Grade 4–8—The extraordinary life of Will Rogers, born the same year Edison invented the light bulb, is chronicled in simply written, accessible language. Most children today will not know that this witty cowboy comedian of Cherokee heritage was a nationally known newspaper columnist and ranked as one of Hollywood's biggest stars. As interesting as his rise to fame was, the book's format is so report-driven that it lacks a spark that a truly excellent biography can generate. Boxy sidebars are scattered throughout with quotations, definitions, or explanations of related topics. For example, one sidebar explains how "the word lariat comes from the Spanish phrase la riata, meaning the rope,'" and continues to explain what lariats are made of and who used them.
