Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man [School & Library Binding]

David A. Adler (Author), Terry Widener (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2001 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

This biography traces Gehrig’s life, from childhood through his illustrious career with the Yankees to his struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and his tragic death at age thirty-seven. Expressive illustrations capture the strength, modesty, and dignity for which this remarkable man will always be remembered. “Readers will feel good after reading this biography--and maybe even inspired to start measuring themselves against Gehrig’s standard.”--Kirkus Reviews

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The story of Lou Gehrig, the heroic Yankee who battled with ALS, was inspirational far beyond Yankee Stadium. David Adler's spare biography tells Gehrig's story just as the athlete lived: with unassuming simplicity. It's a wise choice, since the story is so affecting on its own. Another wise choice was Adler's decision to remain vague about the details of Gehrig's illness. The story is no less affecting without them, and probably contains enough sadness for any child. As good as this book is, Terry Widener's illustrations multiply its impact enormously.

[Recommended for ages 5-9. Older siblings will probably be willing to hang around to hear it though.] --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

PW called this picture-book biography of the man who played 2,130 consecutive games for the New York Yankees "a gracious tribute to a stalwart, modest and tirelessly optimistic man. Widener's stylized acrylics vividly re-create the look and feel of major league baseball in the '20s and '30s." Ages 6-9.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• School & Library Binding
• Publisher: San Val (April 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613355342
• ISBN-13: 978-0613355346
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 9.1 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,426,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write both fiction and non-fiction. I begin my fiction with the main character. The story comes later. Of course, since I'll be spending a lot of time with each main character, why not have him or her be someone I like? Andy Russell is based, loosely, on a beloved member of my family. He's fun to write about and the boy who inspired the character is even more fun to know. Cam Jansen is based even more loosely on a classmate of mine in the first grade whom we all envied because we thought he had a photographic memory. Now, especially when my children remind me of some promise they said I made, I really envy Cam's amazing memory. I have really enjoyed writing about Cam Jansen and her many adventures. For my books of non-fiction I write about subjects I find fascinating. My first biography was Our Golda: The Life of Golda Meir. To research that book, I bought a 1905 set of encyclopedia. Those books told me what each of the places Golda Meir lived in were like when she lived there. I've written many other biographies, including books about Martin Luther King, Jr; George Washington; Abraham Lincoln; Helen Keller; Harriet Tubman; Anne Frank; and many others in my Picture Book Biography series. I've been a Yankee and a Lou Gehrig fan for decades so I wrote Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man. It's more the story of his great courage than his baseball playing. Children face all sorts of challenges and it's my hope that some will be inspired by the courage of Lou Gehrig. I am working now on another book about a courageous man, Janusz Korczak. My book One Yellow Daffodil is fiction, too, but it's based on scores of interviews I did with Holocaust survivors for my books We Remember the Holocaust, Child of the Warsaw Ghetto, The Number on My Grandfather's Arm, and Hiding from the Nazis. The stories I heard were compelling. One Yellow Daffodil is both a look to the past and to the future, and expresses my belief in the great spirit and strength of our children. I love math and was a math teacher for many years, so it was fun for me to write several math books including Fraction Fun, Calculator Riddles, and Shape Up! Fun with Triangles and Other Polygons. In my office I have this sign, "Don't Think. Just Write!" and that's how I work. I try not to worry about each word, even each sentence or paragraph. For me stories evolve. Writing is a process. I rewrite each sentence, each manuscript, many times. And I work with my editors. I look forward to their suggestions, their help in the almost endless rewrite process. Well, it's time to get back to dreaming, and to writing, my dream of a job. David A. Adler is the author of more than 175 children's books, including the Young Cam Jansen series. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a woooooooonderful book, October 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man (Hardcover)

Lou Gehric was one of the best baseball player of all time despite his disease.Lou was a cool guy.He never mised a day at school for eight years.Samething in baseball he played about 2,120 games a record.He was a fighter in many ways but he's greatest battle was against his disease.Lou's record has been broken by Cal Ripken J.R.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is sweet! Lovely text, and awesome drawings!, October 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man (Hardcover)

This book is the sad story of Lou Gehrig, a true hero of New York. The up-beat drawings of the 1920's and 30's, really bring out the vibrant text.

5.0 out of 5 stars helpful in ways i didn't expect, October 2, 2010

By 

M. Twain "rapacious reader" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man (Paperback)

I bought this book for the illustrations, but then my husband was diagnosed with A.L.S. (Lou Gehrig's disease) and the only way I could explain the illness to my 6-year-old son was through this book. We read it over and over again. And feeling that his dad was like the "luckiest man" somehow made the whole horrible thing easier for him to grasp. Probably not the author's intent at all, but I'm grateful for David Adler's spare and eloquent text. If only there'd been something like it for my two older boys. . .