Book Review of Ella Fitzgerald by Andrea Pinkney

 1. Bibliography Pinkney, A. 2023. Ella Fitzgerald. (Flint, G.). Philomel Books. ISBN: 9780593620878 

2. Plot Summary In this story we get an overview of Ella Fitzgerald as a young girl and how she rose to greatness. In the beginning we see how Ella loses her mother at a young age and the struggles she faces in school because of this. Her only hope is that she loves to dance and when she enters a talent contest in the Apollo Theater she almost freezes but she ends up singing and dancing and winning the show. We see how she starts working with Chick from Chick Webb Orchestra because she sang and got the kids at Yale to start dancing. From that we see her rise to stardom in the recording studio. After Ella gets arrested for segregation laws, she became determined to reach as many people as possible with her signing. She went on tours all over the world and was even honored at Washington DC’s Kennedy Center. 

3. Critical Analysis In this story we see Ella Fitzgerald as the main character and some of the people that she meets along the way. Ella goes through many hardships with racism that she is determined to beat. The book is historical and shows accurate descriptions of her life and what she went through. There are details of the shows she attended and how she persisted in each. Her leadership shows and her connections with other characters helped her with this leadership to end racism and prejudice. There is a story about the Mocambo Night Club and how her connection with Marylin Monroe helped her get into the club that was a white only facility. The book celebrates how hard Ella worked for each of her achievements and how she didn’t just get things handed to her. It shows how hard work can pay off when you believe in what you are doing. You can see the different historical contents like the Harlem Renaissance and the scat and jazz eras in music. This book shows how your passions can become a reality if you are willing to work hard at them. 

4. Review Excerpt(s) "a great gem of the rarely heard story of Ella Fitzgerald’s early years. It was a quick but enlightening read. I will recommend to patrons." -Librarians and reviewers via NetGalley Publisher’s Weekly (January 11, 2021) "Starred review" for this chapter-book biography, signaling that the book stands out in quality and appeal for its intended audience 

5. Connections *Students can choose a song that they feel portrays their life and write an essay about how the song is important to them and why. *Students can create a timeline of Ella Fitzgerald’s life and highlight the big events that influenced her life