Freedman, Russell Books

Lincoln: A Photobiography (Houghton Mifflin social studies)

Russell Freedman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Deserving of the Newbery 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This biography on Abraham Lincoln is balanced perfectly, a great blend of basic information and detailed facts, without ever becoming irrelevant or too deep. Photographs enhance this effect, including a page that shows the effects of age on Lincoln's face throughout his presidency, and historical artifacts like posters and handwriting samples. This is the perfect Lincoln primer for someone just starting research, or for a middle school student with an assignment.

Rating applies to binding only 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My one star rating applies only to the condition of the book and not its content. I would rate the content 5 stars! I highly recommend the book but I ordered a hardback copy two different times and the binding was falling apart on first opening. I had to return one and am in the process of returning the second. Amazon replied immediately to my concerns and pulled the hardback edition until the problem could be solved.

Editorial Review:

This work is perhaps the most complete and enjoyable children's book ever written about one of the nation's most fascinating and important figures, Abraham Lincoln. Russell Freedman covers Lincoln's life and career in a balanced treatment that is enhanced by period photographs and drawings. The book won the Newbery Medal, the Jefferson Cup Award and the Golden Kite Honor Book Award, and earned a citation as School Library Journal Best Book of the Year.

Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor

Russell Freedman

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> History & Historical Fiction -> United States -> 1900s

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Hate school? Your life could be so much worse... 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Freedman has collected dozens of black and white photographs taken by Lewis Hine during the first decades of the twentieth century. Hine worked as an investigational photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC). The NCLC wanted the United States government to pass laws concerning child labor, and thought that photos of the work children did would be more effective persuaders than mere speeches and statistics. Hine traveled the nation with his camera taking photographs, sometimes despite risk to his person.

The text of the book serves partly as a brief biography of Lewis Hine, and partly as explanatory backdrop for the scenes in the photographs. Freeman gives enough background information to put the images in their context, but not so much data as to overwhelm the reader. The machines, tools and environments are so strange to the modern eye that without clarification, many pictures would be meaningless.

The most shocking photographs in the collection are of the young boys involved in the coalmines. The filth on their faces, hands and clothing is astonishing. By comparison, the dangers and deplorable conditions of working in a cotton mill are not as readily apparent as those of working in a coal mine. However, reading Freeman's text exposes the dangers of moving machinery and smothering lint and humidity not so clear in the photos.

The book concludes by sharing the changes in child labor laws that Hine's photographs helped bring about, as well as information on the child labor situation of today.

This book is full of eye opening and shocking information for the unaware. School may be hard, but without child labor laws things could be so much worse.

Editorial Review:

Photobiography of early twentieth-century photographer and schoolteacher Lewis Hine, using his own work as illustrations. Hines's photographs of children at work were so devastating that they convinced the American people that Congress must pass child labor laws.

Immigrant Kids

Russell Freedman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Immigrant Kids - A Must Read! 4 out of 5 stars.
23 of 23 people found this review helpful.

This wonderful non-fiction book will be a hit with students at the 4th-6th grade level. The real life pictures of immigrant children in the neighborhoods of New York during the late 1800's and early 1900's that appear on almost every page of the book should hold the interest of even the most reluctant readers. However, while the reading itself is not too difficult for most 4th-6th grade students, much of the vocabulary explaining the era of that time will be unfamiliar to them so covering this book as a read-aloud may be most beneficial. Immigrant Kids provides a wonderful way to introduce students to immigration in the past and show how it has changed over time. It lends itself well to a discussion in history class on the various cultures that became part of the giant "mixing pot" we now call our country. Because this book is set in New York it can further be used to teach about the city of New York and its early beginnings. Possibly the one thing that will interest students the most about this book is that it is written from the perspective of children like themselves. Overall the historical content of this book is very well defined and accurate and the photograph driven text provides readers with a very non-threatening approach to information books. It is a must read in any 4th-6th grade history curriculum and can work as a wonderful addition to a reading curriculum when used in accompaniment with other books both fictional and factual dealing with the topic of immigration.

Editorial Review:

"A refreshingly un-woeful introduction to the experience of being a young urban immigrant around the turn of the century. . . . photos make the scenes real and recollections of immigrant childhoods give them a personal dimension . . . Concise, graphic, and designed in every respect to catch and hold the reader's interest."--Kirkus Reviews. An ALA Notable Book; NCSS/CBC Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies.

