Garth Brooks A Real-Life Reader Biography

Children's Literature - Karen Porter

Garth Brooks' musical career began when he performed for his family's weekly Funny Nights. Powell's book tells the story of how Garth's career faltered and then blossomed from this happy beginning. It's five chapters also cover his family life growing up in a family of six children and his marriage to university sweetheart Sandy Mahl. Complete with table of contents, black and white pictures and a short index, this book is a fine introduction to the biography genre.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-The publisher's stated aim with these titles is to present role models to children, and because of that, they lean toward fawning reverence for these stars and their accomplishments, and are largely uncritical. This is a concern with Garth Brooks in particular, considering the recent criticism that he has abandoned his art for the goal of selling more albums than the Beatles. Shania Twain briefly addresses the controversy over the star's Native American heritage, but states that her claim is technically correct as she was raised by her stepfather, a full-blooded Ojibwa, and was adopted into his tribe. A significant problem with both books is the lack of citations for the quotations attributed to the stars and to others who know them. Black-and-white publicity photos add little to the presentations. Serviceable additions for high interest/low reading level collections.-Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.