Rhythm Ride

August 31, 2015
In this clear, comprehensive history of Motown, Pinkney (The Red Pencil) narrates as "the Groove," a chatty, older guide to Berry Gordy Jr.'s music business. With well-chosen collaborators in every departmentâsongwriting, backup performance, artistic developmentâBerry spotted and cultivated some of the best African-American musical talent of the era; Motown's stars in its 1960s heyday included The Supremes, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Jackson 5, and Stevie Wonder. Thanks to Berry's ambitious innovations, Motown became "an assembly line that cranked out hit after hit after hit," achieved through exacting standards that included personal integrity offstage, the color of a performer's eye shadow, and on-stage moves. With folksy speech and catchy metaphors ("a voice that was spicy ginger and creamâit was gritty and mellow"), supported by clear headings and well-chosen photographs, the Groove detours into the "finishing" of artists, segregation, and the Detroit riots of 1968, though Pinkney omits discussions of other popular music of the 1960s. A useful chronology, selected discography, and source notes are included for readers seeking to explore the Motown sound further. Ages 10â14. Agent: Rebecca Sherman, Writers House.

July 15, 2015
Adopting the informal, laid-back voice of a narrator she calls "the Groove," Pinkney offers readers a lively, engaging chronicle of the Motown sound. Central to the story is the visionary impresario and Motown founder Berry Gordy. Although successful as a songwriter, the Detroit native was unhappy with the pittance earned for his labor while record company owners made a fortune. With $800 borrowed from his family, Gordy started Motown Records at a two-story bungalow he dubbed Hitsville USA. The ambitious Gordy drew on his experience working for Ford Motor Co. to turn Motown into an assembly line cranking out hit after hit. Gordy's "Motown family" soon included such stellar acts as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, Martha and the Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, the Jackson Five, and more. Pinkney interweaves into the narrative accounts of the cultural and political upheavals occurring during the years of Motown's greatest success, such as the civil rights movement, Vietnam, and the deadly riots in Detroit. She explains how Gordy's success in an industry dominated by white men at the time was all the more remarkable. Given this, it's unfortunate she doesn't take the opportunity to discuss how influential the Motown sound was on white musicians, particularly those of the British Invasion. An ebullient, wonderfully told introduction to music that had an indelible influence on a generation and its times. (photos, timeline, discography, source notes, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

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Starred review from August 1, 2015

Gr 5 Up-A tour of the musical powerhouse's history done with verve and panache. "The Groove" takes readers through the birth and demise of Motown, one of the most influential African American-owned enterprises in the world's social and musical history. Centering around Gordy Berry, the talented tastemaker and eventual mogul, the ingenious narration highlights the company's humble beginnings-a pipe dream financed by Berry family's investment of $800-and embeds the stories of the many legends and stars that were born in its studios into the social upheavals and landmark events of the time. From the civil rights struggles of the 1960s and the Vietnam protests of the 1970s, these important milestones are interspersed throughout, bringing home the important place Motown had not only in the proliferation of rhythm and blues, rock, and disco into American culture but also its integration into the African American identity. The funky and melodic narrative style never wears thin and the familiar conceit helps make the darker parts of history age-appropriate for the audience. The thorough and detailed resources, photos, time line, and discography will encourage readers to want to learn more about the well-known Jackson Five, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, and Marvin Gaye, and the not-so-well-known Funk Brothers-Motown's official studio band. VERDICT A well-crafted spin that will reverberate in the hearts of music, African American culture, and history buffs.-Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 15, 2015
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* Veteran author Pinkney takes readers on a road trip to Motown in a book that catches the excitement of Hitsville U.S.A. She uses a clever conceit that keeps it all rolling: the narrative is told in the voice of the Groove: a tempo that keeps us on track. The book begins where Motown begins, with Berry Gordy, a cocky kid who, as an adult, figured out how to bottle the sounds he heard on the streets of Detroit and put the music out as efficiently as an automobile assembly line. All the stars who got their start at Motown are here, of courseSmokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, Diana Ross, the Jackson Five, and many morebut this is also the story of the behind-the-scenes players and actions that helped build the company. It's juxtaposed against the often literally fiery events that were taking place across the country at the time: war, rioting, and a cultural revolution. The down-home voice, which Pinkney says came from conversations with her cousin, a DJ, adds a lively dimension, only very occasionally overpowering the narrative. Such a distinctive book could have benefited from a more original design, but it is really the words that rock here, and the back matter makes it easy for kids to find those stax of wax.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)