Daniel "Chappie" James by Neil Super

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-- Superior series entries on African-Americans who have distinguished themselves in the armed services and achieved the rank of general. Each volume contains information on the civil rights movement, because the careers of all three officers were linked to the success of that struggle. The treatment is thorough, presenting in-depth looks at each man's childhood and life up to the present (Davis, Powell) or up to the subject's death (James). The books are strongest when documenting how each man triumphed over the most virulent forms of racism. (Davis was ostracized during all four years of his stay at West Point in the 1930s.) Black-and-white photos complement the texts and help convey these life stories to young readers. --Rick Moesch, Hamburg Public Library, NY

BookList

Young Daniel James dreamed of flying a jet and fighting for his country. These were big dreams for an African American boy growing up in Florida during the 1920s and 1930s, but James, known to most as Chappie, was strong-willed. Of no little consequence was the solid foundation set by his school teacher mother, who didn't know the meaning of the word quit. Her simple wisdom of hard work and never giving up one's dream provided the impetus for Chappie's career. Of course he would need the lion's share of determination to overcome the stranglehold of racism in the country he loved and rigid segregation in the career he had to have. This is a well-written and inspiring account of the man who would eventually become a four star general and earn the respect of his country and his peers. What overall is an engaging biography is marred only by a few dark or blurry black-and-white photographs. Part of the African-American Soldiers series, this is comparable in format to Watts' First Books, with wide outside margins, lots of white space, and slightly enlarged type. Bibliography.

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