The Glee Cast: Inspiring Gleek Mania (USA Today Lifeline Biographies)
The USA Today Lifeline Biographies series gets it right by featuring big names kids are really interested in and providing attractive, readable—and informative—biographies. The USA Today aspect comes from both newspaper articles that complement the text and some of the paper’s “Snapshots“—graphs, etc. The Glee Cast introduces the stars and their characters, but it doesn’t stop with just the biggies. Readers will learn that the real-life Puck is a bird-watcher, and Brittany danced backup for Beyoncé. The underlying theme is that the cast, like their TV counterparts, didn’t have it easy in high school, except perhaps for Mr. Schuster (Matthew Morrison), who apparently was all that. This also does an excellent job of weaving in the hope and heartbreak that comes with a career in showbiz. Even reluctant readers will be attracted to the series’ photo-filled, stylish packages; and for those who want to read more, the back matter is particularly good. Grades 6-9. --Ilene Cooper