EVALUATING JUVENILE BIOGRAPHY

Choice of Subject

• Does the subject's life offer interest and meaning for today's child? In what ways?




• How will knowing this historical or contemporary figure help children understand the past or the present?




• How can the subject's experiences widen children's views on the possibilities for their own lives?

Accuracy and Authenticity

• Do the text and illustrations reflect careful research and consistency in presentation? How?




• Does the author provide notes about original source material, a bibliography, or other evidence of documentation? What material does the author provide, and how does the author present that material?




• Are there discrepancies of fact in comparison with other books? List any discrepancies.




• Are there significant omissions that result in a distorted picture of the subject's life? List any omissions. Explain the affect they have on the biography.

Style

• Are quotations or dialogue used in a way that brings the subject to life? Offer examples to support your answer.




• For a fictionalized biography, does the choice of narrator's point of view add to the story? In what ways? Does it distract from the account in any ways?




• Is the author's style clear and readable, with background material included naturally? How does the author smoothly incorporate the background material? What material, if any, stands out awkwardly?

Characterization

• Is the subject presented as a believable, multidimensional character, with both strengths and weaknesses? How does the author present the subject's strengths and flaws? What important character traits does the book fail to address?




• Does the author avoid both eulogizing and debunking? How?

Theme

• Does the author's interpretation of the subject represent a fair and balanced approach? Why or why not?




• Does the author avoid oversimplifying or manipulating the facts to fit the chosen theme? Explain. What facts, if any, seem oversimplified or manipulated in the book?