Drake. (Superstars). Lynn Peppas. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7611-6 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7606-2 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Drake, 1986-Juvenile literature. Rap musicians-Canada-Biography-Juvenile literature. Grades 3-6 / Ages 8-11. Review by Suzanne Pierson. **** /4
	Katy Perry. (Superstars). Robin Johnson. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7613-0 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7608-6 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Perry, Katy-Juvenile literature. Singers-United States-Biography-Juvenile literature. Grades 3-6 / Ages 8-11. Review by Suzanne Pierson. **** /4
	Lady Gaga. (Superstars). Molly Aloian. St. Catharines, ON: Crabtree, 2012. 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $9.95 (pbk.), $20.76 (RLB.). ISBN 978-0-7787-7614-7 (pbk.), ISBN 978-0-7787-7609-3 (RLB.). Subject Headings: Lady Gaga-Juvenile literature. Singers-United States-Biography-Juvenile literature Grades 3-6 / Ages 8-11. Review by Suzanne Pierson. **** /4

excerpts:

Pop Queen

By the time she released Born This Way in 2011, Lady Gaga was a staple in the pop music world and beyond. She had been named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year, performed on numerous talk shows, appeared in hundreds of fashion and entertainment magazines, received countless nominations and awards for her songs and videos, was a full-blown fashion innovator and icon, as well as a celebrated human rights activist. (From Lady Gaga.)

Like the previous books reviewed in this series (CM, Vol. XVII, No. 28, March 25, 2011), the biggest strength of this series is the high interest appeal to readers of these superstars of today. Each book is about a famous entertainer who has made it big in the entertainment business while still very young. Young readers will be encouraged to follow their dreams when they read about the challenges and triumphs of these well-known personalities.

      The biggest weakness of the “Superstars!” series is the speed at which this content will be out of date. All of the books are written to be read now. The books are very up to date with the latest information about the superstars at the time of publishing (Drake includes October 24, 2011 in the timeline), but, even if the superstar is still famous two years from now, these books are going to seem out of date by then. Buy them in paperback, let them circulate as much as possible before they wear out, and then dispose of them so that you can make room for the next bunch of superstars. Let the stars have their 15 minutes of fame, but don’t invest too much of your budget in them.

      The “Superstar!” series now consists of 12 books, each one telling about the life and rise to fame of a different young celebrity. All of the books follow the same content organization. Each of the superstars is introduced, and readers learn about where and when they were born, their early life, and how they got started in show business. The rest of the book goes through the accomplishments of the rising stars on their way to becoming a superstar. The books end with a look ahead to what may be in the superstar’s near future. The final section is a timeline starting at birth and listing highlights and accomplishments up to 2011.

      Each book also includes a table of contents, simple glossary, a list of books and websites for those who want to find out more, and an index. One feature that I like is the explanation on the Contents page that “Words that are defined in the glossary are in bold type the first time they appear in the text”. For young readers not yet familiar with this convention, this is a clear explanation, and for others it is a good reminder.

      Drake features the rapper, Drake. Born in Toronto, ON, in 1986, Aubrey Drake Graham found fame first as Jimmy Brooks in the teen drama Degrassi High: The Next Generation, and he has gone on to make “a superstar splash on the rap music scene worldwide”.

      Justin Bieber (“Superstars!” series) is reviewed separately along with a review of Justin Bieber (“My Life” series) so that you can compare the differences between the two books.

      Katy Perry is described as “the quirky pop superstar who has attracted millions of adoring young fans.” Katy was raised in a strict Christian family in California, but readers will learn from this book that one of her biggest musical influences was Canadian rocker Alanis Morissette.

      Lady Gaga was born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta in 1986 in Yonkers, New York. She struggled to establish her music career, but, by 2009, she was nominated for nine awards at the MTV Video Music Awards. The book includes Lady Gaga in many of her different “flamboyant costumes”, including the famous meat dress that she wore to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards.

      The “Superstars!” series is filled with high interest, up-to-date information, supported by a generous quantity of photographs. The books are created with about a 50/50 split between text and full colour photos. Since the text size is large, these books will appeal to young readers learning to read for information in nonfiction books. Buy them in paperback.

Highly Recommended.

Suzanne Pierson is a retired teacher-librarian, currently instructing Librarianship courses at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.

Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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