Who Is Bruce Springsteen?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Stephanie Sabol, Who H.Q., Gregory Copeland (Illustrator)

Not only was Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA," he has risen to become a twenty-time Grammy winner and American icon.

Bruce Springsteen grew up in a blue-collar New Jersey town, where his parents struggled to make ends meet. Bruce didn't fit in at school but found solace in rock and roll and playing guitar. After the breakup of a local band he'd joined, Springsteen went out on his own and people began to take notice. He signed with Columbia Records and under pressure to come up with a hit, wrote "Born in the USA," which tells the story of America during the years of the Vietnam War. A multi-millionaire and twenty-time Grammy winner, the Boss has remained a working class hero whose music deals with the political and social changes in our country.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Music, Childrens, Chapter Books, School, Audiobook

112 pages, Paperback

First published September 27, 2016

Reviews

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous illustrations. This is a wonderful series that makes prominent people accessible to elementary readers. While listening to my daughter read aloud, I always learn something and I’m always entertained.

(There is a page about 9/11. Some parents might want to be aware of that.)

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My new favorite person after reading these books. seriously. bruce, i had you all wrong. I had no idea you were such a chill guy (not hanging on the party bus), and a good father/husband/friend/citizen.

Bruce feigned crazy to avoid getting drafted into the vietnam war, felt bad about it later, wrote "Born in the USA" and put on a benefit concert that helped the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) stay open. He also spoke out against the War in Iraq because of its similarities to the Vietnam War.

I had a totally different understanding of "Born in the USA" before reading this book, which inspired me to read the lyrics to this song . I love how chill Bruce was about everyone getting the song wrong. I think I would have been annoyed if it was me. Not Bruce, cool as a cucumber.

And it's hard not to love his mother after the story of her taking out a loan to buy him the black and gold electric guitar he wanted for Christmas. Love that she was the first person he thanked when he was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who Is Bruce Springsteen? is a biographical chapter book that is best suited for third - fifth grade. The non-fiction text shares some of the famous rockstar's life's highlights. The book begins with his trial and errors before becoming famous. As the story progresses, Bruce becomes more of a household name.

I decided to read this book because I am a big Bruce Springsteen fan, but wanted to learn more about his personal life. I found a copy of the book at one of the libraries down the road from me. I could not put the book down. I really enjoyed learning about the Boss's life.

The information is age appropriate and does not feel like it is too much. If there are more advanced vocabulary words, the author, Stephanie Sabol, defines them for the readers. I also was very impressed with the illustrations. They are in black and white, but I like that, especially because Bruce Springsteen's Born to Run album cover is in black and white. I was amazed by how realistic the drawings were. I felt like I was looking at a photograph of Bruce Springsteen. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I found this book on the Who Was Books Series website. It was published in 2016. It is perfect for any reader that does want to read about a traditional historical figure. It's really outside of the box!

[Aiden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was pretty good. This book was about how Bruce Springsteen is one of the best singers of our time. As a young boy, Bruce was raised by his Grandmother and she used almost all of her energy playing with him. As he grew up, he became more and more interested in music. At age 13 he started playing the guitar and then he started a band in his garage at age 14. The band was called Castille. He kept playing music and sooner or later he became famous. One of his most famous songs was Born To Run. He is known as the Boss still to this day.

I really enjoyed this book because I know a lot about Bruce because my Dad loves him and it was cool to read a book about him. I would recommend this book to someone who loves 80's music. I would also recommend this book to someone who wants to rock and roll. I would recommend this book to someone who is thankful for their parents because Bruce really didn't have his parents growing up. I hope whoever reads this book enjoys it as much as I did!

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I am a hardcore Springsteen fan. When I worked in an independent bookstore that carried The Who Is/Who Was series, I encouraged my manager to include this in our collection at the same time his autobiography came out in 2016. (Yes, I was fortunate enough to have a meet and greet with him during his book tour.)

However, I never read this book until now when a friend sent it to me as a joke birthday gift. Not that I learned anything new, but I was surprised at how well it was written and its depth. I thought it was a balanced presentation that did not just dwell on the highlights of his career.

The sidebars and black and white illustrations complemented the narrative nicely. I totally understand why this is such a popular series among young readers. Highly recommended for those children interested in rock music and its history and legends.

[Sean Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading level: 5.1

Summary: This is perfect story for elementary students to learn about Bruce Springsteen. Kids these days may have probably heard his name and heard his music, but haven't heard much more than that. They have no idea what a sensation and part of America he has been the last 40 years. From Freehold, New Jersey, the caring brother of 2 younger sisters grew up in a blue collar family that had hard times making ends meet. His ability to follow his heart, and his family's support, paved the way for one of the biggest stars in the world.

