Even reluctant middle-grade readers will devour Patricia Lakin's (the Max & Mo series) biography of Steve Jobs--a fascinating portrait of a kid who breaks nearly every rule and yet rises to astronomical heights.
Lakin describes him as "a little terror in elementary school, a first-class prankster, and a college dropout" who grew up to lead "one of the world's most innovative companies [and also was] revered for his brilliant creations." She follows his life chronologically, and consistently demonstrates how young Steve learned in unorthodox ways. He bristled at authority, even chafing at one of his buddy and future Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak's favorite teachers, a former Navy pilot, because the man was so strict. But he also learned by example--as when he worked side-by-side with his mechanically dextrous father. Paul Jobs taught Steve the importance of precision and care of a mechanism's parts, "whether the part showed or not"--the essence of all Apple products.
Similarly, Lakin conveys the early yin and yang of what would characterize Wozniak and Jobs's connection throughout their association with the "Blue Box" story. Wozniak showed Jobs how he could illegally make long-distance calls with an electronic device. Jobs suggested they profit from it--Wozniak the inventor, Jobs the marketing man. These stories may not be new to adults, but they will be to fourth-graders. What Lakin does for young readers is to, as Jobs put it, "connect the dots"-- to demonstrate to young people how his experiences and passions shaped Jobs all along the way. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness