From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-In a lively style, Claro chronicles the life of Madonna and discusses her drive to succeed and excel. Her self-assurance and ambition, combined with a willingness to work hard, led to the development of her multifaceted talents. Her style and blatant sexuality have led to criticism from church groups and feminists, but she remains independent and resolute to express herself and test limits in performance. This is a well-balanced view of her life. Black-and-white photographs and listings of Madonna's films and recordings are included. This book fills a need for YA audiences as it is more accessible than Mark Bego's Madonna (Crown, 1992). Gentry begins with Presley's explosion on the musical scene and places his revolutionary style against the backdrop of the cultural milieu of the time. He then goes back to the beginning, revealing information about his subject's rise from poverty and awkwardness to fame, wealth, and mass adulation. Similar material is available in L. Loewen's Elvis (Rourke, 1989), Valerie Harms's Tryin' to Get to You (Atheneum, 1979; o.p.), and Katherine E. Krohn's Elvis Presley (Lerner, 1993). The author writes in an honest, basically objective tone and clear style. Abundant, good-quality black-and-white photos appear throughout. Average fare for collections in which this information is in heavy demand.
Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Gr. 7-10. Claro's biography of pop-culture icon Madonna covers the singer-actress's life from birth through events late in 1993. Madonna's early life was marked at age six by her mother's untimely death, and Claro traces some of the singer's personality traits to her lack of a mother's love and Madonna's efforts to obtain her father's attention after he remarried. Setting Madonna's rise to stardom within the context of popular music's history, the author traces the performer's early dance career and her roots in punk rock, her connection with Jellybean Benitz and his influence on her musical style, her use of music videos and MTV to market herself, and her rise as a pop superstar. The author does not gloss over Madonna's controversial marriage and other intimate relationships with both men and women. The book, part of the Pop Culture Legends series, is illustrated with black-and-white photographs, and includes a filmography, a discography, a list for further reading, and a chronology of Madonna's life. Merri Monks
