Who Was?: Author Biographies

Gr 5–8—This collection of author biographies from the popular "Who Was?" series includes much more than trivia or the usual facts. The biographies (each on a single CD) offer thoughtful insights into the lives, careers, and writing styles of six popular authors: Roald Dahl, Jeff Kinney, J.K. Rowling, Maurice Sendak, Dr. Seuss, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. Narrations are nicely paced and easy to follow. Time lines of the authors' lives and world events follow the narratives. The biographers all discuss how the authors came to imagine and craft their iconic stories and characters. Listeners will come away with a clear understanding of the painstaking and repeated revision that is necessary to produce a quality piece of writing. Biographers do not shy away from serious subjects that had significant impact on the authors, including Nazism, death, sexual orientation, and kidnapping.