Let Your Voice Be Heard The Life and Times of Pete Seeger

Reviewed by: Anne Donovan - Long Island Community Library, Long Island, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 8, 2016

Review

Legendary folk singer and activist Pete Seeger was born in 1919. By the time he died at the age of 95 in 2014 he would be known as not only a folk singer and artist but a voice and seemingly tireless advocate for labor, civil rights, the antiwar movement and the environment. This biography, appropriate for middle school readers, begins with Seeger's family background and follows along with him in his search for a purpose that took him on many paths until he found his true joy in sharing the American experiences of the times through music. Readers will not only learn about Seeger in this well-written and fast moving biography, punctuated by many photographs, but of the times and issues and people he encountered along the way. Seeger's travels with Woody Guthrie through the Oklahoma dust bowl, his commitment to the labor movement, marching with MLK Jr. for Civil Rights, protesting the Vietnam War and his well-known battle with the House Un-American Activities Committee in which he was black-listed, tried, convicted, jailed and eventually exonerated are all excellent discussion starters for 20th century history lessons. The book contains Source Notes, Photo Credits, Acknowledgments, and Index. In the Afterward the author clearly states that she had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Seeger and her biography is not unbiased in that the subject was one of her long-time heroes.

Overall Book Score: very good