Who Is George Lucas?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Pam Pollack, Meg Belviso, Ted Hammond (Illustrator)

As a child his passions were comics and cars, but George Lucas grew up to be one of the most successful filmmakers of all time.  He is a producer, screenwriter, director and entrepreneur whose company Lucasfilms pioneered the movie effects that changed the world of animation. He founded Industrial Light and Magic, which transformed special sound and visual effects throughout the Hollywood film industry. He is best known, of course, as the creator of the Star Wars movie, television, gaming, toy and merchandise empire, as well as the archeologist-adventure series Indiana Jones.  Discover the man behind the magic in  Who Is George Lucas?

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, Star Wars, Biography Memoir, Audiobook

112 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2014

About the author

Pamela Pollack is a writer/editor/compiler of children's and young adult books.

Reviews

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread it in October 2024.
4,5 stars. A very interesting book that made me learned a bit about blockbuster movies' history from the last 40 years.

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Is George Lucas? by Pamela D. Pollack, Meg Belviso, Ted Hammond (Illustrator) is an excellent story of a young boy with a very big imagination. It follows that boy through adulthood until present, follows the hard work it took and his personal life. It is a great story and one that inspires. Lots of info and great sketches in here too. Great job! Quite a wonderful story that we all are glad he took, what would life be without his work?

[Vianni Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is George Lucas? was an amazing book for me. I loved the way it explained every word; even some of the words I had already knew. I will soon start another book on the Who Was?/ Who Is? series.

[Tristen Carreon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I am not a big Star Wars fan I loved this book about George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars. This book talked all about George's life and about his start in film making. He may have had some ups and downs but he still worked hard follow his dreams as a film maker. So, if you like biographies and learning about famous people I recommend this book. And may the force be with you.

[Lillian Weigand · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and interesting informational book to read. I learned a lot of things about George Lucas and his journey through film making. As you know he created the hit movie series star wars and created Indiana Jones. Something that I learned about him was that he actually wanted to be a race car driver but, he got in a horrible car accident and that dream of his ended. George then decided that he wanted to be a filmmaker. George´s movie ideas had been turned down many times and people actually thought that his movies would never become hits, but they were wrong. George made the hit movie series STAR WARS a couple of years later and he also created Indiana Jones. George Lucas also marries one of his workers. Also, he then later divorces her because his wife thought that he was not spending enough time at home and always working. A couple of years later, he then marries again. George is already making lots of money and doing well with all of his movies. The name of his films is called Lucasfilms. Disney did end up buying Lucasfilms. This was a very interesting book to read about and the journey that George Lucas went through. I would recommend this book to anyone who is in to Star Wars and who would like to know more about Geroge Lucas.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have devoured these biograhies as a kid, great series! As for George Lucas. He made Star Wars. He made my childhood filled with hours of imagination. He will hold a place in my heart forever for his vision and the joy it gave me as a kid, and the joy it continues to give me today.

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who is George Lucas is a solid book it talks a good bit about what he did in his child hood which I liked but I don't think it talked enough about it but, I will say in such a short amount of pages it has lots of information about what he did as a child. Everybody knows that he was the creator of star wars but di you know that he was in a rock band at age 17 and got into a car crash that almost ended his life! Another fact about George Lucas that you might not have known is that his first version of star wars that he just showed to his friends was really bad, so bad in fact that his best even told him that it sucked! This book is good and I would recommend it to everybody who is a big star wars fan.

[Gabriel alexander Arras · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book is a great book. I didn't think George Lucas did so many movies. I used to think that he only did Star Wars and Indiana Jones. By the way, I am so exited for the next Star Wars movie coming December 18, 2015. This book I would recommend to any body who likes biographies and George Lucas.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This man is brilliant! How did I not know that he is the creator of some of my favorite movie series?! Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park! WTH?!

[billbo baggins]

it was a good book star wars is a great movie

[Kennedy Neiderer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is George Lucas? is the perfect biography for Star Wars fans or any student interested in the movie production scene. This book begins with George Lucas’ life and shows the progression of his interest in photography and the movie business. It was very interesting to see him grow as an individual and see all the friendships he made with other famous producers. This book takes you through the creation of Star Wars and George Lucas’ life after completely changing the Sci-Fi movie industry. This is a WOW book for me because it shows George Lucas' humble beginning into a multi-billion dollar film series. With Star Wars being one of the most relevant Sci-Fi films and recently partnering with Disney, I know that students are highly interested in George Lucas and I think this book shows students how persistence and dedication can really get you far in life. It is also a WOW book for me because The Who Is/What Is series is the perfect collection for students inside the biography genre. They really do a great job of breaking down each person's life and making it relatable and relevant for students.
This book is perfect for 2nd-4th grade students. It includes chapters for each stage of his life and pictures to accompany the different stories. I think this book would be perfect for a student led book club for students who are interested in Star Wars or the Sci-Fi industry. Students could conduct research on George Lucas and see how he earned his pathway to fame, then students could branch outside of that by researching other Sci-Fi movie producers and compare how they earned their pathway to fame. Since the book mentions George Lucas' connections to other Sci-Fi producers, I think it would be neat for students to discover how they connected as friends and colleagues.

