Module 12-Biography
Biographical
Picture Book
Strong
Man: The Story of Charles Atlas
by Meghan McCarthy
ISBN: 9780375829406
Audience
(according to School Library Journal):
Grades 1-5
McCarthy,
M. (2007). Strong man: The story of
Charles Atlas. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
Pricing
(as of 11/12)
*Amazon: Hardcover: $12.40
Book Summary
In this biography of fitness guru
and strong man, Charles Atlas, author Meghan McCarthy aims to present the facts
of his life and not the glorified stories that abound. McCarthy begins her story as young Italian
immigrant Angelo Siciliano arrives in New York speaking almost no English but
hoping for great things. Life for a
small boy on the rough, waterfront streets of Brooklyn weren’t easy, but Angelo
strives to turn his scrawny body into something more impressive and does that
through an exercise and eating program of his own design. The hard work pays off and along with gaining
a new name, he begins to earn fame, starting in a sideshow and progressing to
contests and then to forming his own fitness company.
AP APA Reference
McCarthy, M. (2007). Strong man: The story of Charles Atlas. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
Impressions
Unlike the review done by Publisher’s Weekly below, this reviewer
believes that the illustrations in McCarthy’s book are essential to its
success. Although they are cartoon-like,
they add to the entertainment value of the book as well as to emphasize the
text by drawing the reader’s eye and enticing him/her to look closer. The less than perfect bodies of the
secretaries and others shown using Atlas’ fitness regimen will certainly not
cause any reader to feel intimidated by their perfection, which is a message
some magazines and illustrators of other teen and preteen literature would do
well to emulate. McCarthy text, too, is appealing to the targeted
audience: the font is large and easy to
read, the sentences are not overly complex, and the information is complete
without being overly detailed. Strong
Man is a great biography for any young person who needs a message of
working to reach a goal.
Professional Reviews
<<McCarthy
(Aliens Are Coming/) mines history in this profile of bodybuilder Charles Atlas. As a boy, Italian-born
Angelo Siciliano arrives in a Brooklyn neighborhood of "Irish, Jewish,
Polish, and Italian immigrants. Life on the streets was tough" for the
puny lad. McCarthy pictures the quintessential moment when the "98 pound
weakling" gets sand kicked in his face on the beach at Coney Island,
although her onomatopoeic "Splat!" fails to convey sand's grit and
the teasing bully in his Chaplin-era two-piece swimsuit is none too scary. Slender
Angelo takes to admiring Greek heroes; inspired by watching a zoo's muscular
lion, he develops his own fitness regimen. Before long, a friend compares him
to an Atlas statue, bestowing
"a new name for a new body!" McCarthy's acrylic portraits of Atlas emphasize big soulful eyes, a
happy grin and ballooning muscles; a closing "Try It Yourself!"
section recommends exercises for interested readers. Much is made of Atlas's being named "The World's
Most Perfectly Developed Man,"
yet given his notable transformation, McCarthy's cartoonish portrayal hardly
seems to do his accomplishments justice. Additionally the paintings of physical
activity have a listless, static quality; the immobile characters barely appear
to exert themselves. But the story
of how Atlas inspired millions
worldwide to live healthier lives is captivating in itself--eager readers can
find additional historical details in a comprehensive endnote. Ages 5-8. (June)
Strong man: The story of Charles Atlas. (2007). Publishers
Weekly, 254(24), 59-59. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com.
<<Gr 1-5 --An
entertaining introduction to a fitness guru and entrepreneur. Beginning with
young Angelo Siciliano's arrival at Ellis Island, the book describes the
scrawny Italian immigrant's boyhood in a rough Brooklyn neighborhood and-when
he was older-the storied seaside encounter with a sand-kicking bully (witnessed
by his date). Humiliated and determined to change his life, the young man decided to change his body. While
at the zoo, he watched a lion stretch and noticed its muscles rippling beneath
its skin. "Eureka!" He devised and followed an exercise routine that
pitted one muscle against another, gradually becoming "Strong as an ox!" The rest of the
book covers his new name (for his resemblance to a statue of Atlas), his success as a sideshow
strongman and bodybuilder, his famed fitness course, and his emphasis on
healthy living. An author's note makes it clear that Atlas's story has
been much mythologized and that little is known about his private life.
McCarthy cleverly makes the most of this, smoothly weaving facts, quotes, and
dialogue balloons into a comic-book-like narrative that perfectly suits its
subject. Similarly, the acrylic illustrations feature cartoon characters and
appropriately over-the-top humor. One scene shows the skinny youth locked in a staring
contest with a muscle-bound statue of Hercules, while another shows the
pumped-up Atlas, goggle eyes
bulging, straining to pull a train. This colorful book captures both the
essence and mystique of an American icon.
Fleishhacker,
J. (2007). Strong man: The story of Charles Atlas. School Library Journal,
53(7), 93-93. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com.
Library Uses
Many
librarians would not think to include PE teachers when presenting
bibliographies of materials that are applicable to curriculum. If a campus is truly serious about
cross-curricular connections, even PE teachers could use and promote books that
will encourage students in exercise and healthy eating. Books such as Strong Man: The Story of
Charles Atlas by Meghan McCarthy, My Daddy is a Pretzel by Baron Baptiste, and Becoming
Batman by E. Paul Zehr would be “must haves” for any school library and its
physical education teachers. If not used in the actual PE classes, posters
promoting these books (and others) could be created by the librarian and posted
prominently in the gymnasium.
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