Customer Reviews

Teenagers Guide To The Beatles

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I'm 16 and found the book to be very good. It's full of information. It doesn't have gigantic words or long chapters, so it's not so detailed or boring. I hope more teenagers read the book because so many have wrong impression of the Beatles especially from the Internet. Tehy say things that are not true at all and I have stopped argueing with them. If they read this, they would learn the truth.

p.s I'm going to see Paul in concert in October!! Yeah!!!

I borrowed this book from a friend of mine who bought this book for her kids at the Beatles festival in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to check it out before buying one for my son. I am quite pleased with the book although I would have liked to see some colour photograph's in the book. Still, it's a good book for young fans and even those who aren't fans. Even I learned a few things I didn't know. It's a well balanced book.

I'm not a big fan of the Beatles, but I do like some of their music. A lot of my friends seem to be getting into them more now. I just happened to see this book at our library and took a quick peek at it. I liked what I saw and ended up reading quite a bit right there. It's definitely aimed at teens, so I decided to buy one for my younger sister for her birthday (but I'll read it first!). For some reason she's talking a lot about the Beatles, particularly Paul McCartney even though no one in our family is a big fan. Of course, I'm risking her becoming a know-it-all about the Beatles. Back to the book - it's was easy to go through and I especially liked how the photographs were placed throughout the book, close to the content. One of my biggest pet peeves about some books is when they bunch the photo's together. Photography is a hobby of mine and a picture is worth a thousand words, but the text adds to the value of the picture. Even though I haven't read the book completely, I've read enough to get a whole new appreciation for the Beatles (I'm not going to tell my friends otherwise they won't stop talking about them!). I'm not a big reader so I never written a review here before, but somehow I felt compelled to write one this time.

As a librarian for young adults for over 20 years, I've seen my share of good and bad books. "Teenagers Guide to the Beatles" is an excellent book for teens and there is nothing pedantic about the writing. The author has done a great job in making the writing simple so even younger kids can enjoy it, but it's mature enough for adults too. Although we've only had it for a month, I've already had good feedback from patrons at all grade levels. I highly recommend this book to all librarians and parents.

Mr. Lalani brings forth the enthusiasm of a true Beatles fan as he guides readers through the Fab Four's history. Parents and their teens will find the text straightforward, easy to read, and hard to put down. The author shies away from the more controversial aspects of Beatle history, such as their drug use, in order to make the book age appropriate. While numerous books have been written about the group over the years, this young adult entry contains information on Beatles fan clubs, Internet resources, magazines and festivals. This book should be slipped into a teen's "must read" pile. Combined with The Beatles' movies, videos and music, having them read "Teenagers Guide to The Beatles" would be a tremendous introduction to the talents of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

Written by a father for his teenaged daughter, Teenagers Guide To The Beatles goes beyond the realm of most biographies to cover not only The Beatles' amazing success as a band, but also the mysteries surrounding them, their legacy to popular music, and hot topics for modern-day Beatles fans. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this fascinating tour of The Beatles and Beatlemania, written in a brisk, plain style accessible to young and old readers alike. Ideal for school and public libraries, Teenagers Guide To The Beatles is an informative, diverse, and satisfying survey of the legacy of four talented musical stars.

This is a well written introductory book, ideal for all ages and interest levels. Unfortunately, the title is a bit misleading as it can be enjoyed by everyone. The author has done a great job in managing to balance the personal lives of the Beatles' and the musical aspect of their lives. I especially enjoyed learning about the background behind some of the songs. I felt good knowing that the book is one of the most accurate portrayals of the Beatles available today, according to a number of reviews in magazines and online. If you don't want to be mired in a very long and detailed account of the Fab Four, then this is the book to get.