Ursula K. Le Guin

Gr 6 Up—Le Guin's work raises questions about identity and morality, and Brown explores her treatment of these themes in a way that readers, whether they're reading for pleasure or for reports, will appreciate. He emphasizes her principled stands on race and gender in her writing, but concentrates more on her storytelling and her impact on the field, and on writers such as Orson Scott Card. Chapters cover Le Guin's background and her major works, and back matter includes source notes and a list of popular characters. There are one or two photos per chapter and sidebars on topics such as challenges brought against her books and an explanation of the Hugo and Nebula awards. This title does a fine job of conveying both the story of an author's long career and the vision that fuels it.—Rebecca Donnelly, Loma Colorado Public Library, Rio Rancho, NM