Who Is Michael Jordan?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Kirsten Anderson, Who H.Q., Dede Putra (Illustrator)

Grab your Js and hit the court with this Who Was? biography about NBA superstar Michael Jordan.Meet the man who changed the game forever. Michael Jordan has always been competitive--even as a young boy, he fought for attention. His need to be the best made him a star player on his college basketball team and helped him become an NBA legend, both for his skills and his endorsements. His Nike contract for Air Jordan basketball shoes set an unmatched precedent for professional athletes. Author Kirsten Anderson takes readers through each exciting moment, detailing the iconic reverse lay-ups and jump shots of Michael Jordan's storied career.Look for more Who HQ Who Is LeBron James?Who Was Kobe Bryant?Who Is Shaquille O'Neal?Who Is the Man in the Air?: Michael Jordan

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Sports, Childrens, Biography Memoir, History, Kids

112 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 5, 2019

Reviews

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

it tells about michael jordan's life story and about all of his struggle.

[RaeLeigh Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

very quick and interesting read. read it in 2 days. read it so I could help my 4th grade kiddo on his school project for reading a biography. learned lots of new things I didnt know about Jordan and relived things I already knew.

[Lauryn Smith]

read for my internship — can’t wait to discuss this book with keshet’s GADOL program :)

[Lukas Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is Michael Jordan? This book was about Michael Jordan life and his successful NBA basketball career. The protagonist in this book is Michael Jordan and the antagonist is the road blocks he faced in the book like when he lost the playoffs. I enjoyed this book I give this book a 5 stars. This book was not the first books its one of the more recent ones made in the year 2019, This author also wrote who is Kamala Harris made in 2021 this book is similar and is about a persons life and success. This book is exactly what I expected it would be about the life of Michael Jordan and his way to success. Something that happened in this book was Michael Jordan won a bunch of NBA finals championships he played for the team Chicago bulls and wore his brand air Jordan. I have read 2 of the who is and was books this is one of the best I recommend this book 100%.

[Pumkin pie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book, but I thought that there are probably better people.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great children's biographical book! I learned a lot about Michael Jordan I did not know before. Easy and fun!

[Harrison GS · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t get why some words are not spaced out.

[Colin BM · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was a good book i reccomend it.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about one of the most game changing player that has ever played the great game of basketball. Michael Jordan was born in 1963 Feb 16 in Brooklyn, New York. Michael has a brother named Larry Jordan Jr. The boys both loved basketball but Michael was taller than Larry, even though Larry was better if you were short you were not really looked at in this point of time, Michael was so good he started on UNC men's basketball team as a freshmen. And on the day of the 1982 NCAA championship Michael hit the game winning shot and UNC were champions and he won the Naismith award and the wooden award for his amazing skill. In his junior year he declared for the NBA draft in 1984 and was selected 3rd in the first round of the draft by the Chicago Bulls. In his first year in the NBA Michael won the rookie of the year award, and only 3 years after that he wins the MVP and DPOY. IN 1991 he won his first championship with the bulls and the year after that he won the gold metal for the team USA dream team. Only two years after he left the NBA for his other passion baseball which he played for 1 year and then came out of retirement to go play with the bulls again. In 1996 he stars in the movie space jam. In 2006 he becomes the owner of the bobcats. And finally in 2016 he received the presidential medal of freedom from Barack Obama.

I really enjoyed this book. I like learning about basketball and the players that played the game. The person I would recommend this two is a person who likes basketball or a person who really likes MJ and wants to know more about him. I really like that it told the story of him and how he came up to be the greatest player in the league ever. I did not dislike anything about this book it is very good in my opinion.

[Adi G]

Gives a good over view of his life in a brief book. This is a really good quick read.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'lladmit, my previous knowledge of Michael Jordan came from space jam,

[Kathy Clark · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Who is Michael Jordan' is a biography book that tells the stories of one of the worlds greatest basketball players. The author takes us through Michael Jordan’s life, from the very beginning to where he is now. From a young age, Michael was competitive and experienced hardships. His desire and need to be the best landed him a starting position as a freshman on the UNC basketball team. Michael then lead the team to win the 1982 NCAA championship. His junior year in college Michael declared for the NBA draft and was selected third in the first round by the Chicago bulls. Michael went on to win rookie of the year, MVP, and DPOY awards throughout his career in the NBA. The author takes the reader in depth through Michael’s successes and struggles throughout his time playing basketball, and the decisions leading up to play baseball professionally before returning back to basketball. Michael’s career then skyrocket as he stared in the movie Space Jams, landing a major Nike deal, became one of the owners of the Bobcats, receiving the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom, and so much more!

