Famous Americans in History

Chesterman, Barnaby

ISBN 10: 9626342587 ISBN 13: 9789626342589

Publisher: Naxos Audio Books, 2002

Synopsis

This audio-original, designed for 8-12 year-olds and written specially for Naxos AudioBooks recounts the energy, imagination, courage and determination that forever changed the world. The featured figures did not seek fame, but rather had a burning desire to do something -- and as a result, achieved a fame that will last as long as history is read and told and heard. Includes Helen Keller, Clara Barton, Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Owens and others.

About this title

From AudioFile

This collection focuses on the lives of eight familiar figures: Davy Crockett, Clara Barton, Sitting Bull, Theodore Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Henry Ford, George Gershwin, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Narrators Lorelei King and Kerry Shale make an interesting group of people even more so with their enthusiastic readings. Shale goes the extra mile by mimicking voices when reading quotes, and his performances of the essays about Davy Crockett and Henry Ford are standouts. Music is used, with mixed results, at the beginning and end of each essay. While music adds to a sense of time and place for figures like Henry Ford and George Gershwin, it doesn't work as well for some of the others. Still, this is a lively and interesting production. A.F. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-8-Barnaby Chesterman's Famous Americans in History offers listeners brisk and nuanced introductions to Davy Crockett, Clara Barton, Sitting Bull, Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Ford, George Gershwin, Helen Keller, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Each biography is demarcated by period music; in the case of Davy Crockett, the 1950's television theme song is also included, and for George Gershwin, there are measures from several of his own compositions within the sketch. Kerry Shale and Lorelei King alternate reading; both are strong, warm readers who keep the text moving along. Shale also adds regional pronunciations when rendering quotes from observers who are Southern. The mix of iconic Americans-crossing gender and ethnic lines, as well as areas of accomplishment-is rich, and Chesterman appropriately notes how the mores of past periods affected their lives through racial and other forms of prejudice, prevailing political values, and more. This is, however, very much a "junior" compilation in its avoidance of many controversial aspects of the subjects' lives. As an introduction to these Americans for younger students, this is an excellent starting point, but it shouldn't be confused with secondary school level research material.
Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Naxos Audio Books
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 9626342587
• ISBN 13: 9789626342589
• Binding: Audio CD