Woody Guthrie: America's Folksinger (Trailblazer Biographies) [Library Binding]

Karen Mueller Coombs (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6 This basic, straightforward biography fits nicely between Bonnie Christensen's picture book Woody Guthrie: Poet of the People (Knopf, 2001) and Elizabeth Partridge's This Land Was Made for You and Me (Viking, 2002), a lengthier, more sophisticated work. While covering the standard facts, Coombs has also included a few tidbits and anecdotes that are not found in Partridge's work. Troubling aspects of Guthrie's life, such as the many tragic family deaths he endured; his irresponsible behavior toward his first wife and their children; and his frightening, violent outbursts, which grew worse as his Huntington's disease progressed, are either discussed briefly and simply or excluded altogether. The text is accompanied by black-and-white captioned photographs, some familiar from other biographies and some unique to this volume. This is a solid addition to the growing body of resources documenting the life of the musician and the important events of 20th-century American history that shaped his colorful life and work. -Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Library Binding: 120 pages
• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575054647
• ISBN-13: 978-1575054643
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,693,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

On Karen's bulletin board is a quote from Emerson: "May the work that you do be the play that you love." It's a perfect statement of the way she feels about writing─at times, it seems more like play than like work. She is an award-winning author of eight published books for children and young adults and a long-time member of SCBWI.

Although born in Wisconsin, Karen grew up in the Northern Alberta town of Grande Prairie, where the Aurora Borealis flickered and shimmered across the night sky. The winters were long and cold, so cold her nostrils stuck together when she breathed too deeply, so cold her legs turned blue if she were foolish enough to go outside without warm stockings or pants, so cold she could hear the ice on the slough snapping and popping as she lay in bed at night. Winter days were short. It was dark when she left for school in the morning and dark when she came home. No matter how cold, she ice skated and played hockey, often by moonlight. When she was older, Karen curled, her favorite winter sport. She wishes curling had been an Olympic sport when she was younger, because she would have loved to try out for the Olympic team.

In the summer, the sun rose very early and darkness didn't arrive until nearly midnight. Days seemed endless, wonderful for a child who loved to wander the countryside, either on foot or by horseback. And both the long nights of winter and the long days of summer were perfect for a child addicted to reading.

After graduating from high school in Grande Prairie, Karen attended the University of Alberta, first in Calgary and later in Edmonton. She taught first grade for a few years, then studied journalism at the University of Utah. There, a class in writing for children unearthed her passion.

Now living in Southern California, Karen continues to work at the "play that she loves."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Woddy Guthrie- Artist. Rebel. Patriot, April 11, 2005

By 

Super Reader "Super Reader" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Woody Guthrie: America's Folksinger (Trailblazer Biographies) (Library Binding)

Woody Guthrie, America's Folksinger by Ms. Coombs is a well researched and compassionate book on a most interesting man. The book tells interesting stories about his life, and provides the reader with insights into his politics and creativity. Ms Coombs also does a wonderful job of historically placing Woody Guthrie's work so the reader understands what an original he was. I loved this book. I think that anyone interested in history an music would enjoy it. It wasa great read!