Toni Morrison
- Book Review,
by Douglas Century
From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up-An easy-to-read and entertaining look at the life of the African-American novelist and Nobel Prize winner. Century chronicles Morrison's full and productive career as educator, editor, mentor, mother, and writer. Her tutorial relationship with many of the prominent black leaders of the 1960s and '70s is explored. A strength of the book is the inclusion of information about how Morrison developed her works. Numerous black-and-white photographs show the subject at various stages of her life. A readable account that will also make a good reference source for report writers.Valerie Childress, J.W. Holloway Middle School, Whitehouse, TXCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 8-12. Like Witcover's Zora Neale Hurston (1991), this is an excellent literary biography in the Black Americans of Achievement series. In a simple, direct style, Century talks about Morrison's life and career, culminating in her winning of the Nobel Prize. Best of all is his discussion of each of her novels, from The Bluest Eye to Jazz; he makes you want to read them and helps you to understand their themes and literary expression. His chapter on Beloved shows that, while Morrison did extensive research on the history of slavery, her story reaches far beyond documentation; she imagines the complicated lives of ordinary people, "these anonymous people called slaves." There are well-captioned photographs throughout and a brief bibliography and chronology; but, unfortunately, there are no source notes for the many wonderful quotes by and about this amazing writer. Hazel Rochman
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