Queen Latifah

June 1, 2012
Grades 6-10 From the USA Today Lifeline Biographies series, this colorfully illustrated book opens in the mid-1980s, when teenager Dana Owens would sneak out of her family's New Jersey apartment at night, traveling to New York clubs where she could dance to rap music. Backtracking to trace her life from early childhood onward, Allen discusses the development of Owens' confidence and talents, her successful career in music and acting, and her reasons for choosing the name Queen Latifah. The clearly written text incorporates many quotes, all well sourced in the extensive back matter. Illustrations, mainly color photos, appear on nearly every page, while frequent From the Pages of USA Today sidebars reprint short articles with titles such as Tearful Queen Latifah Recounts carjacking, while In Focus sidebars offer background on related topics such as Hip-Hop Roots. This very readable biography is a good starting place for curious fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)