Mahalia

Children's Literature

"Goin' walk and never get tired. I'm goin' move up a little higher," sang Mahalia, and that's exactly what she did. From her birth into poverty in New Orleans in 1911, she moved north to Chicago and east and west out into the whole world. Without formal musical training but with the single desire to do "the Lord's business," Miss Jackson took her gospel songs wherever they could do good. Constantly on the road, she wore herself out in God's service and died at the relatively young age of 60. The author depends on dialogue to tell the songster's story. In the introduction she says, "I wanted the story to have music in it," and the ebb and flow of the conversational interchanges does become a kind of music. It seems to leap directly and inspirationally from the heart of Halie, as she was known, to the reader who feels drawn right into her extended family, sharing her favorite ham, greens and cornbread at the common table. This glossy biography should be part of every library's Black History Month collection, ready to be enticingly displayed. The numerous black-and-white photographs enliven the telling and place it in its historical setting. An absorbing and challenging read. 2002, Candlewick Press, $19.99. Ages 10 to 15. Reviewer: Earlene Viano

VOYA

Orgill brings gospel singer Mahalia Jackson back to life in this biography, clearly evoking the singer's deep religious convictions. The turmoil Jackson underwent when offered a coveted role in The Hot Mikado, a musical with an all African American cast, was the result of her vow never to sing anything but God's word and never to sing in a theater. Her biography reads like a novel, drawing the reader in to her story. The author emphasizes that Jackson rose to superstardom at a time when it was not only difficult for women to succeed but nearly impossible for African American women. Growing up in the Deep South, she was raised by her Aunt Duke after her mother's death. Jackson began singing in her church choir at the age of four and was given solo parts because of her strong voice. Often referred to as Halia, she moved with her Aunt Hannah to Chicago where she met her first husband. Although this and her second marriage were short-lived, Jackson's fame grew, and while involved in the Civil Rights movement, she developed a strong friendship with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta. Orgill's biography of this renowned singer seems incomplete. For example, there are hints that Jackson might have had a temper, but the author never expounds. Nevertheless the book will be useful for units on African American history or music in America and fulfills minimum page requirements. Photos. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P M (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2002, Candlewick, 132p,
— Wendy Shivak

School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up-A readable, moving portrait of a passionately religious woman devoted to bringing the gospel to audiences around the world through her music. Jackson's remarkably strong impact on her listeners is related in anecdotes such as this one: people began knocking on church doors in New Orleans asking to be baptized just days after her recording of "God Shall Wipe Away All Tears" appeared on tavern jukeboxes in 1938. Rhythmic sentences, sometimes fragments, capture the beat of gospel music and incorporate vernacular African-American speech patterns from the 1920s to the early 1970s. Events in the singer's personal life and musical career are skillfully blended with material about the social climate of the times. Black-and-white photographs of Jackson; people and places in her life; and other aspects of African-American history such as storefront churches, segregated restrooms, and civil rights marches appear throughout the book. An excellent addition for those interested in biography, music, and African-American history.-Ginny Gustin, Sonoma County Library System, Santa Rosa, CA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.