John B. SeveranceRecensioner

From the book flap:

"The words of the Declaration of Independence, so familiar to us and so important to our country, were those of Thomas Jefferson. He was a primary force behind United States independence, he initiated public education ,he established a national library, and he paved the way for the abolishment of slavery. Without his influence, our country would be vastly different from the way it is today.

Jefferson contributed much to our country's birth. Time and time again he attempted to reture from politics, but was compelled to serve once more in order to help his fledgling country remain on its feet. His faith and dedication tot he idea of self-government never wavered, even in the face of many personal hardships.

Details of both Jefferson's political career and his personal life are shared here, including his many interests apart from politics: his beloved family, his talent for architecture his love of books and learning, and his profound respect for the ideas of philosophers who came before him. In this comprehensive biography, John B. Severance gives us an accurate and compelling portrait of a modest man whose convictions helped shape history."

This book does a good job at explaining Mahatma Gandhi's struggles while growing up in India. It shows us some of his accomplishments as well as disappointments. I learned that Mahatma in Sanskrit means "Great Soul". Gandhi's biggest mission was to free the millions of
people of India from British rule by holding speeches and having peaceful protest, and while using this method he inspired many activists. He grew up in India and did not want to stay there for college so he moved to London to go to law school. By sacrificing himself he impressed people because it showed them how far he would go for his people. He studied world religion throughout his life. At times he rebelled by smoking, and eating meat but this didn't change the type of person he was. He stood up for peoples rights and he will always be remembered for that, and his teachings will continue to inspire people for all over the world.

My daughter and I finished reading aloud this children's biography called Winston Churchill: Soldier, Statesman, Artist. This is an invitingly short book on Winston Churchill's life. For the life of me, I can't figure out the low rating this book received on Goodreads. The book starts with Churchill's young life, goes into his time in the Boer War, WWI, and his political offices, then WWII and after. Now, it is not long or difficult but it is very interesting for the young age for which it is intended. It is a positive account of his life and a great introduction to the world leader for children.

I suspect people read the book, were intrigued with the content, and wanted more. This is perfect for the middle grades. If kids desire to learn more after reading this book, that's even better. Recommended.

It is hard to not appreciate the words describing someone like Ghandi, a man all people can learn something from. In a simple and chronological account of Ghandi's busy life, Severance informs the reader of both personal and political events that occurred in Ghandi's lifetime. While a more unbiased read would require knowledge of Ghandi's autobiography, this account is straightforward and simple enough to be read in an history or ELA class. The pictures help any reader visualize Ghandi's life in South Africa and India. His persistence, strength (both mentally and spiritually) are enough to warrant this biography acceptable in a classroom. While other accounts of his life may be more prolific, "Ghandi, Great Soul" does its job of providing a comprehensive and satisfying picture of Ghandi's life.

Severance covers the depth and breadth of Mohandas K. Gandhi's life. Gandhi came from an upper-middle-class family who received education in British schools. His loyalty to the British crumbled when he experienced prejudice on a business trip to South Africa. Gandhi, thus, abandoned a future in law in London and gave up materialistic goods to improve the lives of the less-fortunate. Gandhi dedicates the remainder of his life to help millions of Indian people free themselves from British rule. He believed in patient, peaceful resistance,and satyagraha, a combination of truth, love, and firmness. Satyagraha, thus, led to independence for India and later to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement.

This is a well-written and notable biography due to its textual and pictorial content. The book departs from typical stock photographs and textbook trivia. Instead, the book unravels the consequences of on-location, primary source research. The book is iniviting because of the authentic black-and-white photographs. However, Gandhi is portrayed too flawlessly. On the other hand, Severance does mention aspects of Gandhi'personal life that are controversial: Gandhi's reluctance to send his sons to school and Gandhi's refusal to treat his dying wife with penicillin because it would be administered through a hypodermic needle. In addition, readers who are not reading up to grade level will find the text dense. However, Severance has traveled to India to capture the country's flavor and has wonderfully provided readers with a firsthad touch of an inspirational human who influenced many activists such as Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. Readers will be able to feel Gandhi' distress as he witnessed violence erupted in India in the name of independence. The author provides a bibliography of materials for readers who wish extend their research about Gandhi. The book is movingly told and librarians will find it an appealing and enlightening addition to their library.

A readable account of Einstein's momentous scientific discoveries and his often troubled personal life.

This one's a nice little biography of the former Prime Minister of Great Britain and only honorary citizen of the United States. It's written for kids so the text is quick and easy to read and there are nice pictures to illuminate the story. The biggest problem I had with the book was that since Churchill was such a fascinating individual, I would much have preferred a book five times as long. (Not that I have time to read such a tome these days...)
--J.

This is obviously about Gandhi and the story of his life. From birth to death, it follows Gandhi’s steps through his nonviolent fight for an independent India. He also strived for unity within the Hindu community, with the sole belief that all men are brothers. Gandhi spent most of his time traveling all over India, preaching, fasting, and reading and writing in jail. In the end, his life was taken by an assassin.

While the biography served its purpose of sharing Gandhi’s life and giving me the opportunity to learn more about him, I was honestly bored by the book – not the content, but how the content was produced and displayed. There were plenty of great photographs but because they were black and white, color should have been somehow added to each page, either literally or through more excitement in the wordage and story. It reminded of textbook fashion. Gandhi led an inspiring life and I am glad to have read this book, but I would have more attention-grabbing books to accompany this one in the classroom if I want my students to be interested in reading about him.

Well, the first extension I thought of after reading the first few chapters of this book was to have the students bring this book to life, through art and illustration with lots of color, technology, music, and action. It would be an open assignment (no limit to creativity with the exception of must be appropriate) for students to work alone or in groups and present Gandhi’s life in a colorful, lively way. He did some amazing things and so his story should be told in an amazing way. Posters, collections of pictures, power points, acting, song, whatever the students want to do to make this book come alive is welcomed. Another extension would be for students to focus on what Gandhi believed in: all men are brothers, unity within a country (no separation between the people i.e. lower class and homeless vs. middle and upper class), love and respect for all, and only nonviolence all the time. The students would write a paper about how America would be different if Gandhi’s beliefs were followed here and include their personal thoughts of which way of life would be better - modern day America or Gandhi’s hope for the future – and what changes should be made in either situation.½