Marian Anderson: A Voice Uplifted

This is my first experience with the Sterling Biographies series and I have to say, I'm quite happy with the information presented and the format of the books. There is a lot of detail, but it is wonderfully broken up with photos and illustrations from Anderson's life and from the era covered in this biography. Naturally, Garrett Jones covers Anderson's life from birth to death; it is the way that the information is presented that really makes for interesting reading. Kudos to the author for emphasizing Marian's initial struggle with education (which she eventually over came) and paying a lot of attention to her life long dedication to studying and improving her voice technique (including studying abroad in England, France and Germany to learn foreign languages). The text deals deftly with the topic of racial segregation and the many difficulties Anderson (and countless others) experienced in the US (most notably in the Southern United States) and Garrett Jones contrasts it nicely with her experiences internationally. I found it of interest that she was welcomed the world over but in many location in the U.S. she had to lodge in private residences because social conventions at the time made in impossible tor a black person to rent hotel rooms in many places. I love the extensive sue of sidebars to highlight points of interest through the text, they provide context to the larger social climate as well as providing background information on various people in Anderson's life. The text includes timeline (of Anderson's life), glossary, a short bibliography and even an index. It is an excellent biography (series) for young readers ages 8-12 and would be satisfactory for some older readers as a jumping off point for a larger report or project. I give it 5 stars; it (and indeed the entire series) would make a fine addition to any classroom (or school) library. Marian Anderson: A Voice Uplifted gives you a solid foundation on the person that was Marian Anderson as well as a well grounded portrait of the era in which she lived. Just Lovely!