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aoosterwyk's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite biography of Charles Dickens so far. His writings are woven among the many social causes he supported. The class structure of England is examined and compared to that of France at the time of the French Revolution. American Civil War soldiers read his novels around their campfires.
beatniksafari's review against another edition
4.0
Although I've read and loved several books by Charles Dickens, I knew little of his background as a social reformer and advocate for some of England's neediest citizens. This book detailed his efforts to help child laborers and other victims of neglect, corruption, and societal indifference in Victorian England. I'm inspired to return to his novels with fresh eyes.
reneesuz's review against another edition
4.0
I am a huge fan of A Christmas Carol - our family is now in its 3rd year of involvement with our local community theater's annual musical production. My middle dd played Belinda in '08, she was student director in '10 and I"m the producer this year (Auditions are coming up in 2 wks so we don't yet know if either of my girls will be cast) so I was very excited to be given the opportunity to read and review this book.
Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London is being published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children for grades 7and up. I feel this book will be more so enjoyed by adults and high school students than it will be middle school kids. Students in 7th and 8th grade will not yet be familiar with many of Dickens works and so will not understand the references.
I very much enjoyed reading this book and learning more about the plight of children in London and how it is that Dickens came to make them a prominent part of so many of his works. The book has beautiful black and white photographs and illustrations - some even from the first edition of A Christmas Carol. I did find one mistake in an illustration's caption but I'm sure that will be corrected prior to publication.
Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London is being published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children for grades 7and up. I feel this book will be more so enjoyed by adults and high school students than it will be middle school kids. Students in 7th and 8th grade will not yet be familiar with many of Dickens works and so will not understand the references.
I very much enjoyed reading this book and learning more about the plight of children in London and how it is that Dickens came to make them a prominent part of so many of his works. The book has beautiful black and white photographs and illustrations - some even from the first edition of A Christmas Carol. I did find one mistake in an illustration's caption but I'm sure that will be corrected prior to publication.
turrean's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent YA-level biography of Dickens, examining his life through the social ills at which his books took aim. The narrative is a bit too inclined to give Dickens extra credit for what were surely complex social responses to the humanitarian crisis that was 19th century London, and to soften some of Dickens' own caddish behavior toward his wife. But the author deftly interweaves details of Dickens' life with accounts of his famous novels, and uses both to give a vivid (and fairly damning) look at the social, legal, and technological forces at work in his time. In the end, this is as much a biography of Victoran England as it is of Dickens.
herlifewithbooks's review against another edition
3.0
30% history, 30% biography, 30% condescendingly amateur literary analysis, 1% hero worship.
Interesting, though!
Interesting, though!
quietjenn's review against another edition
3.0
Nice contextualization of Dickens, full of interesting information. Occasionally a bit didactic and dry, but very easy-reading style and good illustrations (although I wouldn't have minded more of them). Still, for a kid who reads Dickens in school and wants to know more (those kids exist, right?) it's a solid offering.
poetryfreak38's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fasinating look at Charle Dickens. It talks about some of the great things he did and just how much he influenced the people of his time. It also mentions other figures and how they influenced society and Dickens. This is a great book for people interested in the author. It would be great for middle grades and up.
elizabethlk's review against another edition
4.0
Charles Dickens and The Street Children of London tells the tale of Dickens' personal life, philanthropic work, and literary efforts to make the world a better place, and it tells that tale well. As a biography, it's a very focused scope, with the intention of looking specifically at the impact the world had on Dickens and that Dickens had on the world.
The writing style is straightforward, and highly readable. The content is brilliantly displayed to show the information at hand, making it an interesting and informative read. Stylistically it is one of the rare books that an adult, teen, or child could read, enjoy, and learn from. The illustrations, paintings, and photographs displayed are done so effectively, and enhance the material.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about Dickens, but I would also recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about the working classes and the impoverished in Victorian England. Again, I would recommend it to any age group.
The writing style is straightforward, and highly readable. The content is brilliantly displayed to show the information at hand, making it an interesting and informative read. Stylistically it is one of the rare books that an adult, teen, or child could read, enjoy, and learn from. The illustrations, paintings, and photographs displayed are done so effectively, and enhance the material.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about Dickens, but I would also recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about the working classes and the impoverished in Victorian England. Again, I would recommend it to any age group.
erine's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this. I have never given much thought to Charles Dickens the person, and this tween-level biography gave a reasonably comprehensive picture of his life, particularly his childhood which informed his writing so much.
I would be very much interested to know more about his relationship with his wife and their children, which this book did not go into too great of detail about.
Overall, an interesting biography of an admirable and complex man.
I would be very much interested to know more about his relationship with his wife and their children, which this book did not go into too great of detail about.
Overall, an interesting biography of an admirable and complex man.
elizabethlk's review
4.0
Charles Dickens and The Street Children of London tells the tale of Dickens' personal life, philanthropic work, and literary efforts to make the world a better place, and it tells that tale well. As a biography, it's a very focused scope, with the intention of looking specifically at the impact the world had on Dickens and that Dickens had on the world.
The writing style is straightforward, and highly readable. The content is brilliantly displayed to show the information at hand, making it an interesting and informative read. Stylistically it is one of the rare books that an adult, teen, or child could read, enjoy, and learn from. The illustrations, paintings, and photographs displayed are done so effectively, and enhance the material.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about Dickens, but I would also recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about the working classes and the impoverished in Victorian England. Again, I would recommend it to any age group.
The writing style is straightforward, and highly readable. The content is brilliantly displayed to show the information at hand, making it an interesting and informative read. Stylistically it is one of the rare books that an adult, teen, or child could read, enjoy, and learn from. The illustrations, paintings, and photographs displayed are done so effectively, and enhance the material.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about Dickens, but I would also recommend it to anyone looking to learn more about the working classes and the impoverished in Victorian England. Again, I would recommend it to any age group.
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