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Who Was . . . ? Series
Who Was J.R.R. Tolkien?
Best known for his epic Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien was born in British-occupied South Africa. His early life was full of action and adventure.
Tolkien spent his childhood roaming the British countryside with his family and could read and write by age four. He was naturally gifted with languages and used this skill as a signals officer in World War II as well as in his fantasy writing.
By creating alternate universes and inventing languages in his work he demonstrated that imaginary realms were not just for children. Fondly remembered as the “Father of High Fantasy,” Tolkien’s books have inspired blockbuster movies and legions of fans.
Tolkien spent his childhood roaming the British countryside with his family and could read and write by age four. He was naturally gifted with languages and used this skill as a signals officer in World War II as well as in his fantasy writing.
By creating alternate universes and inventing languages in his work he demonstrated that imaginary realms were not just for children. Fondly remembered as the “Father of High Fantasy,” Tolkien’s books have inspired blockbuster movies and legions of fans.
112 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 2015
68 people are currently reading
486 people want to read
About the author
Pam Pollack
71 books37 followersPamela Pollack is a writer/editor/compiler of children's and young adult books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
September 7, 2017
I have this thing where I find it really difficult to not exchange my money for anything that says Tolkien. I expected this to be a quick and silly read, but it turned out to be proper fun! Turns out this volume is one of over a hundred illustrated biographies that have been published to explain to children who notable people were.
J. R. R. Tolkien is no stranger to arguably any book reader, but he finds his fans mainly among people who enjoy a good bit of fantasy and world building (Me!). While I love his books and stories, I only have had basic knowledge about his background, which meant that this little volume was able to give me a better understanding of who the person behind books such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was.
Pollack writes in a simple and straight-forward fashion, which makes you aware of this having been written for children, yet I'm not sure how much pleasure kid-me would have found in all these tidbits of information. Adult me, however, enjoyed it! We learn about Tolkien's catholic upbringing, his early interest in languages and linguistics as well as experiences during the two World Wars he lived through. It's a quick read, but as every page is accompanied by neat little drawings and anecdotes, it's something worth having a look at.
"Ronald Tolkien not only created his own world, he also changed ours Today, fantasy adventures are not only for children. Epic fantasy series like Star Wars would not exist without Ronald leading the way. Role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons also have their origins in Ronald's world. He inspired other writers of fantastic stories to describe their worlds in glorious detail, inventing new worlds, new languages, and new histories. He encouraged readers to journey deep into their imaginations and to create their own magical, enchanting worlds."
J. R. R. Tolkien is no stranger to arguably any book reader, but he finds his fans mainly among people who enjoy a good bit of fantasy and world building (Me!). While I love his books and stories, I only have had basic knowledge about his background, which meant that this little volume was able to give me a better understanding of who the person behind books such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was.
Pollack writes in a simple and straight-forward fashion, which makes you aware of this having been written for children, yet I'm not sure how much pleasure kid-me would have found in all these tidbits of information. Adult me, however, enjoyed it! We learn about Tolkien's catholic upbringing, his early interest in languages and linguistics as well as experiences during the two World Wars he lived through. It's a quick read, but as every page is accompanied by neat little drawings and anecdotes, it's something worth having a look at.
"Ronald Tolkien not only created his own world, he also changed ours Today, fantasy adventures are not only for children. Epic fantasy series like Star Wars would not exist without Ronald leading the way. Role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons also have their origins in Ronald's world. He inspired other writers of fantastic stories to describe their worlds in glorious detail, inventing new worlds, new languages, and new histories. He encouraged readers to journey deep into their imaginations and to create their own magical, enchanting worlds."
December 1, 2022
I learned so much about an author whose works have touched the lives of so many, for so many years . . . . and counting!
November 1, 2022
The best in this series! I effing cried!
February 8, 2024
I was interested in learning more about Tolkien (& his friendship with C. S. Lewis) & this was the only biographical information my library had on hand - nice overview of his life broken up into easy to follow sections for young readers.
January 1, 2022
Great intro for children to Tolkien! I'm also glad they were inclusive of his faith, an essential aspect of his being and influence which other mini bios and docues seem to lack. Very accurate and detailed for such a little book! Well done. I can't wait to read this to my kids.