This book is a great read for students in 3rd grade and above, and those who have a love of sports. This is a great mentor text as it shows how someone great and looked up to also faced struggles that many students face. It also is a great example of not to give up on your dreams and to follow your heart. A lesson that could be taught in the classroom is for students to write about a time they had to make a difficult decision, like Michael Jordan leaving basketball to peruse his other passion baseball, or students could write about a time that they struggled to achieve a goal they had. This book is inspiring and will leave you with a new found respect for one of the greatest basketball players of our time.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was exactly one time in my life when I was excited (or maybe pretending to be??) about sports and that was when I was in 6th grade and everyone was going nuts about the Jazz and the Bulls in the playoffs. My whole class was obsessed and I got pulled right along with them. So when I think about Michael Jordan, I always think about that one month I cared about sports.

I found it interesting that Michael signed his major Nike deal before he'd even played an NBA game! I guess that really irritated a lot of the players. They didn't get why this jumpstart was getting all the attention. In 2015-2016 Air Jordans accounted for 50% of all sneaker sales! That's kind of mind-blowing. Air Jordans are even credited with the rise of the Sneakerheads.

I still think that out of all the athletes I've read about in this series Derek Jeter was my favorite. (PS: If you're wondering why I read so many of these, even about people I don't really care about, it's because I use these books for my class's wax museum projects and it's easier for me to help the kiddos if I've already read the book. Helps me brainstorm with the kids.)

[Shannon Fuller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just recently finished this book with my daughter, and she loved it. We both are huge fans of the Who is and Who are books. It is a great way to teach children about amazing individuals. These books do not only talk about all of the positive aspects and accomplishments of a person's life, but it also covers hardships as well. I love that they include the hard times, because it shows my children that they can overcome things, and that hard work pays off. I also like that they cover a variety of individuals that are both living and that have passed. You can find people that your child can immediately relate to, or are interested in knowing more about. We have also read some that my child had no clue who the person initially was, and by the end of the story my child was inspired by someone they may have otherwise never knew about. This story in particular was a great way for my husband and my daughter to bond over. She is not typically interested in sports, but this gave her a glimpse into his world, and she enjoyed the quality time.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

The “Who Is” series was one of my favorites as a child. They are simple reads but you are learning so much information about that single person. The book I chose for this week was “Who Is Michael Jordan.” I chose this because I love basketball and he is a a figure in the basketball world that I have always looked up to. In this book it talks about his entire life from being a young child to then going into college and then his pro career he had. I would use these books in my class all the time. If we are doing a research project on someone I would read this to my students so they are able to have knowledge before then going to research themselves. I did give this book a 3/5 just because they are such simple books, but I do love that they are giving such great knowledge about so many people.

[Garret G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who is Michael Jordan?
I’m reading a book called Who is Michael Jordan?The book is by Kirsten Anderson.The book that I’m reading tells you about what Michael Jordan did,how he grew up when he was younger,how he got himself to where he’s at today in life.

This book is an amazing book if you like basketball and like to know about people’s lives.It is a very fun book to read.

I recommend that you should read this book because it shows you how one of the greatest players of all time gives you his perspective on how he grew up to the point he is today.I liked the book because I love the game of basketball and want to learn how one of the greatest players of all time how he grew up and what happened in his life and what steps he took to get where he is today.

By Garret Gronau

[Joey Gossett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who Is Michael Jordan is a book written by Kirsten Anderson. This book outlines the life of the greatest basketball player to ever play the game, Michael Jordan. We all know him as a high flying basketball player who was the closest thing to God. Kirsten Anderson takes us on a journey though before Michael was famous and how he grew up to become the person we know him as today. She goes through his young life when he was living with his family and had to deal with his siblings who were just as competitive as him. It then goes into how he was cut from the varsity basketball team as a sophomore and that only fueled him more, we see his college years at the University of North Carolina, and how he rose to stardom in the NBA and made himself the biggest face in all of sports.
This book is written as a biography as Anderson is writing about Michael Jordan's life and explaining to us as an audience how he became who he was. She really did her research and she doesn't leave us with any questions about who MJ is and how he became the man he is known as today.
I gave this book 4 stars because I am a sports Junky and I love to learn about sports as much as I can. Anderson really gave us everything about Michael Jordan and it is written in such a way that anyone can understand. It takes you write down the timeline of his life and it is a very good read for anyone that is a sports fan.

[Paige]

This is an easy to read biograohy book about Michael Jordan and his life. Growning up, he always needed to be the best. When growing up, he was not tall, in fact, because of his height he did not make the highschool basketball team. When he finally did, he instantly became a star. He was offered the choice of a few different numbers, but he choose 23 because he wanted to be at least half as good as his brother, number 45. He was always very confindetn and even mentioned how he felt no pressure when he made his first buzzer beater basket, winning the game. He eventaully got signed with Nike and became even more famous for Air Jordan brand name.

[Sarah]

I learned a lot about Michale Jordan. Did you know that Michale Jordan won 6 NBA championships in his career? He won all six with the Chicago Bulls. Michale Jordan is often referred to as MJ. Jordan also has his own shoes that people can buy, called Air Jordans. Air Jordans are made by Nike. Jordan went to UNC College and won a NCVA basketball championship. It is obvious that Jordan is used to wining championships. Jordan plays every game like it's a championship game. Jordan has five kids with two different wives. I would recommend this book to kids older than 6 years old because it is a fun and intriguing book.

