The Young Life of Pope John Paul II

Grade 3-5?This short biography tells the story of Karol Wojtyla from his childhood to his ordination in his early 20s, with a final chapter about his selection as pope in 1978. Mohan describes the young man's schooling; his love of hiking and the outdoors; and his developing interest in theater, singing, and dancing. The German invasion of his Polish homeland changed everything. He decided to become a priest and studied in an underground seminary at night. Nothing is said about his years as a priest or his work as the head of the Roman Catholic Church. The text reads more like a story than an account of a life. The author uses fictionalized dialogue throughout and one can't be sure that the thoughts and feelings expressed are factual. The many pen-and-ink drawings are mediocre?they are inconsistent in style, and the people look stiff. Although the concentration on the Pope's youth is interesting for children, without any substantial information about his adulthood and accomplishments, the book is of no use for assignments and incomplete for pleasure reading.?Jane Gardner Connor, South Carolina State Library, ColumbiaCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.