Steven Spielberg (A & E Biography (Lerner Paperback)) [Paperback]

Tom Powers (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 11 and up | Grade Level: 6 and up | Series: A & E Biography (Lerner Paperback)

A biography of the successful filmmaker who won an Oscar in 1995 for "Schindler's List."

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 5-7. Powers begins his biography of movie director Spielberg on the set of Schindler's List. This dramatic opening provides an interesting framework for what might have been just the standard bio. Despite his success with movies such as Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and E.T., Spielberg was never sure that he had what it took to be a serious filmmaker--nor were the critics--until Schindler's List. Spielberg's lack of confidence, even at this stage of his career, will intrigue young people who may not realize that adults are not always self-assured. The book, which details Spielberg's life and his movies, does a particularly good job of explaining the controversies that have surrounded some of the pictures, such as The Color Purple. It is also nicely designed, with plenty of black-and-white and color photographs. A filmography, a list of sources, and a bibliography are appended. Fresh subject, good treatment. Ilene Cooper --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 11 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Lerner Publications (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822596946
• ISBN-13: 978-0822596943
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,317,514 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #15 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( S ) > Spielberg, Steven
  • #53 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Arts & Music > Performing Arts > Film

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars For son's report, May 20, 2009

By 

C. Patricia Johnston - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Steven Spielberg (Just the Facts Biographies) (Library Binding)

I bought for my son (10) to read for a school report...book arrived in great condition.

4.0 out of 5 stars was an excellent book, November 28, 2007

By 

Reader Views "Reviews, by readers, for readers" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Steven Spielberg (A & E Biography (Lerner Paperback)) (Paperback)

Reviewed by Ben Weldon (age 10) for Reader Views (11/07)


"Steven Spielberg (Just the Facts Biographies)" by Tom Powers is the true story of Steven Spielberg and how he made his way from a weird, skinny kid to a rich movie director. Even as a child, he liked to scare other people. He once trapped his sisters in a closet with a fake glowing skeleton that he had made. He was known to be quite diabolical; however, when he had to dissect a frog in biology class, he vomited. He loved movies and television, and he sometimes rented 8mm movie reels and charged the neighborhood kids 35 cents to watch. Young Steven was actually quite timid and poor at sports. He was sometimes teased because he was Jewish and had a sort of unhappy childhood. Stevens's father encouraged him to begin creating movies as a way to increase his self-confidence.

Spielberg got his start in movies at a very young age and was determined to make a career in film directing. When he was 13, he created his first movie, "Battle Squad," about fighting the Nazis during World War II. At 15, he made his first full-length science fiction movie, "Firelight". After he graduated from high school, he intended to enroll in a top college film program, but he was not accepted anywhere. He finally enrolled in California State University majoring in English; there was a movie studio right near the college building called Universal Studios. In the summer he put on a suit and tie, walked right into the studio as if he belonged, and put up his name on an empty room. Eventually a security guard caught him and threw him out. Despite getting kicked out, he kept going back until he was offered a job directing TV shows including "The Twilight Zone" and "Night Gallery." Eventually Spielberg got bored directing television and wanted to move on to more creative pursuits in movies.

Spielberg has made some of the greatest movies that Americans and the world have experienced. "Jaws," a scary killer-shark movie directed by Spielberg, was the first Hollywood movie to take in more than $100 million at the box office. It was, however, just the beginning of Spielberg's blockbusters which included "E.T.," the "Indiana Jones" series, "Shrek," and "Jurassic Park" (his biggest money-maker) among many others. Spielberg's movies were thrilling, full of action, and often scary. He also made some more serious and dramatic movies such as "The Color Purple," "Schindler's List," and "Saving Private Ryan."

Steven Spielberg now has his own private studio called Dream Works, which produces movies, video games and computer games. He has won many awards for his movies and is remarkably rich. His early determination seems to have paid off beyond his wildest dreams.

I thought that "Steven Spielberg" was an excellent book and I hope all readers will enjoy it as much as I did. This is a very well-written book with many sidebar facts that I did not know about. I thought that learning about Spielberg's past was interesting and very enjoyable along with learning about what movies he made. It also makes me want to see some of his movies some day.

Book received free of charge