Malcolm X

Children's Literature

Malcolm X's destiny to become a prominent speaker and leader for the African-American movement is clearly and effectively portrayed in this biography by Benson. The reader gains insight into Malcolm's early life, difficult teen years and eventual conversion to Islam, as well as his role in the Nation of Islam. Benson manages to show the reader the richness and controversial life of Malcolm X through important events in his life and by showing his faults and achievements. In this way, the reader better understands this radical leader's views and his later introspection and revision of some of these views. The book has clear black-and-white photographs plus several sidebars about people such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Elijah Muhammad. 2002, Lerner Publications, $25.26. Ages 12 up. Reviewer:Della A. Yannuzzi

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8-A readable biography that presents a balanced account of this influential but controversial African-American leader of the '50s and '60s. Born Malcolm Little to a human-rights activist who died under questionable circumstances and a mother who spent much of her life in an insane asylum, Malcolm went into a life of crime that led to prison by the time he was 20. There he developed his beliefs about black pride and self-sufficiency. After a pilgrimage to Mecca, he rejected the racial hatred of the Black Muslims and developed a more compassionate belief in universal racial harmony based on basic Islamic tenets. The numerous captioned, black-and-white photos are informative. One of the sources cited extensively is The Autobiography of Malcolm X (Ballantine, 1964). Walter Dean Myers's Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary (Scholastic, 1993) is more detailed but not as current. His Malcolm X: A Fire Burning Brightly (HarperCollins, 2000) is the preferred choice for most libraries.-Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.