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Overview
Born in 1920, fantasy writer Ray Bradbury spent his childhood imagining new worlds. As an adult, he has written short stories, novels, and screenplays that have taken people to never-before-dreamed-of places. Bradbury's best-known and most beloved books, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, and Fahrenheit 451, are classic works of literature. His scripts for the small and big screens are timeless. Bradbury's personal adventures in Hollywood have also become the stuff of legend. A one-of-a-kind ability to spin magic with words makes Bradbury one of the greatest American writers of his day.Synopsis
Born in 1920, Ray Bradbury spent his childhood imagining new worlds. Eventually, he put his animated ideas on paper, becoming one of the most popular fantasy writers of all time. His short stories, novels, TV shows, and films have taken people to never-before-dreamed-of places. Bradbury's best-known and most beloved books, The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, and Fahrenheit 451, are classic pieces of literature. His scripts for the small and big screens are timeless, appealing to audiences young and old. Meanwhile, Bradbury's own personal adventures in Hollywood have become the stuff of legend. A one-of-a-kind ability to spin magic with words makes Bradbury one of the greatest American writers of his day.
Children's Literature
Drawing on his years of experience as editor-in-chief of Weekly Reader Corporation, Piddock has written a superb biography of Ray Bradbury. As Piddock tells how father Leonard (Leo) moved his family frequently in search of a job during the Depression years, he pulls together Bradbury's early life and its impact on his future writing. Because a twin of Ray's brother Skip died as a small child, their mother Esther was very protective. As a result, Ray grew up to be fearful but fascinated with the scary and strange, as well as a lover of magic acts. Piddock then moves easily to Bradbury's adolescent and adult life and describes a personable man who worked hard en route to becoming a famous and renowned author. The facets of his life mesh seamlessly as Piddock describes Bradbury's life experiences and focuses on those that later appear in his books. Sidebars give quotes from Bradbury, excerpts from his books, and necessary background (e.g., an explanation of George Burns and Gracie Allen that provides a context for the young reader to appreciate Burns' sensitivity to Bradbury's early attempts at script writing). A timeline of Bradbury's life, an interview with R. L. Stine, numerous color and black-and-white photos, a glossary, a bibliography and source notes, an index, and a list of online and book resources add to Piddock's complete and fascinating portrait of an acclaimed writer. Part of the "Life Portraits" series. Reviewer: Mary Bowman-Kruhm, Ph.D.