimidate elementary school children. (This biography of Paul Laurence Dunbar has 110 pages.)

These books are well organized and informative. In the back are an appendix, a chronology of the person's life, a bibliography, and an index.

The biography of Paul Laurence Dunbar was fascinating. I am curious to know more about this poet, especially his religious beliefs. Also, I would like to read more of his writings. He had many obstacles to overcome, such as being poor and black at a time when racism was rampant. (He lived from 1872 to 1906.) Yet he worked hard, took risks, and persevered until he achieved his dream of being a successful poet and author. He was a very talented poet who inspired other black poets such as Langston Hughes. However, the latter years of his life were sad and tragic as he became chronically ill and developed an alcohol problem. Details about his alcohol problems were omitted, as is appropriate in a book written for elementary children. I am now interested in reading an adult biography and am curious to know if he turned to God for comfort in his despair.