Children of the Great Depression (Golden Kite Awards (Awards))

Russell Freedman

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

As he did for frontier children in his enormously popular
Children of the Wild West, Russell Freedman illuminates the lives of the American children affected by the economic and social changes of the Great Depression. Middle-class urban youth, migrant farm laborers, boxcar
kids, children whose families found themselves struggling for survival . . . all Depression-era young people faced challenges like unemployed and demoralized parents, inadequate food and shelter, schools they couldn't attend because they had to go to work, schools that simply closed their doors. Even so, life had its bright spots—like favorite games and radio shows—and many young people remained upbeat and optimistic about the future.

Drawing on memoirs, diaries, letters, and other firsthand accounts, and richly illustrated with classic archival photographs, this book by one of the most celebrated authors of nonfiction for children places the Great Depression in context and shows young readers its human face. Endnotes, selected bibliography, index.

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery (Clarion Nonfiction)

Russell Freedman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A highly readable reference on a remarkable woman 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

This Newbery Honor Book, subtitled "A Life of Discovery," covers Eleanor Roosevelt's life in 11 chapters and nearly 200 pages. The biography covers Roosevelt's childhood, education, courtship, marriage and motherhood, entrée into politics alongside her husband, and her humanitarian work independent of FDR. The text itself is straightforward and easy to read, presented in a scholarly fashion rather than the sort of fictionalized manner of some biographies. While certain events are dramatized, no dialog is invented - the words the reader encounters are those of the figures themselves, from journals, letters, and speeches. The best passages are the friendly and informative explanations offering children some background knowledge about the time, such as this account of courtship at the turn of the century, seamlessly woven into the chapter on "Cousin Franklin":

Of course, Eleanor and Franklin were never alone together. That would have been highly improper in those formal Victorian days. When Eleanor visited Hyde Park or Campobello, when she met Franklin in New York for lunch or tea, even they went riding in the Roosevelt carriage, a third person was always present. If a relative wasn't available, Eleanor's maid served as a chaperone (38).

These frequent explanations offer the reader a broader insight into time, describing the conventions of the era in order to later set Roosevelt's often unconventional views and activities in contrast. This treatment gives young readers a strong sense of why Roosevelt is worthy of special attention. The text is accompanied by more than 100 black and white photographs, both formal portraits and informal candid views of Roosevelt. Overall, the book focuses on Roosevelt's life as a public figure, though does not shy away from intensely personal matters such as her father's alcoholism, her adolescent insecurities, and even her husband's infidelity. In this way, Freedman manages to create a very intimate portrait of the woman herself and to make a larger-than-life figure, with a highly privileged background seem very real and accessible. Although Freedman's tone clearly indicates an admiration for his subject, the book does not idolize her, often drawing attention to her faults such as her lack of her tenderness as a mother when her children were very young (acknowledged by her son). The book concludes with a photo album, bibliography, and index. The book is readable from beginning to end and usable as a reference for exploration of specific events or issues from Roosevelt's life. Children will likely come to this book because of a classroom assignment, but in the process will certainly be entertained and inspired.

Editorial Review:

The intriguing story of Eleanor Roosevelt traces the life of the former First Lady from her early childhood through the tumultuous years in the White House to her active role in the founding of the United Nations after World War II. A Newberry Honor Book.

The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane

Russell Freedman, Wilbur Wright, Orville Wright

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Read Me 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I read The Wright Brothers by Russel Freedman. This book describes the lives of our countries aeronautical pioneers,
Wilbur and Orville Wright,and how they invented the first true airplane. From the time they were children, Wilbur and Orville lived together, played together, worked together ,and even thought together. From their tiny bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio. to the Kitty Hawk Island sand dunes. These two men defied known ideas about flight and built their own self-propelled craft that soared them to fame. Even today, a little over a hundred years after their first self-propelled manned flight, these two men are remembered for their courage. I would recomend this book to anyone interested in either the Wright Brothers or the history of flight in general. If it were not for these two, man would not have gotten of the ground!

