Charles Dickens: The Man who had Great Expectations

by Diane Stanley, Peter Vennema

Charles Dickens is one of the world's greatest and best loved writers. To read Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, or Nicholas Nickleby is to be drawn into a society that still seems fresh and real today: nineteenth-century London with its extraordinary extremes of wealth, progress, poverty, and despair. Dickens captures it all in plots that are by turns wildly comical, wonderfully melodramatic, and tragic to the point of tears. In his writing and later, in his dramatic readings, Charles Dickens was a master showman, mesmerizing the whole world.

His novels are stuffed to bursting with unforgettable characters like Mr. Micawber, Ebineezer Scrooge, and Little Nell. Most affecting are his portraits of children abused and abandoned by the Industrial Age. David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Tiny Tim are mirrors that reflect the twisted values of their time.

The twists of Dickens's own life encompassed childhood suffering as well as international acclaim. When he was twelve, his father was consigned to debtors' prison and Charles to working in a blacking factory. Not twelve years later The Pickwick Papers would propel him toward literary stardom.

In their lovingly researched, incisively written biography, illustrated with a lushness and attention to period detail of which Dickens would have approved, Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema illuminate his inspirations, his impact on nations of readers, and his gleaming genius that has only brightened with time.

A handsome book on the beloved novelist. Dickens's troubled, well-documented life has plenty to interest children....Lucid, accessible....A lively, entertaining story for children who enjoy A Christmas Carol in its various guises....A must.

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Nonfiction, History, Juvenile, Childrens, Classics

48 pages, Hardcover

First published August 16, 1993

About the author

Diane Stanley is an American children's author and illustrator, a former medical illustrator, and a former art director for the publisher G.P. Putnam's Sons. Born in 1943 in Abilene, Texas, she was educated at Trinity University (in San Antonio, TX) and at Johns Hopkins University. She is perhaps best known for her many picture-book biographies, some of which were co-authored by her husband, Peter Vennema. (source: Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Suki · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6yo picked this book out from the library after reading A Christmas Carol over the Christmas season. She loved learning about his life and now wants to read more of his books!

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a long and detailed biography about Charles Dickens written for children. The art was fantastic, I felt that including his troubles in relationships was in poor taste as it is for kids. This is why I took a star off.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations never quite got to the level of grime I expect in London of that period.

[Gordon Pennington · Rating 1 out of 5]

Charles Dickens: The Man Who Had Great Expectations is the story of Charles Dickens. While having illustrations, this book almost reads as a mini-novel. The text is very wordy, and there is not any humor in this book. It's the equivalent to reading a wikipedia page as far as excitement goes. I can only recommend this book to the most avid Dickens fans, which I am betting are pretty rare at the elementary level.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Dickens is one of the world's greatest and best loved writers. To read Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol, or Nicholas Nickleby is to be drawn into a society that still seems fresh and real today: nineteenth-century London with its extraordinary extremes of wealth, progress, poverty, and despair. Dickens captures it all in plots that are by turns wildly comical, wonderfully melodramatic, and tragic to the point of tears. In his writing and later, in his dramatic readings, Charles Dickens was a master showman, mesmerizing the whole world.

His novels are stuffed to bursting with unforgettable characters like Mr. Micawber, Ebineezer Scrooge, and Little Nell. Most affecting are his portraits of children abused and abandoned by the Industrial Age. David Copperfield, Oliver Twist, and Tiny Tim are mirrors that reflect the twisted values of their time.

The twists of Dickens's own life encompassed childhood suffering as well as international acclaim. When he was twelve, his father was consigned to debtors' prison and Charles to working in a blacking factory. Not twelve years later The Pickwick Papers would propel him toward literary stardom.

In their lovingly researched, incisively written biography, illustrated with a lushness and attention to period detail of which Dickens would have approved, Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema illuminate his inspirations, his impact on nations of readers, and his gleaming genius that has only brightened with time.

A handsome book on the beloved novelist. Dickens's troubled, well-documented life has plenty to interest children....Lucid, accessible....A lively, entertaining story for children who enjoy A Christmas Carol in its various guises....A must.

