David Karp: The Mastermind Behind Tumblr

Gr 4–6—An introductory look at the creator of one of the Web's most popular social platforms. Born in 1986 and raised in New York City, Karp became a self-taught computer coder by the age of 11 and created his own websites soon after. Over the next eight years, he dropped out of high school, worked full time in the tech industry, and moved to Tokyo for five months, returning home to focus on the consulting firm he established at the age of 19. Children should delight in Karp's success at such a young age while easily identifying with his need to stretch the truth about his age and experience to prove his worth. The remainder of this slim book focuses on how Tumblr, which he and his business partner, Marco Arment, launched in 2007, has grown into a profitable company. This straightforward account is accompanied by plenty of bright color photographs, although few of them depict Tumblr or its content. For collections needing an update on biographical fare this would be an adequate purchase.—Rebecca Gueorguiev, New York Public Library