Freedman, Russell. 2002. Confucius: The Golden Rule. Ill. by Frederic Clement. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0439139570.
Accuracy -
Russell Freedman is well-known for his non-fiction works as well as his biography works. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the Newbery Medal, three Newbery Honors, a Sibert Medal, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award.
In this biography, he deftly negotiates between facts and imagination communicating clearly what is fact and what is not. As Confucius himself recorded nothing about his life or his sayings, this is a task that requires constant monitoring and communication with the reader.
Mr. Freedman sites three pages of sources, including an explanation of the difficulty in learning the events of Confucius' life. He also achieves the "gold standard" of biographies, that of documentable quotes. The end papers are filled with some of these quotes and they are scattered throughout the book.
Organization -
This book has no table of contents although it is organized by chapters and proceeds in linear fashion to relate the events of Confucius' life. Each chapter begins with a title and not just a chapter number. There are page numbers which help the reader find the various sayings scattered throughout the book. These are listed in a short index in the back of the book. This index also lists the location of the quote from The Analects of Confucius.
Design -
This book has the feel of a storybook as there are no charts or timelines. There are pictures throughout the book. They are paintings in a muted, hazy type style. I found an interesting note to the paintings. As Confucius supposedly had two large front teeth, this theme is carried into the illustrations. Each picture has an element of two white shapes reminiscent of Confucius' two large front teeth.
Style -
Through his writing, Mr. Freedman is able to convey Confucius' personality. His love of learning, his dedication to the reformation of his government, his wit and quirkiness are all evident in this book. Mr. Freedman also draws many parallels between Confucius' teachings and modern day ideas and sayings, thereby communicating to us that Confucius is still teaching even today.
His writing is straightforward and uses appropriate vocabulary. That he is a gifted writer is evidenced by the following quote. "Fanciful stories and legends have clustered about his [Confucius] name like iron filings drawn irresistibly to a powerful magnetic field." (Freedman 2002, 8)
Reviews -
Publishers Weekly - "Freedman draws on stories, legends and collected dialogues from The Analects of Confucius, written by his students, to reveal a man of deep perceptions as well as great humor...Skillfully and smoothly weaving Chinese history, culture and language into the narrative, Freedman also explains Confucian philosophy succinctly, without dumbing it down ("The first task of a true statesman, Confucius said, is to face the truth, to use words honestly")."
School Library Journal - "In writing this biography, Freedman faced two obstacles: a distorted popular idea of Confucius, and a paucity of data about the real man. He directly addresses the first, and his engaging book beautifully compensates for the second. He sets his subject in the context of strife-torn China, since Confucius was a radical reformer whose ideas had political applications. Politics, education, spirituality: the philosopher has something to say in all these areas, and Freedman compellingly conveys the profundity of his thoughts."
Booklist - "Freedman’s Confucius jumps off the page as a fiery revolutionary… The fascinating narrative seamlessly intersperses stories from the Analects with Chinese history and biographical information about Confucius, focusing on his philosophical brilliance… Clément’s muted, elegant paintings of towns, temples and the bucktoothed Confucius himself have a suitably ancient feel with jagged borders and fading colors."
Connections -
* Read other biographies from Russell Freedman.
- Lincoln: A Photobiography (Newbery Medal) ISBN-13: 9780395518489
- Out of Darkness: The Story of Louis Braille ISBN-13: 9780395968888
- The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane ISBN-13: 9780823410828
- The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights ISBN-13: 9780618159765
- Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery (Newbery Honor) ISBN-13: 9780395845202
* Read other non-fiction books by Russell Freedman.
- Children of the Great Depression ISBN-13: 9780618446308
- Who Was First? Discovering the Americas ISBN-13: 9780618663910
- Immigrant Kids ISBN-13: 9780140375947
- Children of the Wild West ISBN-13: 9780395547854
* Choose one of Confucius' sayings. Find a way it relates to your life or your situation. Write about it.
* Make a display of some of Confucius' sayings. Have fellow students vote for their favorite and create a graph displaying the results.
* Make a list of other sayings you can remember. Do some research and find out if they are attributable to Confucius or someone else.
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