ANNOTATION

Few men in American history are as controversial as Malcolm X. Even years after his assassination, Malcolm X continues to figure prominently in discussions about American race relations. In this provocative biography, Myers, winner of a Newbery Honor and four-time Coretta Scott King Award winner, presents a forthright portrait of a complex man whose life reflected the major events of our times. 1994 Corretta Scott King Author Honor Book.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In this highly praised, award-winning biography, Walter Dean Myers portrays Malcolm X as prophet, dealer, convict, troublemaker, revolutionary, and voice of black militancy. A Coretta Scott King Honor Book and an ALA Notable Children's Book. Photos.

FROM THE CRITICS

VOYA

"If one can choose only one book about Malcolm X, this is the book of choice".--VOYA.

Publishers Weekly

"[Myers] seamlessly fuse[s] historical notes on the era with the activist's story... [a] carefully researched portrait of a deeply devoted individual," said PW in a starred review. Age 10-up. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

In a starred review, PW admired this "carefully researched biography," which, "with incisive, precise prose... chronicles the labyrinthine path of Malcolm's life." Ages 10-13. (Jan.) r

The ALAN Review - Richard F. Abrahamson

Myers traces Malcolm Little's life from his childhood experience. Pivotal in those early years was an incident when Malcolm confided in a favorite junior high teacher that he hoped to be a lawyer someday. When the teacher suggested such a goal was not realistic for a black man and that, perhaps, a carpenter would be a better choice, Malcolm "simply gave up on the American dream." What follows is a gripping story of a young, angry man searching for himself and something to believe in. He finds both in the Nation of Islam and the teachings of Elijah Muhammad. Malcolm Little becomes Malcolm X-gifted orator, organizer, and a leader of the Black Muslims. Myers does a terrific job of contrasting Malcolm X's "by any means necessary" message and style with Martin Luther King's advocacy of nonviolent protest. In the process, the reader gets an inside look at the Civil Rights movement in America during the 1960s.

School Library Journal

Gr 5 Up-- Myers organizes Malcolm X's life into four stages: his childhood; his adolescence; his period of working under Elijah Mohammad; and his life after breaking with the Nation of Islam. Throughout, his experiences and actions are presented in a broader social context, from the beliefs of Marcus Garvey, who exerted such an influence upon Malcolm's parents, to the culture of adolescent black males in the 1930s and 1940s, to the contrasts between the Nation of Islam's views and those of Martin Luther King, Jr, with all the shadings in between. The author discusses the evolution in Malcolm's character, as his belief in Islam gradually taught him that not all whites were the enemies of African-Americans. He strikes a good balance between his subject's personal life and broader social issues and movements. Myers does not judge whether or not Malcolm X's views were better than those of King, but rather shows how both appealed to specific audiences and contributed to the struggles of the 1960s. Surprisingly, though, there is very little discussion of current controversies that have emerged from the two points of view. Black-and-white photographs and a reproduction of a page from Malcolm's extensive FBI file help readers to visualize the key personages and events in America's past. Myers's evenhanded approach will provoke thought and discussion among reluctant readers, who may find Jack Rummel's fact-laden Malcolm X (Chelsea, 1989) slow going. --Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Siena College Library, Loudonville, NY