February 29, 2024
This children’s biography was actually perfect for me to gather just enough information as a casual fan. My daughter is a super fan of LOTR, so she checked this out and I’m glad I read it. Looking forward to reading more in this series that look interesting.
September 9, 2025
Even though I've never read anything by Tolkien, I've always been interested in him. His life and his creativity and imagination are so interesting to me! The Hobbit & The Lord of the Ring series is going on my TBR.
September 11, 2019
I learned so much about an author whose works have touched the lives of so many, for so many years . . . . and counting!
March 2, 2023
Great children's history book! Love learning more about the creator of Middle Earth!
August 16, 2020
Now I want to read The Hobbit!
April 19, 2017
I found this book extremely easy - I didn't like it very much, but I had to read it.
March 17, 2019
Have you ever wondered the story behind the great author, JRR Tolkien? Or what troubles he faced writing his famed books The Lord of the Rings? Did you know that JRR Tolkien the author of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, managed to get his books published thank you to the son of the publisher. And that he was inspired by a poem called Beowulf!
This nonfictional book “Who Was JRR Tolkien?” explains the biography of the author. Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso did a great job writing this biography. They are also authors of other books from the”Who Was, What is, Where is” series. It is my opinion that this is an easy read for kids 10+, but also for younger readers. A good read for anyone who wants to know about JRR Tolkien.
JRR Tolkien was born in Africa from English parents. His parents died when he was young. He was then raised by a priest, later going to Oxford were he had a group of friends and met the love of his life Edith Tolkien. His friends and wife inspired him to write the Hobbit. After publishing the Hobbit readers enjoy his book and he follows writing the epic book called The Lord of the Rings. Which was later divided into three parts making it into a trilogy. Tragedy strikes Tolkien in 1971 Edith dies, 61 years after meeting her. 2 years later he also dies making him a legendary author.
This book is worth reading because it gives you detailed descriptions of Tolkien and his work. I would rate this book 4-5 stars. I enjoyed it because of its good explanations and because The Lord of the Rings is one of my fave books! Definitely I recommend this for both Nonfiction and Fiction readers!
- Jan 22, 2018
This nonfictional book “Who Was JRR Tolkien?” explains the biography of the author. Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso did a great job writing this biography. They are also authors of other books from the”Who Was, What is, Where is” series. It is my opinion that this is an easy read for kids 10+, but also for younger readers. A good read for anyone who wants to know about JRR Tolkien.
JRR Tolkien was born in Africa from English parents. His parents died when he was young. He was then raised by a priest, later going to Oxford were he had a group of friends and met the love of his life Edith Tolkien. His friends and wife inspired him to write the Hobbit. After publishing the Hobbit readers enjoy his book and he follows writing the epic book called The Lord of the Rings. Which was later divided into three parts making it into a trilogy. Tragedy strikes Tolkien in 1971 Edith dies, 61 years after meeting her. 2 years later he also dies making him a legendary author.
This book is worth reading because it gives you detailed descriptions of Tolkien and his work. I would rate this book 4-5 stars. I enjoyed it because of its good explanations and because The Lord of the Rings is one of my fave books! Definitely I recommend this for both Nonfiction and Fiction readers!
- Jan 22, 2018
December 1, 2017
This book is a part of a popular series introducing children to biographies, and this one follows the life of John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, who we have all come to know as J.R.R Tolkien. He was born in South Africa on January 3, 1892. He was a professor at Oxford University, an expert of ancient languages once spoken throughout Europe. He moved to England with his mother and brother, his father staying behind in South Africa. His father died the next before he got to back to South Africa and he never saw the country again. The book features a timeline of all the major events that happened in his life from his birth up until his death.
This children's book doesn't have as many pictures as most children's books might but the pictures it does have are very simple. While it doesn't say how the images were drawn, they seem to be drawn with just ink and have very small details while still staying very simple. The drawings don't follow a pattern as some of them are on the side of the page, some take up the bottom third of the page, and others take up an entire page to themselves. The text is larger than normal but it makes it much easier for children to follow along. The timeline provided of his life also lets little kids see how many things happened in just one glance at it. It's an insightful book that, while it doesn't say everything, it provides just enough knowledge to make the reader feel educated on J.R.R. Tolkien.
