The Boy on Fairfield Street by Kathleen Krull

The Boy on Fairfield Street Reviews

• 
  Lisa Vegan

  4 ½ stars, ½ star off because of my personal vegan sensibilities about how animals should be treated. However, this is a beautiful book and it’s very well done, and I’m so delighted that this book exists, I have to give it a full 5 stars. (I initially gave it 4.)
  
  Seuss’s books were among the first books I was able to read on my own, and I own several of his books, including some of the ones published most recently. I knew very little about the man though. I learned a lot about him from reading this book.
  
  Unlike when I was first reading
  Dr. Seuss books over 50 years ago, there are so many fabulous children’s picture book biographies and other non-fiction picture books available for children. I’m so glad this book was written/illustrated because this man definitely deserves a picture book biography. This is a worthy one.
  
  I love the paintings by the two illustrators and appreciate that there is a third contributor. Decorative illustrations are included that were created by
  Dr. Seuss.
  
  I got a kick of how it’s reiterated how as a boy and young man he excelled at “fooling around” and also about how he came to use the name Dr. Seuss.
  
  This biography has a lot of humor, but the boy/man himself went through things that weren’t so funny, including bullying and people who didn’t believe in him, for instance. He had many hurdles to overcome, and it’s heartening to see how he did that, and in his own way.
  
  I appreciated the extra material in the back, which is particularly good for older kids (and adults too.) It’s accompanied by additional decorative illustrations by Seuss and a photo of him as an elderly man. There is a timeline that shows both Geisel’s life and the publication of his books, and goes from his birth until his death. There is a full list of books written & illustrated by
  Dr. Seuss. When I saw the last few books on the list of his books I felt so grateful that he lived and worked until the age he did. The world is richer for these books and all his books; I think some of his better books came later in his career.
  
  This is a wonderful book for all fans of
  Dr. Seuss books, for any kids who feel as though they don’t fit in, for people of all ages who appreciate thinking and acting for themselves and who don’t take “authority” too seriously, and as part of lessons on bullying, For kids who have a passion not supported by others, reading about Ted might help give them courage to pursue what they love doing.
  
  I’m not surprised to learn that every single one of the books he wrote & illustrated is still in print.
• 
  Kathryn

  4.5 STARS
  
  Excellent picture book biography of Ted Geisel (Dr Seuss). Lovely half-page illustrations depict important moments in his life, while on the other page tiny illustrations by Seuss himself appear below the story to mirror them. The story itself provides just enough information on Geisel's childhood and youth to show how he became "Dr Seuss" (this is probably what appeals most to children) while more more detailed back matter explains the rest of his career. Highly recommended to any fan of Dr. Seuss or to children who may feel like the odd one out and need a bit of encouragement.
• 
  Sownbrooklyn

  The cover of The Boy on Fairfield Street states that it is the story of how Ted Geisel grew up to become Dr. Seuss. But that text may be missed by the very audience the book is intended for. For a writer whose illustrations are such a standout part of children's literature history the cover, and interior illustrations, of the book are a bit of a disappointment. There is nothing of Seuss’ colorful style to help bring the story of his life alive. This was perhaps a conscious decision by the publisher to separate the man from his work. This complaint is the only one you will find with this book. The story of Ted Geisel's life is an engaging one. Children (and adults) who read about his struggles with being different, his disappointments and rejections and his ultimate rise to greatness will find something to identify with and hope for. If the person that grew up to be as famous and as well loved as Dr. Seuss overcame these hardships, they certainly could. There are more lessons the Doc can teach us, they are all about perseverance and following dreams.
• 
  Adam

  In the few short pages of this wonderful children's biography of the author known as Dr. Seuss, I learned more about the man behind the magic then I have ever known!
  
  Not only does Ms. Krull do an excellent job of chronicling the author's early life, but she does so in an inspirational way. The message is clear that one need not submit to authority or play by the rules to become a great success. Imagination and the conviction to follow ones dreams is as powerful a tool as any. A message that is illustrated beautifully by the nonconformist life of everyone's favorite Doctor!
  
  A necessary read for children and adults of all ages.
• 
  Stacey Mulholland

  A great picture story biography about Dr. Seuss. I read it to my 5th grade class every year. The book helps you understand why Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel created the types of stories and characters that he did. One of my favorite aspects of the book is that each two-page spread has an illustration by Dr Seuss from one of his books that matches what the story is telling us about him.
• 
  Dolly

  This book was featured as one of the selections for the
  March 2015 Dr. Seuss reads for the
  Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
• 
  Jeanie Jo

  The biography written by Krull is of the famous author, Ted Geisel. Better known by the name of Dr. Seuss. Ted Geisel (1904 -1991), author of more than 60 children’s books, mostly published in his pseudonym Dr. Seuss (though also published of the name Theo LeSieg and one as Rosetta Stone). His career is highly decorated in achievement awards for his contribution toward his works.
  
  Krull helps her readers know Ted Geisel by telling us a story; beginning with, “Once upon a time (p. 7). She makes it relatable to children by starting out his life story as a little boy just like them. She describes the things that he liked and disliked. She also describes the street and the town that he grew up in. As an avid Dr. Seuss reader, I quickly began to see where his stories came from, his own back yard. She also let us know important details about his family; his father, ran the zoo (Little Ted spent a lot of time there).
  
