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40 pp.
| HarperCollins/Tegen
| January, 2017
|
TradeISBN 978-0-06-243016-8$17.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Frank Morrison.
After portraying some famous fight scenes, this biography flashes back to show the childhood incident that pushed Cassius Clay into the boxing ring: a stolen bicycle. As Cassius trains and builds agility and strength, he also builds a reputation as a winner. Morrison's oil paintings are full of drama and movement. Back matter highlights later facets of the champion's life. Reading list, websites. Bib.
64 pp.
| Capstone/Compass Point
| January, 2017
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7565-5527-6$34.65
|
PaperISBN 978-0-7565-5531-3$8.95
|
EbookISBN 978-0-7565-5543-6
(3)
4-6
Captured History: Sports series.
These volumes each examine the impact of a single famous sports photograph, starting with an in-depth description of the moment captured. The authors then zoom out to examine surrounding events: civil rights unrest in America during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics (Black Power) and Muhammad Ali's sometimes controversial career (Ali's Knockout). An exciting and unique approach to history. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Captured History: Sports titles: Ali's Knockout Punch and Black Power Salute.
48 pp.
| Lerner
| April, 2017
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-5124-4431-5$31.99
|
EbookISBN 978-1-5124-4432-2
(4)
4-6
Gateway Biographies series.
Sports icon Ali is briefly profiled in this superficial introduction. From his Chicago childhood spent sparring in a neighborhood gym to his successful career and controversial political activism, this biography hits the highlights of Ali's life and career without digging too deeply. Aside from all the undefined boxing terminology, this is an approachable resource for young report-writers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.
(1)
YA
Shabazz, Malcolm X's third daughter, and YA author Magoon present a vivid, immediate fictionalized portrait of the civil rights activist. Readers are immersed in young Malcolm's world, from his tragic Depression-era childhood; through his teen years in Boston and Harlem, imprisonment for larceny, and growing awareness of racism's impact; ending with his conversion to Islam in his mid-twenties. A powerful, compelling work of historical fiction. Reading list. Bib.
(4)
4-6
Illustrated by
AG Ford.
Malcolm X's daughter chronicles her father's childhood in this lengthy picture book biography. The horror of tragic events--the family's home being set on fire, the murder of Malcolm's father by the Ku Klux Klan--is tempered by (overwritten) descriptions of more mundane events, such as gardening or fishing. Realistic oil paintings show ordinary moments from an extraordinary figure's formative years.
144 pp.
| Morgan
| May, 2013
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-59935-328-9$28.95
(3)
YA
Civil Rights Leaders series.
Beginning with one of Malcolm X's more notable speeches, this well-researched biography presents his troubled childhood, prison education, rise and fall within the Nation of Islam, and assassination. Black-and-white archival photographs, boxed quotes, and sidebars enhance the readable text, successfully capturing the historical setting, key figures, and rising fervor of the civil rights movement. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind.
88 pp.
| Twenty-First Century
| February, 2013
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-8225-9035-4$33.27
(4)
YA
Doeden traces Malcolm's early life, prison years, conversion to the Nation of Islam, and rise to prominence, providing historical context for the discussion. Some over-generalizations (e.g., "the civil rights movement was a success") are misleading, and Malcolm's influential Autobiography is hardly mentioned. The narrative is supported by lots of photographs and text boxes. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind.
160 pp.
| Enslow
| September, 2010
|
LibraryISBN 978-0-7660-3384-9$34.60
(4)
YA
American Rebels series.
These biographies introduce iconoclastic, boundary-pushing individuals, from Elvis and his dangerous-seeming sensuality to Malcolm X's militant approach to civil rights. Each volume begins with a scene from a turning point in the subject's life, then details his rise to fame, personal and professional hardships, and legacy. Photographs, sidebars, and pull-quotes help break up the dense texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these American Rebels titles: John Lennon, Malcolm X, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash.