This children's book doesn't have as many pictures as most children's books might but the pictures it does have are very simple. While it doesn't say how the images were drawn, they seem to be drawn with just ink and have very small details while still staying very simple. The drawings don't follow a pattern as some of them are on the side of the page, some take up the bottom third of the page, and others take up an entire page to themselves. The text is larger than normal but it makes it much easier for children to follow along. The timeline provided of his life also lets little kids see how many things happened in just one glance at it. It's an insightful book that, while it doesn't say everything, it provides just enough knowledge to make the reader feel educated on J.R.R. Tolkien.
April 12, 2018
What a guy!
December 8, 2016
The fifth book I read this year was,"Who Was J.R.R. Tolkien" by Pam Pollack. Ronald Tolkien was a really famous writer back then and he had wrote some really famous books. For example, Ronald wrote the Hobbit, and all three of the lord of the rings books. Ronald spent his childhood in Great Britain with his family of four. Ronald was a really gifted man with languages and writing. Ronald went to fight in World War 2 and he was left empty. Most of his friends had died and he wasn't doing to well himself either. He married Edith and they spent about the next 55 years of their lives together.
What I liked about this book was that they had pages here and there explaining some things that is readers might not know. What I didn't like about this book was that I thought they could of added some more chapters of when he was a teenager. What I would change about this book is I would add more chapters about his life when he was a teenager.
I would suggest this book to people that like to watch the lord of the ring series or the Hobbit. I think they would love this book because the writer of those two books is JRR Tolkien. Overall this was a wonderful book and taught me a lot about who JRR Tolkien was. I was glad I had an opportunity to read this book.
What I liked about this book was that they had pages here and there explaining some things that is readers might not know. What I didn't like about this book was that I thought they could of added some more chapters of when he was a teenager. What I would change about this book is I would add more chapters about his life when he was a teenager.
I would suggest this book to people that like to watch the lord of the ring series or the Hobbit. I think they would love this book because the writer of those two books is JRR Tolkien. Overall this was a wonderful book and taught me a lot about who JRR Tolkien was. I was glad I had an opportunity to read this book.
February 20, 2017
One of the more engaging books in this series I have read, filled with interesting insights and anecdotes about Tolkien's life. Especially great as an introduction to his life. Children of all ages and even adults will find this to be a fantastic read.
May 13, 2017
A pretty comprehensive biography of one of the most genius writers of all time. Lots of tidbits that may or may not be well known. I know I learned some new things which made me appreciate his life and his work even more. You really get a sense of how his life inspired many things in his books.
September 17, 2016
Great short bio on Tolkien, especially good for kids.
July 8, 2019
I love the way the books in this series tell the stories of historical and popular figures!
June 13, 2017
A very interesting read. He lead a very full and enriched life.
June 21, 2017
Not sure even these kinds of books would have grabbed me as a kid, but I loved it as an adult. Looking forward to others in the series.
October 4, 2017
it was a very interesting biography. Jrr lead a very cool life
October 6, 2017
Short, children friendly, biographical work about the life of Tolkien, one of my favourite authors.
December 19, 2017
Can't resist these little books when my daughter brings them home. They are a fun glimpse into interesting topics.
November 16, 2023
An absolutely wonderful read, charming. EXCEPT FOR THE BEGINNING OF CHAPTER TEN, which has absolutely nothing to do with ANYTHING other than to spread the ridiculous agenda of the publishers. I’m finding more subversive bias, agenda, and victim mentality in this series than I’d like. It’s incredibly sad, when you think about it. This series has so much potential. Why can they just leave kids alone? No, they have to go spouting this drivel (parentheticals mine):
“US college students in the 1960s knew that Tolkien’s books were about more than just wizards and dragons. The “counterculture” was a youth movement that started in the United States and spread throughout the world. In the 1960s, there was a large population of teenagers who had been born in the years just after World War II (ok, boomer). They had very different ideas from their parents about things like the Vietnam war, racial equality, and women’s rights. (What kind of ‘rights,’ would I be talking to my kid about if the question came up, I wonder?) They experimented with drugs and had their own styles of dress and music. (Really? In a kid book? Just a plain blanket statement of fact- not even followed up with consequences?)
