Sir Charlie: Chaplin, the Funniest Man in the World
Starred Review. Grade 5 Up—This lively and engaging account of a poor Cockney boy who became the world's greatest silent-movie comedian is a must for biography collections. By the age of six, Chaplin was fending for himself in London's slums, evading the workhouse as his mother checked in and out of mental institutions. He spent a few miserable months with his inebriated father and stepmother, who made an unwitting contribution to his future career: by observing them, Charlie was able to perfect his impression of the stumbling drunk, which won him many laughs in his early days on the stage. He developed his slapstick talents with a traveling comedy troupe, found his way to Hollywood, and immortalized himself as the Little Tramp, the darling character of the silent movie era. The book explores his rise to mind-boggling fame, and his fall from grace as he was touched by scandal, investigated by the House Un-American Activities Committee, and eventually deported. Brief, easily digestible chapters, an extensive time line, and plenty of photos make the book's well-researched content accessible and appealing. Add to that Fleischman's playful narrative tone and you have a book as entertaining as Sir Charlie himself.—Emma Burkhart, Springside School, Philadelphia, PACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.