  Krull uses illustrations from Dr. Seuss’ books and her research to produce this authentic biography to her readers. She includes multiple perspectives on his actions growing up; presenting him as a man with both strengths and weaknesses. She uses a few devices to make her writing lively; interior monologue, indirect discourse, and inference. The depth of coverage is at an appropriate level for children. There is enough information about his life that will give readers of all ages a background of the man they know and love as Dr. Seuss.
  
  This book rates five out of five. I grew up reading Dr. Seuss to myself and then raised my children reading Dr. Seuss. I use Dr. Seuss in lesson plans and intend to use them in my upper elementary school classroom! (Because I can read Dr. Seuss here or there, I guess you can say I can read him anywhere!)
  
  The three ways that I may use this book in the elementary classroom are as follows: Guided Reading, Pre-Reading Plan, and QAR.
  
  Guided Reading – Each day before reading describe the information that they are reading and assist the students to discuss the information that they know. Give them questions to assist them in their reading passage (like when you read this chapter, what Dr. Seuss books does this bring to mind?).
  
  Pre-Reading Plan- Build anticipation for this reading experience, by discussing what we know of Ted Geisel. Introducing his books that they know and ones that they may not heard of. Having students in a group discussion share their favorite books and quotes from Dr. Seuss.
  
  QAR – Ask literal questions students can pull from their reading, use questions that will allow students to pull in text from several areas of the book and think about the context and meaning of the book, further thinking by asking questions based on the book and what the student believes, and ask students their personal ideas on the themes of the book.
  
  I read this book as a part of my #BookaDay Reading Challenge, inspired by Donalyn Miller. My goal is to read at least one children's literature book every weekday and share my thoughts here on my blog. Please feel free to subscribe or connect with me on social media to follow my journey through the books I read. Until next time ...
• 
  Lois

  Long captivated by Ted Geisel's stories and illustrations, I didn't know much about his background until I read this biography. I learned in Geisel's early years, he suffered teasing by his classmates as the child of German immigrants, and his only art teacher criticized his work and said he would never be successful. He quit the class. Krull also writes about his public humiliation during World War I when he expected to receive a medal from ex-president Teddy Roosevelt for being one of the top ten Boy Scouts selling Liberty Bonds during World War I---but onstage during the ceremony, they ran out of medals and Roosevelt asked what Geisel was doing there. Geisel avoided being in public afterwards. In the back matter, Krull focuses on important events in his adult life. Her writing and organization accompanied by Geisel's artwork and realistic paintings by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher make this 48 pp. picture book an excellent choice for third to fifth graders, and for those of us who love Geisel's imaginative stories and art!
• 
  Stephanie Ferweda

  (biography)
  
  This is a nice biography about Ted Geisel (Dr. Seuss). The illustrations are lovely and the information is fun. It was, however, a bit too much for first grade (which is what I was hoping to use it for). I ended up using select pieces, as Geisel's college experience isn't very relevant to 6 year-olds. Overall, a good picture biography for third grade or above.
• 
  Joan

  Great to read the story of how Dr. Seuss got his start and find that he was called a failure so many times as a boy and young man. It took words of encouragement and positive reinforcement to enable him to try to make a living at something he loved and was so unbelievably talented at.
• 
  Lynn A. Davidson

  This is a fabulous picture book biography of Ted Geisel who became known as Dr. Seuss. It covers highlights of his life from his boyhood to his death at age 87, including his struggle to success as a writer and illustrator. Very interesting.
• 
  HappyGay Bakunzi

  What is amazing biography of an amazing man I grew up reading sam-i-am because of my name and now my boys read all of their books. My youngest son's favorite is the Grinch who stole Christmas and my oldest son's favorite is Hop on Pop.
• 
  Janice

  Story about Dr. Seuss childhood, but it stops abruptly when he moves to NYC to try his luck. I think it should have at least gone until he was first published. Did give good info on how he came up with his name.
• 
  Paul Graham Terpstra

  Amazing book, I love ready these books about Dr. Seuss. Each one has deferent bits of information from the previous.
  This is the best one so far. Really enjoyed it.
  Great illustrations and in depth details of his history
• 
  Shaelynn Bowman

  Genre: Biography
  Age Range: Middle Grade
  This biography about Dr. Seuss is fun and something I didn't really know about. I think it is done in a way that keeps students entertained throughout the whole book. I also liked how they put the words on one side and the illustrations on the other.
• 
  KaitandMaddie

  I thought this was slightly odd - it ended rather abruptly and at an odd time in the life of Ted.
  
  I was hoping this would shed some sort of light on some of the more problematic stages of his life, but I suppose a children’s book wouldn’t.
• 
  Mandy Crumb

  An approachable picture book biography of one of the best known authors for children. The illustrations are not anything in the same wheelhouse as Dr. Seuss which I am guessing was intentional to separate.
• 
  Angie

  How fun to get to know Theodore Giesel before he became Dr. Seuss. We followed this up with the book Imagine That! How Dr. Seuss Wrote The Cat in the Hat and it was the perfect pairing. The books also inspired a renewed and vigorous interest in our large collection of his books.