Oprah Winfrey

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-- Although both of these prominent women surmounted numerous barriers in their struggles for success, these biographies present their life stories in an upbeat, inspiring, and readable manner. Growing up during the '30s and '40s, Friedan excelled academically but always grappled with her need to have a career and the strong desire to have a family. The authors chronicle her lifelong campaign to enlighten the nation about the necessity of equality for women. Other biographies available include Milton Meltzer's shorter work, Betty Friedan: A Voice for Women's Rights (Viking, 1985) and Justine Blau's more scholarly Betty Friedan (Chelsea House, 1990). At an early age, Winfrey developed the strong personality and stage presence that enabled her to overcome racial and gender barriers to become a beauty queen, TV personality, actress, and owner of her own production company. Several adult biographies depicting Winfrey's life have been written but this is the only one available for this reading level. Black-and-white photographs of uneven quality accompany these texts. --April L. Judge, Thousand Oaks Library, CA