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you knew absolutely nothing about the life of Charles Dickens, this wouldn't be a bad place to start. It follows his life and highlights a lot of the main events that made him who he was, so for a children's book, I thought it was good, and might have just enough to make someone want to know more. The illustrations made everything look pretty clean and happy, almost too much in some cases. But there are a few of Dickens himself, of the ones showing him in his later years, that I thought were nicely done.

[Katya Vinogradova · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great illustated biography of a great man who had great expectations!
Okay, I'm done with silliness now.
But it really is a wonderful book, a solid first introduction to the life and works of Charles Dickens for young readers.
The illustrations are wonderfully old-fashioned and help to build the atmosphere of Dickens's life.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles Dickens is an intriguing biography of a brilliant writer. A brief outline of his early life, education, family struggles, tales of his travels, disdain of American Slavery, personal hardships, and lasting legacy. Though there are brief moments of sadness, the book is enjoyable, and I believe most readers of Dickens's books will enjoy it.

[Joseph Hageman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a well written and and illustrated and entertaining short book about Dickens. Great reading for young people who want to learn a lot Charles Dickens. I hope my grandchildren will enjoy it as much as I did.

[Dee Dee G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better suited for older children.

[Congetta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diane Stanley writes excellent biographies for children. I would even recommend them for adults who wish to be introduced to a person. It is obvious that she does extensive research. I love how she quotes primary sources in her books. This is an effective way to introduce primary research to children and as she writes in a narrative fashion, it is always interesting. I think by reading biographies to my son, I have shown him that history and people studies can be fascinating.

[Leslie Bardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a biographical picture book about the life of Charles Dickens. It is an incredibly thought-out portrayal of Dickens' life and influence. From the trials and tribulations to the joys and highs, you get to experience all of Dickens’ life. After reading this biography, I have a better appreciation for his works. His life started out in a middle class large family in London. These were some of his happier years, playing with his siblings and attending school. Everything was fine, but his father, John Dickens had a terrible habit of spending more money than they owned. They moved nearly a dozen times during his childhood- each time to smaller and smaller houses. At one point in his childhood, John showed Charles the Gad’s Hill Place, one of the most expensive houses in their community. His father promised him that if he worked hard in life, he would be able to live in that house. Little did young Charles know, he would eventually live and die in that home. Unfortunately, his father was later arrested for being in such severe debt and was placed into a one-room jail cell that his whole family lived in. At this point, Charles dropped out of school and obtained a job at a blacking factory, where he covered pots with blacking (shoe polish). Although he was only twelve, he was forced to work 12 hours in a darkened room. At this point, he was unable to live with his family because of his job, so he lived in a cheap boarding house alone, miserable, and tired. At this point in his life, he really experienced such incredible despair and poverty that these elements are obvious in his works such The Adventures of Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and Great Expectations. After his father and family were released from jail, they were able to send Charles to school again. This is when things picked up and he eventually submitted a story to Monthly Magazine that got published. His career took off and his success grew exponentially. He was finally able to afford everything he needed. He married a girl named Catherine, whom he had ten children with. He claims that he never loved Catherine and regretted marrying her, but divorce was out of the question. He actually was in love with her sister, Mary, but she passed away from a sudden heart attack. Charles Dickens, through his successful career as an author, was able to have incredible life experiences later in life- such as traveling to the States, throwing fabulous Christmas parties, and giving exclusive readings to highly important people. He eventually passed away peacefully in the Gad’s Hill Place, the place he had originally hoped to obtain. I thought this book was incredibly fascinating and I think that this would be an absolutely necessity to have in the classroom because of Dickens’ influence on American literature today. I would definitely purchase this book for a reference in my future classroom, as long as I would showcase some of Dickens’ literature in conjunction with it. This is all why I am rating this book a 5 out of 5 stars!