The Wright Brothers is probably the best book ever written 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Wilbur Wright, the brother with visions, invented the airplane along with Orville Wright, the brother who loved to tinker. Wilbur once said, " My brother Orville and myself lived together, played together and, in fact thought together." Wilbur and Orville persevered in their struggle against Mother Nature, the public opinion, and failed flights and experiments to fulfill their dream of making a flying machine.
This biography tells the story of the lives of the Wright brothers, from the time they were little boys tinkering with toys, to when they finally sold their marvelous invention to the United States government. This book shows how the airplane started out as a glider, then evolved into a plane that stayed in the air for 5 seconds, and finally into a plane that stayed in the air for an hour and 13 minutes. It also explains how getting the government to buy their plane was a difficult task because it had already spent $70,000 on another person who tried to invent the airplane. Luckily, the government said yes after the Wright brothers had built a better plane. This book also contains miraculous pictures of Wilbur and Orville's flights and failures.
I recommend this book to anybody who enjoys biographies or who wants to sit back and relax with a good book. This book is an all around good read but what especially sticks out is that it shows that if you put your mind to something you can always accomplish it, no matter how difficult the task.

Editorial Review:

The story of the first powered, sustained, and controlled airplane flight, and the men behind it.

Martha Graham: A Dancer's Life

Russell Freedman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Martha Graham (1894-1991) referred to her dancers as "acrobats of God," but in truth it was she who seemed divinely inspired. Graham was a dancer, choreographer, and teacher for more than 70 years, and during that time she changed the landscape of dance forever. An unlikely candidate for a dance diva, she was shorter and more muscular than the principal ballet dancers of her time and she didn't start dancing until age 22--a flower long past her bloom in the eyes of most choreographers. Nonetheless, Graham managed to turn the dance world on its tutu with her innovative approach to movement and teaching and her clear understanding that feelings are not always graceful, but always intense.

Russell Freedman, who won the Newbery Medal in 1988 for Lincoln: A Photobiography and Newbery Honors for The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane (1992) and Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery (1994), has once again crafted a beautiful, intriguing biography. He traces Graham's remarkable life from a childhood filled with imaginative play, to her decision to attend dance school instead of college, through her departure from the Broadway Follies to pursue her own dance style, and onward through her late life, when she continued teaching and creating distinctive performance pieces. The fascinating biography is complemented by exquisite black-and-white photographs that reveal Graham's sense of beauty and her remarkable ability to translate pure, raw emotions into expressive movement. Freedman's lovely tribute makes us fully believe Graham when she says, "I did not choose to be a dancer, I was chosen." (Young Adult/Adult) --Brangien Davis

Who Was First?: Discovering the Americas (Bank Street College of Education Flora Stieglitz Straus Award (Awards))

Russell Freedman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Russel Freedman - concerns 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

On accuracy: It is wrong to skip or gloss over facts that lead to wrong conclusions. In Russel Freedman's Who was First?, page 11, where he quotes Columbus, "They [the Arawaks] were well built...", Columbus, in that same quote, also wrote in his journal that he took some of the natives by force (2). "They [the Arawaks] would make fine servants . . . With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want" (1) Russel Freedman's book skips a lot on accuracy for Columbus: "Columbus received 10% of the profits from this venture [and] governship over new found lands..."(2). A man named Rodrigo saw the Americas first, but Columbus claimed he saw the land first and he received the reward of an annual pension of 10,000 maravedis for his lifetime (38 kg = 83.6 lbs of silver or about $22,700 in today's dollars)(3). On Hispaniola Columbus took more prisoners and two Arawaks were bled to death with swords for they had refused to trade the number of bows and arrows Columbus and his men wanted (3). On the second trip, Columbus and 1,200 hundred men rounded up 1,500 Arawak men, women and children for slaves: 500 went back to Spain and 200 died en route (4). On Haiti, the original camp of Spaniards had been destroyed because they took women and children for sex and labor slaves (4). In Haiti, Columbus forced all those 14 an older to collect a specific amount of gold every three months; those who failed had their hands cut off (4). Spaniards would behead Indians for fun. Natives who ran away were hanged or burned, so the Arawak men, women, and children started committing mass suicide with Cassava poison (4). By 1650, all the original Arawaks and descendents were dead (5). Howard Zinn. A People's History of the United States.

Russel Freedman fails to name Columbus appropriately as a slaver and an encourager of the rape, genocide and enslavement of the Arawaks. He whitewashes some of the history with his words and pictures (especially priests blessing this man), thereby not giving Columbus his proper due.

