Synopsis
Profiles notable African Americans in the field of literature, including Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Mildred Taylor.
Children's Literature
From the beginning, this book with its captivating color and black and white photographs will grab your attention. Rediger has gathered together several African-American authors. Her list includes such greats as Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, James Baldwin, Alice Walker, and Mildred Taylor. Each of these authors' early life is discussed as well as their special achievements. Rediger mentions the obstacles each person surmounted and how their passion for writing fueled their success. Some of these short biographies include a brief description of an author's book. The book's format and design makes good use of sidebars and inserts and in so doing, avoids cluttered pages. Unfortunately, there is only one author in the collection who writes specifically for children. In addition, the text is written for older readers and some of the challenges that the authors faced are adult challenges.