Genre: Biography

Mentor trait: Presentation, organization and voice all combine to create this fun story of a beloved american. The drawings of Bruce's life help understand the chronological history of his life, while fulfilling the passion he had for America and for the love America had for him.

Classroom integration: This book could be used for 5th grade readers for independent reading or for a lesson on biographies. The students could read this and learn how to write a biography, or they could write a summary of this story.

[Victoria B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book gave a thorough look into Bruce Springsteen's life, I didn't think it was necessary to explain the plot behind the movie "Philadelphia" when talking about "The Streets of Philadelphia." The movie is rated pg-13, which means the content is a little more mature than what the 8-12 year olds reading this book are likely to watch or understand. I felt it was inappropriate; there's no need to delve into the subject matter of sexuality or AIDS for children this young, even if the mention is relatively short.

[Paige Tomlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The "Who Is" series are great biographies for young readers. They are enjoyable to read because they have great illustrations and information in such a short format. I chose to read about Bruce Springsteen because I grew up listening to his music and wanted to learn more about his journey. This book describes events from his childhood in New Jersey, to performing in a high school band to signing his first record label. These books would be great for upper elementary students beginning to learn how to research and creating projects about important people and events.

[Slow Man · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Bruce Springsteen is enjoyable and inspiring. I really didn't know much about music legends like Dolly, Bob and Bruce but thanks to this wonderful series, now I do.
I always love the song 'Streets of Philadelphia' because it has a very beautiful beginning and a very catchy rhythm throughout the song and Bruce's voice blended perfectly exuding sadness everywhere in the song. I should start to pay more attention to the words in his songs and i am going to start with Born to Run.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have not listened to his music before, but I will try and get the chance to now.
His story wasn't as hard as ones that I've heard from other songwriters, but it was still moving to see that he had different kinds of struggles in his life. It was also nice to see that he is one of the few rock and roll singers that didn't do drugs or drink endless amounts of alcohol.
Can't wait to read others from this publisher.

[Elina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. First of all I love music. He also loved music that he would sneak out of class to practice the guitar. He also became a author. He had faced many problems including family losses. His band also gave him a nickname : The Boss. Cause he was amazing at music. He got a lot of Grammy awards too. In the book it said he was an American Legend. "THEN REMEMBER IT'S ONLY Rock AND ROLL." He said that.

[Amanda Gilles · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mom is a huge fan of Bruce so I was excited to get this book for her, but of course had to read it myself too;) Just like the"boss" it was great! This series of books does such a through job of making nonfiction historical people, events, and places come to life and enjoyable to read for all ages;)

[Linda Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is Bruce Springsteen, as part of the who is HQ series was an easy, interesting, and different read that tells the story of Bruce Springsteen, who came from humble beginnings son of a hard working blue collar family to the singer, songwriter, and producer is is today. I highly recommend this book!

[Keith Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listen to a lot of The Boss in our house, so I ended up reading this to my six-year-old. He really seemed to like it and said it was a five-star book. Plus we made ourselves a soundtrack while we listened!

[Library Lady 📚 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book from the Who Is series. I loved learning about Bruce Springstein's childhood and rise to fame. These books are so great for kids who want to learn more about famous people. They are told in a very engaging, narrative way that makes every story fascinating!

[David Rough · Rating 3 out of 5]

The BOSS - I am not a huge Bruce Springsteen fan nor have I been greatly aware of the American pop music scene in recently decades. Because of my lack of knowledge, I found this biography for young readers insightful into this man and his musical history.

[Hailey Vittrup · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would have been significantly better without the attached politics, a subject matter than didn’t need to be incorporated into a children’s book. The part of the story that focused on Springsteen’s music was well-written and informative.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Springsteen is a very talented musician, and grounded. He doesn't forget his roots, and is an exceptionally caring person.

[Shahd Rdawi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Reving · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://revingsblog.blogspot.com/2018...

[Kyle Pucciarello · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean, I had to, right?

[Izzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love reading the "Who was..." series books because they are so informative and interesting. This one was a little slow, however, but still interesting.

[Marisel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very inspiring.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a new respect for Bruce Springsteen. He was never my favorite, but I have enjoyed alot of his music. A good short story.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book and a good start to learning about Bruce's life.

[Annemarie Pollard · Rating 3 out of 5]

A draft dodger…. Unexpected lack of patriotism

[Nathaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked it

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked it

[Orsayor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The BOSS is Here!!

[Amanda up North · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce Sprinsteen: Huge success, while remaining an all-around pretty darn good guy. Not your typical rock and roller!

This installment is wonderfully illustrated - true likenesses.