Charles A. Lindbergh: A Human Hero - James Giblin
An evenly presented Lindbergh biography.
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- Author:James Giblin
- # of pages: 220
- Publisher:Houghton Mifflin Children's Books
- Original Publication Date: 01/01/1997
- Genre: Non-Fiction - Biography
- Hardcover: $18.00
- Publisher's Recommended Reading Level: Ages 9-12
- Read Alone: 9+
Parents need to know
Families can talk about both Lindbergh's admirable acts and his more troubling views, such as his belief in eugenics and support for aspects of Nazism. How have his political views affected how he's been remembered? How do you view him?
Message
Social Behavior:
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Common Sense says
What's the story?
Reviewed by Amy Brotman
Is it any good?
With thoughtful selection and presentation of facts, James Cross Giblin shows how the Lone Eagle's quality of stubborn determination--admirable when he sets out to make a transoceanic flight--becomes a fault when Lindbergh is dealing with Nazi leaders and American businessmen. In the absence of fact, questions about Lindbergh's motives for his controversial activities suggest that he was simply naive.
Engaging language (a "patchwork fleet of little boats" rescues Allied forces from the beaches of Normandy during World War II) combines with a sharp sense of story to produce compelling reading for experienced, avid readers.
Giblin maintains a novel-like sense of tension with telling details, like reporting when Lindbergh took his first nibble of food only an hour from Paris and long past several mealtimes. One reason he waits so long--kids want to know!--is revealed when the king of England questions Lindbergh about the plane's toilet facilities (there are none).
The book is full of archival photos, such as the one in which Lindbergh's silver plane is dwarfed by the background of misty sky as he takes off.
Other choices
Barry Denenberg's An American Hero is a more simply written account of the aviator's life, and Susan Sloate's Lost Star, about Amelia Earhart, also captures the excitement of the early days of flying.
Parents and kids say