104 pp.
| Lucent
| June, 2010
|
LibraryISBN 978-1-4205-0123-0$32.45
(4)
YA
Lucent Library of Black History series.
Sharp covers the tumultuous life of Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little), from petty thief to drug-addict convict to converted, charismatic, influential leader of the Nation of Islam. The text includes background about his family along with facts about his relationships with civil rights leaders. The volume is wordy but informative. Reading list, websites. Ind.
(4)
4-6
Sterling Biographies series.
Attractive layouts and well-chosen images including photographs, paintings, documents (e.g., the police report on Rosa Parks's arrest), etc. make for accessible, if adulatory, biographies of six noteworthy African Americans. Sidebars flesh out historical contexts and important contemporaries. Malcolm X is the most riveting, both because of the subject's criminal past and his controversial beliefs. Across the volumes, quotations aren't cited. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biographies titles: Rosa Parks, Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Marian Anderson, and Frederick Douglass.
102 pp.
| Chelsea
| September, 2004
|
LibraryISBN 0-7910-8162-1$23.95
|
PaperISBN 0-7910-8336-5$9.95 New ed. (1989)
(3)
YA
Black Americans of Achievement series.
Each updated biography raises awareness about the unique contributions of an African American, exploring significant events from the subject's childhood through his or her adulthood while successfully blending information about personal experiences and public achievements. Photographs feature extensive captions, and informative sidebars round out the biographical portraits. There are nine other new books in this series. Reading list, timeline. Ind. Review covers these Black Americans of Achievement titles: Jesse Jackson, Sojourner Truth, Coretta Scott King, Malcolm X, and Frederick Douglass.
64 pp.
| Heinemann
| January, 2003
|
LibraryISBN 1-58810-579-2$$28.50
(3)
4-6
Leading Lives series.
With outlined but fluid texts, these books follow the lives of famous political leaders from childhood. Focus is placed on the lasting legacies of the figures, and each book includes a descriptive list of "key people," or important historical figures in each subject's life. Photographs and quotes add interest to the texts. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. [Review covers these Leading Lives titles: Golda Meir, Che Guevara, Malcolm X, Indira Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Ho Chi Minh.]
32 pp.
| Enslow
| October, 2003
|
LibraryISBN 0-7660-2272-2$$17.95
(4)
K-3
Meeting Famous People series.
Ali is a larger than life character, and this series biography with its strong photos manages to capture the excitement surrounding the well-known athlete. Although the last twenty years are given short shrift, the book provides an account of some of Ali's controversial actions in his earlier years when he joined the Nation of Islam and became a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind.
112 pp.
| Lerner
| December, 2001
|
LibraryISBN 0-8225-5025-3$$25.26
(3)
YA
A & E Biography series.
A competently written biography presents a balanced portrait of the controversial civil rights leader, from his troubled youth to his assassination in Harlem, New York. Occasional information boxes profile some of his contemporaries, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, and Louis Farrakhan. The accompanying black-and-white photos are average in quality. Bib., ind.
128 pp.
| Enslow
| October, 2000
|
LibraryISBN 0-7660-1210-7$$20.95
(3)
YA
African-American Biographies series.
Jackson has been the subject of many juvenile biographies, but books about humanitarian and educator Shabazz, the widow of Malcolm X, and author Giovanni, several of whose poems are included in the text, are particularly welcome. Though these profiles tend to be adulatory in tone, they are also well-researched and thorough in their coverage. Standard black-and-white photos accompany the texts. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.
(2)
4-6
Illustrated by
Leonard Jenkins.
Focusing on the dramatic turning points in his subject's life and using direct quotes from the man himself, Myers's spare and eloquent narrative makes the complexities of Malcolm X's story accessible without compromising its integrity. The book has appeal for reluctant teen readers as well as younger readers. The sophisticated paintings blend realism with abstraction to heighten the underlying emotional drama of scenes.