I did like Russel Freedman's analysis of the flaws in the theories the Chinese were in the Americas well before Columbus (p31-33). I would liked to have seen more writing on the Heyerdahl's 1947 KonTiki expedition that proved Indian balsa wood rafts could cross the Pacific Ocean. The analysis of Viking landings (43) tie in with what I have read before. I wish Africa had been given more attention. I read there are rock carvings in South America that can be traced to African carvings.

Still, Accuracy wise, for a children's book, Who was First? breaks new bounds.

Jason Penterman, West Bend, WI

Editorial Review:

Many generations of American schoolchildren were taught that Columbus discovered America, and a holiday reminds us every October. But historical investigation in recent years has shown us otherwise. There is evidence that adventurers, explorers, traders, and nomads from various parts of the globe set foot on American soil long before 1492. And expeditions that landed in the Americas reported people already living there—indicating that America had been "discovered" before. Russell Freedman brings his legendary skills as researcher and storyteller to this fresh and intriguing look at the American past. Colorful legends and first-person accounts are woven into the riveting narrative, which also illuminates the way historians and mapmakers have gathered, evaluated, and recorded information throughout the ages.

The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights

Russell Freedman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

"A voice like yours," celebrated conductor Arturo Toscanini told contralto Marian Anderson, "is heard once in a hundred years." This insightful account of the great African American vocalist considers her life and musical career in the context of the history of civil rights in this country. Drawing on Anderson's own writings and other contemporary accounts, Russell Freedman shows readers a singer pursuing her art despite the social constraints that limited the careers of black performers in the 1920s and 1930s. Though not a crusader or a spokesperson by nature, Marian Anderson came to stand for all black artists-and for all Americans of color-when, with the help of such prominent figures as Eleanor Roosevelt, she gave her landmark 1939 performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, which signaled the end of segregation in the arts. Carefully researched, expertly told, and profusely illustrated with contemporary photographs, here is a moving account of the life of a talented and determined artist who left her mark on musical and social history. Through her story, one of today's leading authors of nonfiction for young readers illuminates the social and political climate of the day and an important chapter in American history. Notes, bibliography, discography, index.

Confucius: Golden Rule, The

Russell Freedman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Life and Times of Confucius..... 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 9 people found this review helpful.

"More than 2,500 years have passed since Confucius walked the dusty country roads of China, chatting with his disciples, yet his voice still rings clear and true down through the centuries. Those who knew him never forgot him. Those who came after handed down his sayings from one generation to the next, right up to our own time..." So begins Russell Freedman's brilliant and engaging biography of Confucius, a minor government official who desperately wanted to be a political force in ancient China. "Though he offered many bold ideas for reform, his advice was ignored by the rulers of the day. For this reason, he spent much of his time teaching and discussing his ideas with his students." His simple, yet profound thoughts about government, education, and religion were shared with his followers through conversations and dialogues, and finally written down, many years after his death, in a book that has come to be known as the Analects. "This slim volume is the one source where we can most clearly hear the unique voice of the real, living Confucius." Mr Freedman's well researched story is written in an easy to read, conversational style and filled with history, mystery, intriguing biographical details, quotes from the Analect, and fascinating fun facts. Frederic Clement's elegant and evocative Chinese-style illustrations look ancient and authentic, and are rich in emotion, color, and detail. Together word and art bring the great philospher and his times to life on the page. With an enlightening Author's Note, and informative sources and suggestions for further reading included at the end, Confucius: The Golden Rule is an entertaining and inspiring introductory biography that is sure to whet the appetite of kids 10 and older, and send them out looking for more. "And so, after twenty-five centuries, the pros and cons of what Confucius said or didn't say are still being debated. The reason isn't hard to find. He trusted people to think for themselves. He was always ready to offer suggestions, but he insisted that each of us must find answers for ourselves. And he admitted that he himself did not know the truth, only a way to look for it..."

Editorial Review:

Born in China in 551 B. C., Confucius rose from poverty to the heights of his country's ruling class. But then he quit his high post for the life of an itinerant philosopher. "The Analects" collects his teachings on education and government, the definition of nobility, the equality of man and the right way and purpose of living, ideas that eventually spread to the West and influenced the great thinkers of the Enlightenment. And five centuries before Christ, Confucius set forth his own Golden Rule: "Do not impose on others what you do not wish for yourself."