The Book of Rock Stars: 24 Musical Icons That Shine Through History - Hardcover

Kathleen Krull is an acclaimed author of the popular “Lives of” nonfiction series. She is also the author of Songs of Praise; Gonna Sing My Head Off!: American Folk Songs for Children; Lives of the Musicians; M Is for Music; and The Book of Rock Stars. She is married to illustrator Paul Brewer.

Gr. 4-6. In prose lit with unabashed hero worship, Krull profiles 24 rock stars, from Elvis to Curt Cobain. In investigating their legends, she's occasionally evasive: Was Dylan actually hooted off the stage for going electric? Did Jim Morrison really expose himself? Still, for encapsulating rock's archetypal tales of rags to riches, spectacular flameouts, and primal music making, Krull's hard to top for energy and passion. Alcorn's full-page polychrome relief prints hark back to the psychedelic posters of the '60s, presenting Elvis as a god; Bono as, at least, a saint; Bowie as an alien (of course); and the faces of Janis and Bob Marley glowing like elementals within writhing masses of hair. Readers will not only be caught up in the swirl of one of the past century's central cultural currents but also find this an irresistible gateway to the music. Krull closes her encomium with systematic lists of recommended books, recordings, and Web sites, so readers can find out more. John Peters
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