[Megan Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Charles Dickens was young, he went on a walk with his father, John Dickens, and his father showed him a beautiful house, Gad's Hill Place. His father told him that if he worked hard, he could live in that house someday. Charles Dickens grew up outside of London, but he and his family moved to London when his father got a new job; when Charles was only ten-years-old, he had already moved six times. Charles's father spent more money than he earned, so he was put in prison until he paid off his debt. Charles had to work while his father was in prison, and he went from a well-known school boy to a shabby working boy. It is from his experience as a young worker that he got his inspiration from his famous novels; he also got his inspiration from the streets of London and seeing the poor out on the streets. Charles became very famous not only in England and America, but around the world.
I really liked this book! I knew a little about Charles Dickens before reading this book, but now I know a lot more about him. This book was full of interesting facts, and the words in this book were beautiful. I love the quote on the last page that said," When at last you put down the book, it will be regretfully, like saying good-bye to a friend after an exciting adventure together. But you will also know that you can go back again anytime you want, and he will be there, waiting for you." Charles Dickens put his life into his writing, and that is inspiring.
I could use this book in the classroom to talk about following your dreams and doing something you love (like Charles and writing).

[Alex Schuler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered about the man behind beloved characters such as Oliver Twist, Ebenezer Scrooge, and David Copperfield? In Charles Dickens: The Man Who Had Great Expectations, Diane Stanley tells us his story, which shares many similarities to the stories he later wrote. He died never finishing his last book, but the books he did finish did a lot to change the world, and have remained beloved by people to this day. Since this text is meant to be read by younger readers, the simple yet fairly formal language made the text easy to understand and remember. It also makes the text more interesting and attention-grabbing for younger readers, who might be hesitant to read a biography. The illustrations were beautiful and detailed, which of course adds tremendously to the reader’s understanding and interest in the story.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good picture book to give readers some background about Charles Dickens. The Illustrations do a great job illustrating the text and the author's life is interesting enough to read aloud over a week. Here are some important events in Dickens' life that students might find interesting:
*He was one of eight children.
*When he was 12, he was sent to work in a factor. He worked 12 hour shifts.
*His family was sent to debtors' prison.
*Dickens' first love spurned him because of his lower class status.
*Dickens' was famous and a great public reader of his stories.
*He was in a loveless marriage and fell in love with his sister-in-law! How scandalous!

A good overview of an author that everyone has to be familiar with in HS British Literature.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really enjoyable read for me. The more I learn about Dickens, the more I think I would like to learn more about him, and now Diane Stanley has me considering reading a more extensive biography of him someday (I'd like to read more of his writings first). He must have been an interesting person. There are some discussion points concerning some of his relationships, so as with some of her other books I don't necessarily think I'd want to read this aloud to my younger ones, but it's fine for the older ones w/more understanding -- perhaps w/a bit of discussion. Bethany enjoyed this one, too, and my older girls both identified with his complaint of not being able to control the characters he imagined. :)

[Miri Gifford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This made me determined to finally get around to all those classics that have been on my shelf since high school (the only Dickens I've read is A Christmas Carol, can you believe it?). He sounds like he would have been a fabulous person to be friends with, and he cared about many of the same causes I care about. It's so nice to see when an author is appreciated during his time, and Dickens was definitely a celebrity. I loved the part about his American readers who were so anxious to learn what happened in the next installment of The Old Curiosity Shop that they waited at the docks for the boat carrying the shipment, shouting "Is Nell dead?" to the passengers on board.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't say that I didn't like this book, 'cause I mean, it's Charles Dickens we're talking about here! But the text was very unorganized, as sometimes there were a lot of leaps in years back and forth, back and forth which made me kind of confused. I did enjoy the illustrations, though, very well drawn. If you really want to learn a lot about Charles Dickens, I would recommend a more advanced book, but this is still a good book if you are new to Dickens and want to get to know him more.

[JaNeal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think children's non-fictions are great places to get "just enough" information on many valuable topics. Diane Stanley does nice work with her biographies and I felt like Dickens' story is especially informative. You can certainly see where many of his stories came from!

[Heloyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short biographical sketch of a man whose life was as fascinating and colorful as his books. Well written for such a brief introduction.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This could be a good introduction to Dickens and might inspire one to read more of his work.

[lexi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations🤍
- Dickens truly was a great man!

[Becky Pliego · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good.

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this Diane Stanley! Loved learning about Charles Dickens. What a life!