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Stephen King
His Life, Work, and Influences (Young Readers' Edition)
by Bev Vincent
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Pub Date 3 Sep 2024 | Archive Date 31 Aug 2024
Quarto Publishing Group – becker & mayer! | becker&mayer! kids
Talking about this book? Use #StephenKing #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
For many young readers, when the last page of Goosebumps is turned, the first chapter of Pet Sematary begins, and a world of terror crafted by Stephen King is revealed. His novels are as fascinating as his life, and in this ultimate illustrated guidebook, young readers explore the cultural phenomenon and legacy of the King of Horror.
From scare-seeking child to impoverished university student to struggling schoolteacher to one of the best-selling—and most recognizable—authors of all time, this engrossing book reveals the evolution and influences of Stephen King’s body of work over his nearly 50-year career, and how the themes of his writing reflect the changing times and events within his life.
With tons of photos, approachable bite-size sections, and gripping details to captivate young readers, the book features:
- An extensive look into Stephen King’s books, short stories, writings, movies, series, and other adaptations ideal for the young reader to review.
- Exclusive memorabilia from Stephen King, including personal and professional correspondences, handwritten manuscript pages, book covers, movie stills, and a never-before-seen excerpts from his poems.
- Personal insights and observations such as real-life settings that inspired King’s writing, the editor who discovered him, his life as a Boston Red Sox fan, and the many awards and honors he has received.
- Motivating quotes from King from interviews over the decades.
“My childhood was pretty ordinary, except from a very early age I wanted to be scared…there was a radio program at the time called Dimension X, and my mother didn’t want me to listen to that because she felt it was too scary for me, so I would creep out of bed and go to the bedroom door and crack it open. And she loved it, so apparently, I got it from her, but I would listen at the door and then when the program was over, I’d go back to bed and quake.” —Stephen King
Young adults will covet this comprehensive yet accessible reference to their favorite horror author.
Available Editions
EDITION | Other Format |
ISBN | 9780760387726 |
PRICE | US$16.99 (USD) |
PAGES | 192 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
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This was a pretty thorough look at all of Stephen King books and I couldn’t stop reading. It was nice to read about his current works as well as how his career began. Also nice to learn about his own books provided clarity about his own life and were instrumental in helping him heal from painful events. I always enjoy reading about Stephen King. Definitely an informative book that I would recommend to anyone who is a Stephen King fan.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.
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A must have for every Stephen King lover! Although designed for young readers, adult King fans will want to devour this too! Filled with info, photos, quotes, and the essence of King's writing and life. Highly recommended!
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This book is a brilliant read and a must-read for Stephen King fans. He is decidedly the king of horror. The book talks about his journey, childhood, struggles, influences, success and works. His story is so well narrated that it's unputdownable. The pictures are like cherries on the top. The book aptly describes what he went through while creating the magic that he presented to us, over the years. I hope to revisit this book a decade later; I am certain I will enjoy it as much as I did this time--or perhaps even more. Ben narrates, "Some people believe it is possible to learn about a writer through a careful reading of his or her work, others think a writer’s work is best understood by knowing the details and circumstances of that person's life. Which way does the mirror point or does it work in both directions." I think it works in both directions. Having a background of his life and journey has inspired me to read his books and I am sure I will relate his works with stories from his life.
My thanks to Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy.
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This is a great book for Stephen King fans, I really enjoyed reading all about the process/what was going on in Kings life around the writing of each book. My only criticism is that for some of the book descriptions too much information is given away, fine is you've already read the book but if you were using the book.to navigate your way through and decide which King books to read then some descriptions would spoil the book a bit.
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This may be targeted for younger readers but I think any Stephen King fan would love to add this to their collection. The photos and Stephen King's history were very enjoyable to read.
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I love Stephen King and this book is a must read for all Stephen King fans!
I loved the pictures and how the book was laid out, this novel was packed with interesting facts that I did not know! It keeps the reader gripped to the book without dragging the information out which I find with some Non Fiction books they tend to get a bit boring, however, this book is definitely far from boring, it’s an eye opener and it’s extremely inspirational
5 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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This was very insightful! I am planning to read Stephen King's books, and this was like a guide. It's like a biographical record. There were stories about him I never knew, but now reading about him has given me a different perspective.
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If this is not one of the best books written about King and his influences, then I know nothing about storytelling.
The book captures the essence of King’s writing very well.
I must admit that I grew to like King mostly after my mid 20s, unlike many readers who had been fans since they were teens. I suppose I found more his stories that appealed to me later and the ones I read in my teens were not my cup of tea. I have realised how much I like King’s writing, his approach to life and storytelling more with this book. It was nice learn of certain details such as King’s interest in poetry.
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This books is aimed at younger readers but - being in my late 40s - I also enjoyed it tremendously. I‘ve been a King fan for 30 years so reading up on one of my favourite authors was great. I already knew a lot beforehand but I still learned something new from this book.
