   | Struttin' with some barbecue : Lil Hardin Armstrong becomes the first lady of jazz Author: Powell, Patricia Hruby | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
Lil Hardin and her man, Louis Armstrong, were musical royalty-inventing a new kind of jazz sound.
| Illustrator: | Himes, Rachel |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.80 Points: 1.0 Quiz: 501238 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 3-5 Reading Level: 6.20 Points: 4.0 Quiz: 76579 | |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (10/15/18)
School Library Journal (11/01/18)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/11/18)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 11/01/2018 Gr 3–6—This biography in verse tells the story of Lil Hardin Armstrong, the first lady of jazz and Louis Armstrong's first wife. While the book starts with Hardin Armstrong's birth, most of the text focuses on her time as a jazz pianist in the 1920s and her influential role in Louis Armstrong's success. The poetry is free form and peppered with bits of scat as an ode to early jazz, and it works well as a vehicle to tell the story of such a strong figure in this movement. Hardin Armstrong's life is compelling, and readers will be inspired by her perseverance and rise to success in a male-dominated field and in the face of segregation. However, details about her life are less realized than in a typical biography partly because of the book's lyrical format. Thankfully Powell includes a variety of back matter including more information on Hardin Armstrong, jazz music, and the rise of jazz clubs in the 1920s. The charming illustrations nicely enhance the text. VERDICT Recommended for most libraries, especially where biographies circulate well.—Ellen Conlin, Naperville Public Library, IL - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
