Sir Charlie

The Bibliography
Fleischman, Sid. 2010. Sir Charlie Chaplin, The Funniest Man in the World. New York. HarperCollins Children's books. ISBN 0061896408

The Criteria
Accuracy Author of other biographies of famous people such as Mark Twain and Harry Houdini, Sid Fleischman really knows his stuff. The biography of Charlie Chaplin is told in an almost storylike format with quotes and from Charlie and his family, friends and costars. A bibliography of more than 20 sources is listed in the back of the book, as well as a list of films, a references list, a timeline of Charlie's life.

Organization The book is organized into 38 chapters and contains a time line, references, photograph and illustration sources, a bibliography, a list of films and an index.

Design Sir Charlie is an attractive book with heavy, matte pages filled with the stories and photos of Charlie Chaplin's life. The image of purple swirls on the cover is repeated throughout, they are on the first page of each new chapter, and backgrounds of tiny top hats fill in the photo pages. Even though, in my opinion, Charlie Chaplin is a creepy looking man with his square little mustache and heavily lined eyes, the book is not so bad to look at.

Style As many other books by Sid Fleischman, Sir Charlie is a complete biography told in story format. One learns from reading this book that Charlie's mother went insane, he took baths in a horse trough, he suffered from deep depressions, and he could make snow out of flour and salt. This shows that Mr. Fleischman knows his material. Important, adult-themed events in Charlie's life are put in a way as to not go over children's heads and the story of his life is told in a humorous and also dry way. It is very well-written.

The Analysis

Charlie Chaplin (and silent films) makes me nervous. The book on the other hand, does not make me nervous. Most of the book is about Charlie's life on screen with his real life unfolding in the background. The chapters aren't too long, nor is the book difficult to read. It seems a bit long for younger kids, but older teens interested in the life of the slapstick tramp might find it an entertaining read.

The Review
Sandi Jordet (Library Media Connection, November/December 2010)
Known as The Little Tramp, Charlie Chaplin was one of the funniest men around; screenwriters still use many of his comedic routines in movies. Mr. Fleischman, who admired Charlie Chaplin deeply, wrote this look at the great actor. Told in story format, the reader gets a very clear picture of Chaplin. He rose above his childhood surroundings to become one of the most loved people of the film industry. Starting at the age of 15, his Vaudeville career got a real boost when he was hired as a slapstick comic. He became a producer, director, and film company owner. He left the United States in 1952 and moved to Switzerland, returning only once to accept a special Academy Award in 1972. His marriages and divorces are handled in a way younger students can understand. Mr. Fleischman did his homework well. The bulk of the book centers on Chaplin’s film life with incidental personal details. The book includes a timeline, references, bibliography, and a partial filmography.

The Connection
To share the life of Charlie Chaplin, this biography and several others, such as Remembering Charlie: a Pictorial Biography by Jerry Epstein, Chaplin: The Tramp's Odyssey by Simon Louvish, and My Life with Chaplin: an Intimate Memoir by Lita Grey Chaplin could be put on display for patrons to check out after watching Chaplin, the 1993 movie starring Robert Downey Jr. (if the library has the rights to show movies, of course).