Marylou Morano Kjelle

Bill Gates is a tech genius that kids should love learning about. In todays world, life revolves around technology. Bill Gates was very proactive in the advancement of technology. Bill started his first company in 1975 called Microsoft and has done nothing but grow from there. Bill Gates was once the leader in the computer industry. He is a self-made billionaire and gives a lot of his money to charity and his own foundation The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He not only created technologies that have revolutionized our lives but he is also passionate about changing the lives of underprivileged countries who deal with hunger poverty and disease. Gates is a pretty cool guy to read up on and this book shows him in a great light.… (more)

In my opinion this is a great book. I feel that there was attention to detail when the author thought about what the possible reader might want to know or learn about Steve Jobs, no matter who the reader is. It covers both the broad sense of who the world knows he was as CEO of Apple but also who he was as a person. The author added excerpts that let the audience know a little about his character, but left it up to the readers to judge how they take the information supplied. For instance, Kjelle mentions how Steve Jobs recruited Steve Wozniak to help him complete a project for Atari using as little computer chips as possible. Jobs didn’t mention to Wozniak that he would receive a bonus based off of how many computer chips were used. The author ends the chapter with “Steve kept the entire bonus.” This is a true biography in the sense that no direct opinions are given and the author leaves it open to interpretation by the reader.
I also enjoyed this biography because it flowed nicely from one topic/chapter to the next. The author began at his last product release event for the iPad 2 which he died soon after, then progressed to his childhood, and onto the origins of Apple as a company and so on. It was deliberately done and just flowed. One last thing I really appreciated was the general facts about technology hinted throughout the book. Since Steve Jobs paved the way for technology, in the way that he did, I thought it was beneficial that they included some basic knowledge and information about technology. For instance, at the beginning of the book Kjelle notes “Tablets are flat, rectangular computers. People interact with them using large touchscreens…”
I think the overall aim of this book was to educate young people about Steve Jobs. I feel that the overall message or big idea of this book was that hard work and determination allow you to follow your dreams.… (more)

This informative biography weaves facts about Hinton's life with analyses of and reflections on her novels. What emerges is an interesting portrait of a gifted writer whose work continues to touch young people. A section entitled "In Her Own Words" provides further insight through speeches and interviews. Some photographs of the author, movie stills from film adaptations of her books, and pull-quotes help break up the pages.
One weakness if that the text is sometimes repetitive. Familiarity with Hinton's work will make this a more interesting read. It could also serve as an introduction to the author and stimulate an interest in seeking out her enduring classics.… (more)