[Danielle Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read biographies about athletes, I tend to stick to gymnastics, but I decided to jump out of my comfort zone and learn more about Michael Jordan. Prior to reading this book, my knowledge was limited to: he was a great player for the Chicago Bulls, he briefly played baseball, and he starred in Space Jam.

I found the story of his life interesting. The book spoke of his perseverance through the challenges of his life. I liked that the book seemed to reflect Michael with who he was - both good and bad.

I know this series is geared towards younger readers. But the books are not just entertaining, but very educational as well. I plan to continue reading more from the series.

[Landon Turnbull · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book with many great aspects that went through the life of Michael Jordan. The book gives an overview of his life when he was a kid, in college, in the NBA, things he did in between, and what he is doing in retirement. There is also a very helpful timeline included that lays out important events in a very effective way; the illustrations are also very interesting and give great representations of different things through Jordan's life. I believe this book can play an effective role in an elementary classroom library by expanding its options, and giving someone that is interested in sports something to read.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells about Jordan’s love of basketball since he was a child. He trained very hard and persevered in playing basketball. He eventually joined the basketball team in high school. Recognize him and let him try to play in the NBA, and finally after the draft, he was selected by the Bulls to explore the flower show, and then began his basketball career in the NBA. He played very well in the team and gradually became a basketball superstar that people admired, and he is also a generation of legends in basketball history.

[Kaitlyn Papp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Biography
Grade: 4-6
This book series is excellent for biography books in the elementary grades. I remember reading these to do research projects about people like Helen Keller, and Michael Jordan. They are easy to read, full of facts and not only useful for students but fun to read and learn from. This one specifically included a lot of information about Michael Jordan's childhood that I did not know beforehand. These stories are also good for students who have specific interests, like basketball! Now they can learn more about something they love.

[David Rough · Rating 3 out of 5]

The rating is not a reflection on the skill of the author or the accuracy of the content. I was just a bit disappointed in Michael himself. Being such a giant superstar and a massive role model for so many people, I was saddened to see some of the choices this extremely wealthy man made in his personal life. I will never walk in his shoes nor will understand the details surrounding his relationships, but reading between the lines of this biography for young readers, I did not always see the integrity and humility of a true hero to emulate.

[Shara Boykins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The genre of this book is biography. The intended age for this book is 7-10 years old. This book is about the NBA superstar Michael Jordan. It describes his his basketball career and how he became a professional player. The book has illustrations but they are all in black and white. Overall the book has great content and a good representation of how he became a athlete. The language is appropriate and the character is thoroughly described. I think any child would love to read this book and learn about Michael Jordan's story.

[Rylee Edwards]

“‘Who is Michael Jordan?” is a biography by Kirsten Anderson and is in the genre of biographical literature. The theme of this book centers around the life of Michael Jordan and his journey to become one of the greatest athletes of all time. The plot of this story revolves around his struggle and how he persevered to become successful. He is one of the most recognized athletes in the world and played for the Chicago Bulls. This book is entertaining and is good for all ages. It can also serve as an inspiration to others.

[Leah Hahn · Rating 4 out of 5]

As per usual the Who Is series did a wonderful job of conveying the life of Michael Jordan in an easy to follow way with language that young readers can follow. As a 90's kid I learned most of my Michael Jordan facts by watching Space Jam, but it turns out I didn't know as much as I thought.
This book follows Michael from childhood where he loved to be the center of attention, to an insecure teenager, to a very successful athlete first in college and then into the NBA.

[Enoch Perez]

Anderson, Kirsten. Who is Michael Jordan? (Who was series) (2019)
The story begins when Michael Jeffrey Jordan's father bought him his first basketball hoop when he lived in North Carolina at the age of 5. One of the most significant memories Jordan had was when, at age 9, he witnessed the defeat of the American Olympic team in 1972. Throughout the biography, Michael expresses his struggle and uncertainty of being tall throughout his high school career. His biography presents the loss of his father and his rise to fame, championships and endorsements. Jordan’s biography possesses accurate and objective information that will have any reader’s interest. The illustrations are basic pencil sketches with a caricature feel. The author captures and unfolds the story of Michael Jordan in a way that any reader will not feel overwhelmed by unnecessary information. This is a great biography for the intended audience. Target Audience - Grade Level: 3-7

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read for a fourth-grader. Packed with facts about Jordan, but also provides interesting facts about basketball in general and other NBA players. I liked that the author continually stressed Jordan’s determined work ethic, his willingness to listen to coaches, and his struggle to work as a team-player. The book also addressed failures and sad things that happened in Jordan’s life, which is important for kids to consider.

[Tori Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is part of the popular "Who Was" series, which features biographies of influential figures throughout history. The book provides an overview of Michael Jordan's life, from his childhood in North Carolina to his rise to basketball stardom with the Chicago Bulls. The book covers Jordan's high school and college basketball careers, his time with the Chicago Bulls, his brief stint with minor league baseball, and his return to basketball with the Washington Wizards.