As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
112 pp.
| Capstone/Compass Point
| August, 2016
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7565-5165-0$35.99
|
EbookISBN 978-0-7565-5187-2
(3)
4-6
Inspiring Stories series.
Colonial-era slave Wheatley was the first African American poet to publish a book. In the early 1900s, Walker became extremely wealthy through her own hair-care business initiatives and fought for racial equality. With background information on each historical period, these well-documented, accessible biographies of African American women will be useful for reports. Period illustrations and photographs are included. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Inspiring Stories titles: Phillis Wheatley and Madam C. J. Walker.
24 pp.
| Enslow/Elementary
| April, 2012
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7660-3973-5$21.26
(4)
K-3
I Like Inventors! series.
These introductions to the people who came up with innovations we take for granted provide very basic information about their lives, such as their upbringing and motivations, as well as their inventions; there's little about processes, giving readers no sense of the magnitude of their achievements. Photos, many archival, are included in every spread. A related activity ends each title. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these I Like Inventors! titles: Who Invented Home Video Games?, Who Invented Television?, Who Was the Hair-Care Millionaire?, Who Fixed Babies' Hearts?, and Who Invented the Ferris Wheel?.
56 pp.
| Candlewick
| September, 2012
|
TradeISBN 978-0-7636-6428-2$14.99
|
PaperISBN 978-0-7636-6092-5$4.99 New ed. (2000)
(3)
4-6
Candlewick Biographies series.
Illustrated by
Nneka Bennett.
This well-written and informative biography captures the entrepreneurial character of America's first woman millionaire. Frustrated by the lack of hair care products for African American women, Walker founded her own cosmetics company in 1905, becoming one of the most successful business owners of her day and a role model for black women. The spacious illustrations evoke the time period in this "reformatted edition."
209 pp.
| Holt
| March, 2010
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8050-8934-9$16.99
(1)
YA
These three renowned mothers were born in 1867. Each had a child with whom she had a rocky early relationship that blossomed into mutual love and respect. The parallels remain implicit in these poetically realized lives; the thirty vignettes concerning each mother-daughter pair offer just a few telling facts, beautifully phrased and skillfully arranged. Portrait photos, introductions, and afterwords round out the stories. Timeline. Bib.
32 pp.
| Enslow
| December, 2010
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7660-3449-5$22.60
(4)
K-3
Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies series.
These volumes provide basic information about inventors who, though well known today, initially faced great opposition. The inspiring histories of determined individuals, described in accessible if a bit simplistic texts, are augmented by archival photographs. Source material for each volume is unfortunately lacking. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Genius at Work! Great Inventor Biographies titles: The Cornflake King, The Guy Who Invented Home Video Games, Hair-Care Millionaire, Helicopter Man, The Man Behind the Gun, and Sign Language Man.
103 pp.
| Chelsea
| September, 2008
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-60413-072-0$30.00 New ed. (1992)
(3)
YA
Black Americans of Achievement, Legacy Edition series.
Each of these biographies details a well-known figure's rise from adversity to national and/or international recognition. The books go beyond the typical personal information to provide some social history relevant to the subject's time. Captioned photographs and boxed inserts enhance the conversational texts. Lee, Walker, and Thomas have been revised and updated. Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these Black Americans of Achievement, Legacy Edition titles: Spike Lee, Madam C. J. Walker, Clarence Thomas, Ray Charles, and Jamie Foxx.
(4)
K-3
Great African Americans series.
Each simply written title in this series provides an adequate introduction to a notable African American. Black-and-white photos, often poorly reproduced, extend the text. Large type and short sentences make these books suitable for reluctant readers. Each book includes a timeline, a limited updated bibliography, and a list of websites. There are four other spring 2002 books in this series. Glos., ind. [Review covers these titles: Langston Hughes, Madam C. J. Walker, Mary Church Terrell, Ralph J. Bunche.]
48 pp.
| Candlewick
| April, 2000
|
TradeISBN 0-7636-0253-1$$16.99
(3)
4-6
Illustrated by
Nneka Bennett.
This well-written and informative biography captures the entrepreneurial character of America's first woman millionaire. Frustrated by the lack of hair care products for African-American women, Walker founded her own cosmetics company in 1905, becoming one of the most successful business owners of her day and a role model for black women. The spacious illustrations give a feeling for the time period.
112 pp.
| Enslow
| February, 2000
|
LibraryISBN 0-7660-1204-2$$19.95
(3)
YA
African-American Biographies series.
Well-rounded, clearly written biographies explore the lives of the groundbreaking singer, inspiring writer, and successful entrepreneur. The books address personal setbacks and the roadblocks these individuals encountered due to racism, but the emphasis is on their triumphs and the legacy that each provided. Average-quality black-and-white photographs illustrate the texts. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.