I am Raymond Washington
by Zach Fortier
My rating: 4.2 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Over a kitchen table in 1969, in a small apartment in Los Angeles, two best friends were talking of forming their own gang. One that would become one of the most widely known and feared gangs of the modern era, the Crips. Only the three men in that room, the two founders, both now dead, and the youngest brother of one of them would ever know the true story of the name and the man, until now. I Am Raymond Washington is the story of growing up in the streets of Los Angeles, where is was common to get up every morning and walk a couple blocks to the corner where the local Black Panthers were giving out free breakfast to the kids. Raymond turned twelve the week of the Watts Riots, and was able to watch them from his apartment, although he is said to have been out in the violence. He would grow up seeing things that would be unbelievable to someone growing up in a different type of neighbor, and it all influenced the formation of the Crips. Zach Fortier, with the help of Derard Barton, Raymond's younger brother, tells the story of Raymond's life in a non-judgemental way so as to give you a glimpse into the why and how, and let you, the reader decide what is right, wrong and just somewhere in between.
I Am Raymond Washington should be read by everyone, no matter what you know or feel about the Crips or gangs. I found historical incidents that occurred that would influence Raymond's views of the police, and well that of all the residents of the Watts, Compton and South LA area that I had never even heard of before. Zach Fortier, as a former police officer involved in gang crime, admits in the writing that even he was shocked to learn of some of the behaviors and incidents that occurred that would shape Raymond's views of the world. Derard Barton, Raymond's brother helping with the telling of this biography lends a human side to Raymond, not just the tough, ruthless, powerful street thug leader of the notorious Crips. Even if this is something you never think you would read, pick it up, give it a chance, it might just enlighten you in a way you never imagined.
View all my reviews
Klay Thompson: The Incredible Story of One of Basketball's Sharpest Shooters
by Clayton Geoffreys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The story of NBA basketball player Klay Thompson is a valuable read, not because he had to over come hardship or tragedy to get where he is today, but because of the quiet and calm manner in which he has learned and processed the rules and become the success he is today.
Klay Thompson gives us the inspirational story of a player who listened to his father, learned his lessons well and has his head on straight. He is one that is learning, from his parents, how to budget and live well within his means, setting him up for a future long after basketball is gone. So many players become bankrupt when their careers are over because they never learned the basic lessons of saving money and budgeting.
Klay is also on that you will not find getting into trouble, there is one recorded incident in college and that made such an impact on Klay that he has kept his nose clean and lived an incredibly tame life for a basketball player.
For these reasons alone Klay is a wonderful inspiration and role model for younger children. This is a great book for adults and children to read to get to know more about Klay, where he came from and what he is about.
View all my reviews
Henry Darrow: Lightning in the Bottle
by Jan Pippins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite .
Henry Darrow was originally born as Enrique Tomas' Delgado in New York City. His parents were Puerto Rican immigrants that settled in New York. This biography tells the story of Henry's life, his name change and his passion for acting. He studied acting in school, even getting a scholarship to earn his college degree in acting. He worked numerous jobs, only to be told he was too ethnic for a part and not ethnic enough for the next. Jan Pippins pulls no punches in the telling of Henry's story. The double-standards and stereotypes that he had to deal with as a Puerto Rican person. The over riding factor in his success was the fact that he was a brilliant actor. He became an icon for many minority groups, and was a trailblazer.
Henry Darrow: Lighting In A Bottle takes you into the life of Henry, his upbringing and schooling. His career and marriage, his acting and failures. It is well written and gives a true to life view of how things where in the time period when Henry made his mark on the world. He could be called the acting world's Jackie Robinson. Not only does the book tell of his life, his biggest break came when he was cast to play on a tv series called The High Chaparral. This show followed on the success of Bonanza, but yet in a different way. There is one whole section of the book that is dedicated to the time he was shooting this show. Now only giving insight into him, but others of the time as well. Jan Pippins does a remarkable job of bringing to life the story of a men who blazed a new trail for minority actors, and became a legend in the doing. This is a great read for anyone who needs encouragement to do something they don't think they can do.
View all my reviews
Steve Jobs - The Inspirational Life Story Of Steve Jobs, The Fruit Company That Changed Our World
by Gregory Watson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My 4th grader is an advanced reader and one of the tasks that she is required to do each term is to read a biography and write about it. I have spent much time in the recent weeks, and downloaded a number of e-books in this vein for her studies. I always read them first, and I loved this one. My child is so into computers, and she did a biography last term on a Nintendo designer, so this fits her tastes wonderfully, but it also has some great points that all students need to learn.
Everyone thinks of the success that Steve Jobs had in this later years, but that was not always the case. He was a sometimes troublesome prankster in school. That is something that might get overlooked, but can be of great benefit to a number of students who love computers and have a natural ability with them, but have trouble in other areas of school. If Mr. Jobs can do it, so can they. I found the recurring theme of Steve Jobs life to be that he used his mind, continued to drive no matter what, and kept going. I think this is a great message for the youth of today.
This would make a great short read for an adult, but for students, this is a perfect biography book that they can understand and would motivate them to work harder in school. I look forward to seeing the report my daughter ends up writing on this book.
View all my reviews
Nelson Mandela - The Inspirational Life Story Of Nelson Mandela, The Best Of A Legendary South African Leader
by Gregory Watson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As a parent and a teaching assistant, I am always looking for good and short biography books that I think will interest my kids. They also need to be about people who have done something inspirational, not just made a lot of money. I am so glad to have found this one. I think it is perfect for my advanced level 4th grade, and would be good up through high school.
We have all heard of Nelson Mandela, but maybe our children don't see the importance of him the way we did. This book takes you back and tells you of his life, from birth to death. The triumphs and trials, the joys and sorrows, and everything that went into making Nelson Mandela the man he was.You learn things that you might not have known before, the type of student he was and what motivated him to do the things he did.
This book is a great way to introduce a young, new generation of children to the legacy of Nelson Mandela and to see that they learn of his principals and commitments. To teach them what he stood for and to make sure that they know the importance of standing for something. Definitely one that I want in my library.
View all my reviews
Ayrton Senna - The Inspirational Life of Ayrton Senna, The Greatest Formula One Driver that Ever Lived
by Gregory Watson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Ayrton Senna was born in San Paolo to a wealthy family but saw the slums and poverty of his town. He was born to race and did so with great success up until his death. He understood engines and cars and that made him a delight to work with for the crews. He was also a man who spent his own money in silence to help those in the slums of his hometown. He also was vocal about driver safety and worked to make changes to improve driver safety.
What makes Ayrton Senna a perfect role model or inspiration is that he did all these good works without looking for public recognition. He did it quietly, behind the scenes. As a parent and a teaching assistant I am always looking for these type of books to give to classes to read, This would interest the boys and give them something to strive to achieve, the good deeds. This is great for the upper elementary and junior high grades, depending on reading levels. It would make a great biography paper. I am glad I found this over our school break so that I have it when we start back to school.
View all my reviews