They read The Lord of the Rings and discovered a society where people were free and peaceful and loved nature. (Guess what? They read it wrong- especially if they’re using it to justify flying high with Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and promoting free love at Woodstock. Did they know anything about Tolkien? His faith? How important his faith was to him? The fact that LOTR is, in his words, “a Catholic book”? Do they EVEN KNOW THAT THE RING WAS DESTROYED ON THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION?! Pretty sure they don’t.) Young environmentalists were inspired by the stories. They hated Sauron for trying to destroy nature.”
The rest of the final chapter quickly swerves back to Tolkien and his life, but WHY?! Why does this trite nonsense have to be included?! Barf.
“US college students in the 1960s knew that Tolkien’s books were about more than just wizards and dragons. The “counterculture” was a youth movement that started in the United States and spread throughout the world. In the 1960s, there was a large population of teenagers who had been born in the years just after World War II (ok, boomer). They had very different ideas from their parents about things like the Vietnam war, racial equality, and women’s rights. (What kind of ‘rights,’ would I be talking to my kid about if the question came up, I wonder?) They experimented with drugs and had their own styles of dress and music. (Really? In a kid book? Just a plain blanket statement of fact- not even followed up with consequences?)
They read The Lord of the Rings and discovered a society where people were free and peaceful and loved nature. (Guess what? They read it wrong- especially if they’re using it to justify flying high with Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and promoting free love at Woodstock. Did they know anything about Tolkien? His faith? How important his faith was to him? The fact that LOTR is, in his words, “a Catholic book”? Do they EVEN KNOW THAT THE RING WAS DESTROYED ON THE FEAST OF THE ANNUNCIATION?! Pretty sure they don’t.) Young environmentalists were inspired by the stories. They hated Sauron for trying to destroy nature.”
The rest of the final chapter quickly swerves back to Tolkien and his life, but WHY?! Why does this trite nonsense have to be included?! Barf.
April 26, 2020
I thought it was appropriate to read this one now, as the past three days I rewatched LOTR for the umpteenth time. I loved learning more about this iconic man. I really didn't know anything. He fought in WWI and helped out during WWII as well. (Also, I was thinking how ridiculously sad it was that people who lived through WWI had to face the horrors of war all over again.)
He lost both his parents by the time he was 12. His mother was the one that got him interested in stories and languages. She taught him Latin.
When he was 18 he and his friends formed a club where they drank tea and discussed poetry. (I don't think we can get more British than that!)
He loved his wife from the time he was 16 but his guardian thought they were too young and separated them. They got together again a couple years later and the guardian again moved them apart and told Tolkien he wasn't allowed to write to her until he was 21. He wrote to her at midnight, the day he turned 21 and found out she was engaged! He flew on the train to meet her and she fell in love with him all over again on the train platform.
I didn't realize that he was the uber-Christian and basically converted C.S. Lewis. I sort of thought it was the other way around, probably because Lewis is the one that wrote all those books about churchy things.
When Tolkien was trying to publish LOTR, which was written more for adults, publishers didn't think adults wanted this fantasy nonsense and it took awhile. Fortunately, Tolkien knew they were wrong.
This was a purely fun read about an author who has brought much happiness to my life and millions of others.
He lost both his parents by the time he was 12. His mother was the one that got him interested in stories and languages. She taught him Latin.
When he was 18 he and his friends formed a club where they drank tea and discussed poetry. (I don't think we can get more British than that!)
He loved his wife from the time he was 16 but his guardian thought they were too young and separated them. They got together again a couple years later and the guardian again moved them apart and told Tolkien he wasn't allowed to write to her until he was 21. He wrote to her at midnight, the day he turned 21 and found out she was engaged! He flew on the train to meet her and she fell in love with him all over again on the train platform.
I didn't realize that he was the uber-Christian and basically converted C.S. Lewis. I sort of thought it was the other way around, probably because Lewis is the one that wrote all those books about churchy things.
When Tolkien was trying to publish LOTR, which was written more for adults, publishers didn't think adults wanted this fantasy nonsense and it took awhile. Fortunately, Tolkien knew they were wrong.
This was a purely fun read about an author who has brought much happiness to my life and millions of others.
