Teenagers Guide To The Beatles [Hardcover]

Zane Lalani (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 2005

This fast-paced, fun-to-read guide to the Beatles is ideal for the new generation of fans. Written by a father for his teenaged daughter, this book is more than just a biography. The author explores the Beatles phenomenon and the reasons for the band’s success. Probing into many of the controversies, myths, and mysteries surrounding one of the most popular and influential music groups in history, the author examines the hot issues for today's teenaged Beatles fans. Current information on Beatles fan clubs, magazines, festivals, and Internet resources is included. Contains over sixty photographs. Suitable for age 10 and up.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9–This chronological history begins in Liverpool, England, in the 1950s. Most of the book deals with this musical phenomenon as a foursome, with short descriptions of individual careers after the 1970 breakup. The writing is fairly pedantic, with nothing particularly insightful or revealing about the Beatles either as performers or songwriters. Many black-and-white photos are included. While this title offers more information than Mike Venezia's The Beatles (Children's Press, 1997) or George Zanderbergen's The Beatles (Crestwood, 1976), something a little more profound (and with color pictures) would be a better draw.–Linda Beck, Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, PA
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Averstream Pr (August 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965874079
• ISBN-13: 978-0965874076
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,565,439 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great idea for a book, September 7, 2005

By 

K. Kraus "mskraus2u" (Pleasant Prairie, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Teenagers Guide To The Beatles (Hardcover)

I bought this book at a festival for Beatles fans in Chicago. While there, I had a chance to sit in on a discussion with the author. It was easy to see he loves the Beatles and that the book was a labor of love for him. I bought the book planning to give it to my 13 year old nephew, but I wanted to read it first. Even though I'm a huge Beatles fan, there are lots of little stories and facts that I don't know about them. I found several funny anecdotes and quotes I'd never heard before.
While I am disappointed at the editing of the book, the content is great. The book is like a timeline, covering each phase of the Beatles' careers in order. It is written rather simplistically, which is fine, since it's targeted at kids and teens, and I think the length of the book is just right for kids. It covers the Beatles' careers without putting in too many details kids may find boring.

I think Mr. Lalani's idea to write a book introducing the Beatles to the younger generation is great, and he pulls it off well. Since I was only one year old when the Beatles broke up, I had to learn about them through books, too, and I remember an oversized book with more pictures than text being my favorite. This book, though, definitely tells their story better. It's nice to have a general overview of their career in a concise, easy to read book. I recommend it for anyone trying to explain the phenomenon known as The Beatles to a new generation.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting concept, August 31, 2005

By 

A long time fan (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teenagers Guide To The Beatles (Hardcover)

A friend of mine who works for a publication gave me an advance reader copy of the book because she knew I was a Beatles fan and have a teenage son. I thought the book was an interesting concept. Although I have several books on the Beatles, there are just a couple that I could share with him at this age. He has some interest in their music (started with "Beatles 1", but didn't seem too interested in any of their books or any book as he's not a big reader. I wanted to give him the book for his birthday which was in mid-August, so while I waited, I began to read it and even though I know just about everything there is to know about the Beatles, I did learn a few things I didn't know and was reminded about some things I had forgotten. I was too young during Beatlemania, but I felt the author did a pretty good job writing about it. I particularly enjoyed some of the newspaper stories about the reaction of young fans. The one thing I thought needed some improvement was the editing in the first half of the book.

My son took an immediate liking to the book. I suppose having the word 'Teenager' on the title makes him feel like it's just for him. To my surprise he read in in just a few days. As he was reading the book, he would comment or ask a question. Also, as he was reading, he listened to some of the songs that were discussed in the book. In some ways, this has brought us closer together.

I came here to buy a book for my niece who just turned 11. I had also given her the "Beatles 1" CD and she enjoyed listening to it. The book is very appropriate for young readers.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than expected, September 3, 2005

By 

Jane E. (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Teenagers Guide To The Beatles (Hardcover)

I bought the book for my grandkids (9, 12 & 15) at the Beatle festival in Chicago last week and at first glance was quite impressed with the overall presentation of the book. The layout was simple, the photographs were spread out and in general looked easy to read. However, I was a bit skeptical on how the author would present the information for this age group. Although I didn't read the entire book cover to cover, I skimmed through the book reading bits and pieces and was very impressed, but the test was what my grandkids thought about it. The younger ones didn't seem too keen on reading the book, so the 15 year old read the book first and fairly quickly and liked it a lot. She said there was a lot of humor in the book and she also enjoyed reading about how each album was recorded. Now the younger ones are reading it now and talking about it as they go along. Looks like I'm going to have to get a copy for each one. I think it's worth getting it.