Mythmaker: The Life of J.R.R. Tolkien, Creator of the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings

I'm amazed that the previous reviewer could say the things that he/she says -- criticizing the book as simplistic, etc. -- as the book is obviously not written for an adult audience (as the book's jacket spells out!), and therefore should be evaluated as such. As a book for young Tolkien fans or would-be Tolkien readers, it is a good basic introduction to Tolkien's life without the detail of an adult-level biography like Carpenter's. Writing a fair review is much easier if you have some notion of a book's intended readership.

Tolkien's life was great and this shows how he spent his free time. It shows his life from beginning to end with hardly anything missing.