John Green: Star Author, Vlogbrother, and Nerdfighter

Gateway Biographies

by Eric Braun

On June 2, 2014, more than 1,200 fans wildly cheered the arrival of author John Green at the premiere of The Fault in Our Stars--the blockbuster movie based on his young adult novel of the same name. While he did not write the screenplay or have a starring role in the movie, John commanded just as much star power as the film's talented actors. The Fault in Our Stars book--John's fifth novel--sold more than 7 million copies, and John landed a coveted spot on Time magazine's 2014 list of the 100 Most Influential People.

Even before The Fault in Our Stars made John a household name, he had built up an enormous following among teens. In 2007, after penning his first two YA novels, he cofounded the YouTube channel Vlogbrothers with his brother, Hank Green. The brothers began posting videoblogs as a communications experiment--and soon, they found themselves interacting with legions of fans who call themselves Nerdfighters. The channel grew in popularity and now has more than 2 million followers.

Follow John's journey from shy student to powerhouse social media engager and best-selling YA author. Learn how he turned quirkiness and talent into a winning formula that has earned him millions of fans around the world.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

Reviews

[Princolitas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me encantó conocer más sobre la vida de John Green y me hizo recordar porqué amo tanto TFIOS. No esperaba algunas cosas sobre la infancia de John, ciertamente me sorprendieron y al fin pude comprender cómo fue que inició el proyecto de vlogbrothers en YouTube con su hermano y fue una idea súper genial. Quiero hacer un video y hablarles sobre la vida de John Green :3

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A note to a fellow nerdfighter--- this biography is written simply, and doesn't delve into details, but I fill in the details as I read it with what else I know about the story it's telling and how it effected me at the time. Also I have no idea how to use effect/affect, so don't judge me. Just go get this book from your library

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I was surprised to see a juvenile biography about an author whose books are probably too mature for most young readers. However, I thought this was a great book and I learned a lot about John Green. I especially liked learning how some of his novels as based on his life and that he works hard to promote charity and helping people. I hope this book will inspire kids to read a John Green book in the future.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this biography about John Green. This one was published in 2014, so I am hoping another one (or another edition) is out there. This gave me a lot of interesting information.

I have read Green's most famous book "Fault in Our Stars." I would like to read more of his books and possibly have John Green come out to our library sometime.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perfect for a young child to use as a reference book about the author.

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read a little bit like a newspaper article, and a little outdated, but would be okay for a new John Green fan wanting to learn more about him.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

While very timely, this biography of John Green is likely to be outdated very quickly. There are many color photos throughout the book that complement and enhance the text. Other extras include a timeline, source notes, selected bibliography, and suggestions for further reading that includes books and websites. The text itself is informative and easy to read. It includes information on John's childhood, his questioning of suffering and faith, his transition to becoming an author, his work with his brother Hank, The Fault in Our Stars, and going from the internet to movies.
Fans of John Green will quickly read this and then want more.

[Mary Bronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was helping my sister stamping books for the school library she works for and I came across this book. As a big John Green fan I knew I had to read it. This book is a nice short read. I loved reading/learning about John Green and how he became an author, vloger, and nerdfighter. I love all of his books, but if I had to choose then it will have to be "The Fault in Our Stars". Can't wait to keep reading more about him.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seemed to have more in depth personal info than the usual J Bio. It explained the origins of Nerdfighters, and focuses on TFIOS a lot at the end.

Also, on a personal note: Wow, John Green is the exact same age as me. His brother was in Missoula the same time my brother-in-law was in Missoula.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading about John Green's life. It was very interesting! I though I knew a lot about John Green ; but learned so much from this book. This is a very popular book in my library!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great supplemental read for a John Green book discussion!

[Kate H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I learned several new things about one of my all time favorite authors. Great.

[Bari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great insight into the famous author's life and motivation behind his books...

[Amanda Duddleson · Rating 3 out of 5]

quick read. I love John Green. My daughter is 10 she got this for a school project. She read it for a report on Indiana artists. It is written for a young audience.