January 24, 2019
Did you know that Tolkien spoke and wrote fluently in Greek, Latin, and Old English?
Did you know that he was a member of 2 different Fantasy lover groups as a professor?
Did you know that it took 12 years for Lord of the Rings to be published?
Did you know that The Hobbit was originally intended for a child audience because before Lord of the Rings, fantasy books were not really a thing for adult readers?
Did you know that he was friends with Narnia author, C.S. Lewis?
Did you know that Tolkien was in the military in both World Wars?
Find out more in this bio about the man who created Middle-Earth.
I love the Who was series. It always does a good honest job of explaining everything that could be questioned, while still not feeling "textbook" in the approach. It also explains the personal lives of each person a little more in depth.
For anyone who likes RPG, DND, Creative Writing, languages, Star Wars, C.S. Lewis, fantasy fiction (regardless of what age its intended audience is), thank J.R.R. Tolkien
Did you know that he was a member of 2 different Fantasy lover groups as a professor?
Did you know that it took 12 years for Lord of the Rings to be published?
Did you know that The Hobbit was originally intended for a child audience because before Lord of the Rings, fantasy books were not really a thing for adult readers?
Did you know that he was friends with Narnia author, C.S. Lewis?
Did you know that Tolkien was in the military in both World Wars?
Find out more in this bio about the man who created Middle-Earth.
I love the Who was series. It always does a good honest job of explaining everything that could be questioned, while still not feeling "textbook" in the approach. It also explains the personal lives of each person a little more in depth.
For anyone who likes RPG, DND, Creative Writing, languages, Star Wars, C.S. Lewis, fantasy fiction (regardless of what age its intended audience is), thank J.R.R. Tolkien
December 16, 2019
I bought a few of these Who Is/Was... books on sale for my niece and nephew for Christmas. They’re probably a bit young for my nephew in terms of reading level, but I enjoyed this as an adult, so perhaps he’ll like it, too. Plus, Tolkien is my brother’s favorite author, and I thought (possibly naively) that the kids would be interested in this biography for that reason.
This is a straightforward biography written in chronological order. The author takes care to highlight a few things that influenced the author’s novels, like a postcard of an old man and a deer on a hiking trip in Switzerland that in part inspired Gandalf. The description of fighting in WWI and his feelings about moving to England also suggest the themes of war and nature in his work.
It only took me a half hour to read, but I appreciated the concise overview of Tolkien’s life.
This is a straightforward biography written in chronological order. The author takes care to highlight a few things that influenced the author’s novels, like a postcard of an old man and a deer on a hiking trip in Switzerland that in part inspired Gandalf. The description of fighting in WWI and his feelings about moving to England also suggest the themes of war and nature in his work.
It only took me a half hour to read, but I appreciated the concise overview of Tolkien’s life.
November 18, 2021
Adânc în interiorul unui munte singuratic, un dragon doarme pe o movilă de aur. Brusc, se trezește. Cineva a venit să-i fure comoara! Doar un mare războinic ar face ceva atât de curajos și prostesc. Cine îndrăznește să-l provoace?
Hoțul este curajos, dar nu este un războinic. Este mic și tăcut și are picioarele păroase. El este un hobbit.
Hobbiții s-au născut într-o zi de vară, în jurul anului 1930, la Oxford, Anglia.
Prin fereastra deschisă a biroului său din casa de pe Northmoor Road, profesorul John Ronald Reuel Tolkien a simțit mirosul florilor de afară, în timp ce stătea la birou și nota lucrările studenților săi. A fost profesor la celebra Universitate Oxford, un expert în limbile antice vorbite cândva în toată Europa.
Hoțul este curajos, dar nu este un războinic. Este mic și tăcut și are picioarele păroase. El este un hobbit.
Hobbiții s-au născut într-o zi de vară, în jurul anului 1930, la Oxford, Anglia.
Prin fereastra deschisă a biroului său din casa de pe Northmoor Road, profesorul John Ronald Reuel Tolkien a simțit mirosul florilor de afară, în timp ce stătea la birou și nota lucrările studenților săi. A fost profesor la celebra Universitate Oxford, un expert în limbile antice vorbite cândva în toată Europa.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews