Burlingame, Jeff. Taylor Swift.

Burlingame, Jeff  Taylor Swift      

 Enslow      2011  48p   23.93 978-0-7660-3870-7 

ms/hs E-BN        

   Taylor Swift, originally from Pennsylvania, is a successful country/pop singer whose talent surfaced at an early age. This is an easy read biography for middle and high school students who want to read about current pop stars.   With colorful photographs, a timeline, glossary, index , further reading and discography, this book will please fans of Taylor Swift as well as those students who need to write reports on current teen pop stars.  Her rise to fame is credited to her innate talent to write music as well as perform and her parents’ willingness to support and promote her talent. In her short career she has achieved what most aspiring stars can only hope to achieve by winning awards, being true to her fan base, and offering a role model for a “clean life”. Numerous quotations from Swift pepper the narrative and show her to be a real person whether it is feeling on the outside of popularity during school, believing in herself, or working charitable causes. Also included are her reactions to the Kanye West remarks at the awards ceremony and her recent song “Mean” which takes on her critics. A refreshing biography that asks the question of whether she can continue her success into adulthood and how her music will change as she ages. Outstanding biography for middle and high school students who have grown up on her recordings.                                                         Hot Celebrity Biographies (Enslow)  Hot Celebrity Biographies contains biographies on youthful pop stars such as Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Selena Gomez and Taylor Lautner. Colorful photographs and numerous quotes support the well-written text.  Their path to success inspires readers.  Swift, Taylor - Biography    Lois McNicol

 

Azzarelli, Ally. Justin Bieber.

Azzarelli, Ally   Justin Bieber     

 Enslow      2011  48p   23.93 978-0-7660-3873-8  

elm/ms      VG-BNes            

“Describes how Justin Bieber became a star and provides an overview of his life.”  Upper elementary and middle school students who love Justin Bieber will appreciate this new biography on his life and how he became famous.  Students will discover how Justin got his start in the music business, as well as his upbringing in Canada.  Justin used YouTube to show the world his talents in hopes of being discovered.  Since Justin had many talents including vocals, drums, and guitar, he was able to showcase all of his best skills.  When Justin’s videos began to accumulate millions of views, future managers knew that a star was in the making.  Justin’s talent got him not only a manager, but he was able to secure a record deal.  In order to be near Usher and his manager, Justin and his mother moved to Atlanta, Georgia.  With girls worldwide being a big fan, Justin is now a pop star who has millions of fans.  The author presents an entire chapter on how he gives back to charity, including helping to feed the hungry, helped raise money for the earthquake victims of Haiti, assisted with American Idol to help raise money for different causes, and helped to raise money for the cleanup efforts from the gulf oil spill.  Even though Justin stays busy, he wants to remain grounded and stay true to his roots.

Includes great color photographs, a timeline of events, recommended books, DVDs, and Internet addresses, a discography, a glossary of terms, and an index.    Hot Celebrity Biographies (Enslow)  Each title in this series features biographies of people "in the moment" and are great for beginning and reluctant readers. Fifteen biographies are published so far including one for Johnny Depp, Hilary Duff, Daniel Radcliffe, Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, and others.  Charleen Forba-Mayer