[David Rough · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have recently found this nice series of biographies for young readers. Various authors have contributed to this series, which now includes over 160 books. Each book is short (about 100 pages) and gives a good summary of a historical figure. The list of people includes explorers, scientists, painters, authors, musicians; there is a good balance between males and females demonstrating the importance of both genders in the accomplishments of mankind.

George Lucas is one of the most successful filmmakers of all time – Indiana Jones and Star Wars among the highlights of his career. He was/is a producer, screenwriter, director that literally changed the world of special effects in Hollywood.

[ACS Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, you know a lot about Star Wars, huh? You know the names of all the planets, aliens, ships, etc. But do you know where George Lucas came up with the idea of Chewbacca? Do you know what Luke Skywalker's name was in the first draft of the script? Do you know where the name "RD-D2" came from? Do you know what other Lucas movies have cameo appearances of C-3PO and RD-D2? And what about George Lucas's other movies: THX 1138, American Graffiti, and the Indiana Jones series?

This is another great entry in the Who/What is . . . series. Star Wars fans will love the trivia and behind-the-scenes facts about Star Wars. Even as a life-long Star Wars fan, I learned some new things!

[Jenn]

The "Who Is..." / "What is..." series has been such a gift for me. We have read several of these books as they are engaging for our kids and adults alike. Given our obsession with Star Wars in this house, reading the George Lucas bio was inevitable. Not only did this book demonstrate the hard work and perseverance of Lucas, but it also highlighted the costs - at times - of throwing yourself into work. Prepare yourself for lots of questions and conversations as you read. Plus, we now have added Skywalker Ranch to our bucket list. Now, if only we could secure an invitation...

[. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book for me to read, especially because I'm a huge Star Wars fan. It was a simple book, specifically aimed at children, but still one filled with some info you might not have known. There's really not much for me to say, but if you're interested in the creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones (and Steven Spielberg was the creator of IJ too), then totally pick this one up.

[Emma Caminiti · Rating 3 out of 5]

George Lucas was a kid who first wanted to become a race-car driver but then later decided that’s not what he wanted to do. Later he decided that he wanted to make movies and made a movie called American Graffiti. After that wasn’t enough he eventually made Star Wars and Indiana Jones. He was one of the best film makers ever.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun book to read with Henry. I’ve loved Star Wars a long time and Henry is watching Phantom Menace now. I didn’t know much about George Lucas’ early life, his family life or his work with Scorsese and Coppola. Reading about how Lucas funded his various operations so he could keep creative control was also interesting.

[Hots Hartley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. A general overview of his accomplishments, but without giving much personality or character arc to the man himself.

I would have liked to hear more detail into particular scenes, struggles, relationships, rather than just the chronological recounting of overarching events.

A good starter and overview. Not an in-depth life-changing piece.

[Debra McEathron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the books in this series. It gives kids an insight into the lives of people they may want to learn about. This one about George Lucas tells about his growing up and how he made his dreams come true and some history about how Star Wars came to be.

[Anvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book because I wanted to know how he came up with the star wars movie series.
when I was reading this book I also came to know that he's the most successful filmmakers of all time.
This book would be good for someone who likes biography.

[Khalil McMorris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about a man named George Lucas who in high school and college enjoyed animation. He became very successful by creating a movie series called “Star Wars.” I would recommend this book to people who enjoy animation and learning about different people.

[Michael Jolls · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can only fault the book one for one thing... I wish it was just 3 or 4 pages longer with regards to the 2000s. Otherwise I really loved this pithy book. It does a nice job of pulling all the biographical points together and tying it in with his 1970s filmmaking.

[Josef Ploski · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a life long fan of George Lucas I found this book delightful. I knew several facts of his life, but still found tidbits and trivia I was unaware of. I recommend this for anyone who wants to know more, but doesn't have a time for a full sized biography.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting book since I grew up during the age of George Lucas as a major film director. It spoke about his early life and how he grew into becoming a director. It is well worth the read.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unless you are a Star Wars junkie and your spouse buys this for you (like mine did) I wouldn't recommend this for any adults. It would be good for a child who needs to write a book report. It feels like just a list of facts with some fun drawings.

[Genevieve · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great books for kids but adults will like it as well. So informative about George Lucas I learned so much about the making of his movies and how smart, and kind he was.
A really good fast read.

[RYUICHI · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I began to read this book, I remembered watching Star Wars with my family in the living room.
It was a really nostalgic memory.
I was also very surprised to learn that he sold his company. I hope he makes our family happy again.

[Hailey Vittrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

The quintessential Star Ways Day read… I really enjoyed this one. It was free of bias or politics, and it paid a nice tribute to one of the most influential franchise creators of our lifetime. 10/10 recommend

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Lucas is an incredible director who changed the course of movie history. The franchises of Stars Wars, and Indiana Jones are among my favorite films. George Lucas is an American legend!

[Cora Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it.