Strutting It!

January 15, 2011

The real skinny on modeling. Beker—for 25 years a host of Canada's Fashion Television—distills the essence of her many years of experience as a model-watcher into this slim but engaging combination of advice, history and truth-telling. Each chapter showcases a different aspect of a model's career development, from Dreaming the Dream to the Reality of the Road, offering a peek behind the curtain at each step. Starry-eyed ingenues, take note: Modeling is "hard work" that can be "strange, harsh, and crazy-making," and if your body type doesn't meet the industry's exacting standards, you won't make it. Photographs of and biographical sidebars on current queens of the runway—Gisele Bundchen, Agyness Deyn, Chanel Iman—as well as legendary models of yore—Lauren Hutton, Cindy Crawford, Twiggy—offer both a modern feel and historical context. Infusing an insider's chumminess with a bracing dose of realism, this title both offers practical advice on making a career in modeling work and stresses the importance of planning for life after modeling. Blessedly responsible and sane, a worthy title for any career collection for teens and a must for aspiring models. (Nonfiction. 11 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011

Gr 6-9-From the foreword by model Coco Rocha to the assertion that America's and Canada's Next Top Model reality series is mainly "entertainment," an industry veteran offers readers a more realistic view of high-fashion modeling. While there's no denying that top models can earn big bucks, Beker reminds readers that for each Linda Evangelista, Tyra Banks, and Gisele Bundchen there are hundreds of hopefuls who never become household names. She is also quick to point out that the work can be glamorous but for the top models it is also a game of genes and tremendously hard work. Biographical sketches and black-and-white photographs appear throughout. Excellent, age-appropriate information for readers with a passion for fashion in a well-designed format.-Elaine Baran Black, Georgia Public Library Service, Atlanta

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