Raggin': A Story About Scott Joplin

by Barbara Mitchell, Hetty Mitchell (Illustrator)

The life story of the black Texan who became a popular composer and sought to elevate ragtime to the level of classical music, only to have his talents fully recognized after his death.

Genres: History

64 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1987

Reviews

[Fred Mindlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-told story about the ragtime great, and exciting and important details are embedded throughout. I have one minor query: she refers to the challenge of writing down ragtime music but never says anything about how and by whom it was eventually solved. She cites two biographies of Joplin which I will be exploring after this intriguing introduction.

[James Meck]

This is a fantastic synopsis of the life of Scott Joplin. Even though it was suggested as appropriate for elementary age, it is actually fairly detailed and an easy quick read for adults as well. If you want a starter on the life of the king of ragtime, start here.