Synopsis
Presents the life and career of the eighteenth century New England essayist, poet, and lecturer who advocated a philosophy of self-reliance and individualism and was an important figure in the American Transcendental Movement.
Reviews
Succinct, broad-reaching, and peppered with lively anecdotes, these biographies slot easily into the World Writers series’ consistently strong list. Following a traditional cradle-to-grave chronology, the titles frankly discuss the interpersonal, spiritual, and artistic challenges these authors faced during the course of their lifetimes and how those struggles informed their famous works. Young researchers will enjoy the many revealing quotes that inject a spirited sense of both men, in love, in argument, in inner conflict, and in discovery of their own talents and influential ideas. In Self-Reliance, for example, Caravantes quotes Emerson as a young student, whose dramatic self-loathing may strike a chord with young teens struggling with similar crises of confidence: “I find myself often idle, vagrant, stupid, and hollow.” Overall, these compact, engaging titles, supported by time lines, thorough chapter notes, and suggested reading, are an excellent starting point for middle- and high-school students seeking information about authors of whom surprisingly little has been written for a young-adult audience. Grades 7-10. --Gillian Engberg
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