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Although written for young readers, Stephen King fans of all ages will find much to enjoy about this book. It takes you back to King's early childhood, a time when he first realized he enjoyed being frightened, and takes us through his life and career with an interesting look at his books and adaptations of them at the end. While I'm not a regular reader of King, I mean, I don't like being scared, I know I was astonished to see it all in one place, in order, of his writings. Heck, the author even mentions some of King's college aged, more or less, poetry, as well as his various collaborations throughout the years. There are lots and lots of photos, too, not just of King but of his book covers and some of the memorable movie scenes adapted from his work, including two of my favorites, "Stand By Me" (from "The Body") and "The Green Miles" with Tom Hanks. I'm not sure I even knew he was responsible for "Shawshank Redemption" so, well, make that three of my favorites.
In any case, if you want to know where King was in both his life and, so to speak, his head at the time of his multitude of writings, you'll find this book fascinating. I know I did. It was all quite fascinating. I'll also note that while it doesn't delve into the troubled areas of his life, it doesn't sugar-coat it, either, making for genuinely revealing information. I really came to appreciate his wife, too, throughout the story. Most know the story of how she,Tabitha/Tabby (whose photo is shared), rescued his first major hit, "Carrie" from the trash, we also learn how it eventually found a publisher. And, oh, we also learn that while "Carrie" made King famous, he'd also been writing for some twenty years and been published, just not to acclaim. And, and, and....so much more.
The author does an excellent job not only delving into King's life but connecting life experiences that sparked ideas and even made their way into various novels over the years. You'll definitely come away with a new, improved idea of what is in each and how it came to be, not to mention reminded that despite his prolific ability to write book after book, King never found it easy. That's a good reminder for aspiring writers. Nope, it isn't easy. And, oh, speaking of the writing process, one of my personal favorite books by King, his "On Writing", came about after the accident that came close to taking his life. Details of that are in the book.
Bottom line, if you're a fan or simply curious about Stephen King and his books/writing process, this is an excellent start. Not only are there great photos but the author gives us a selected bibliography and end notes and the appendix is broken down to include books and adaptations. Seeing that lengthy list written down in one place is impressive, at least it was to me. Thanks #QuartoPublishingGroup and #becker&meyer / #becker&meyerKids for sharing this early, fun look into Stephen King's life and work. I had no idea. I'm feeling the urge to go back and reread some of those books now that I know more about where they came from.
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A must for Stephen King fans or those interested in learning about him! I have several students that are interested in mysteries and thrillers.
I was given the opportunity to read this by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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As a Stephen King lover this book called out to me with a very high pitch. I couldn't resist. This book is a great exposé of the masters life. Getting to know him more like this actually explains somethings when reading his books. I highly recommend this book for avid fans of Stephen King.
Thank you to Netgalley, publisher and author for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Great to see a book about a horror author aimed at kids. Lots of info, so more for middle grade and up. Nicely presented.
As one of my favourite authors, it was enjoyable to share this with my kids.
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Thank you to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group – becker & mayer!, becker&mayer! kids, and Bev Vincent for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is THE perfect Stephen King biography. While I am not the biggest fan of nonfiction or Stephen King, he is my husband's favorite writer, I have read a few of his works, and I am an educator.
My findings are that this book is perfect for research projects or King lovers. It has everything, from his life experiences to his novel influences. The novel information runs in publication order, so it was fun to see iconic titles and leans about ones I hadn't heard of before. This biography comes with fun King-world interludes and photos from childhood and significant events.
King's life and influences are so intriguing and even unbelievable at times. I didn't know about the major accident he had, and reading that and the connections to his writing and the secrets he plays into his writing after was one of the most interesting things I learned about the iconic horror writer.
A brilliant biography.
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What a great comprehensive compendium of Stephen King's writing!
On Writing is one of my favorite books of all time so when I first started reading Vincent's book, I was thinking, "Why would anyone read this when they could read On Writing?" But as I read, I began to really appreciate how Vincent wrote about the entirety of King's work. He described what inspired King to write many of his novels, how the novels crossed over with different references and characters, and particularly how King's life experiences and observations inspired the creation of many of his works.
I highly recommend this book for all fans of Stephen King. I also recommend it for readers who think they are not fans of Stephen King as well as they will see that while King is famous for writing horror, there are plenty of non-horror books to choose from; in fact they might serve as the gateway into a new appreciation and love for the Stephen King horror genre!
Thanks to #netgalley for the advanced reading copy.
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This is an excellent addition to my Stephen King book collection. I enjoyed reading about what was going on in the author’s life when each book was being written and how it impacted when it was completed and published. Lots of fun facts and photos as well.
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A very thorough examination of King's journey from teacher to best-selling author. This book was an easy read, broken down into small, easy to read segments. It was inspiring to see that even an author as prolific and sucessfuly as King had to go through trials before he reached the point where he is today.
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Being a Stephen King fan, I really enjoyed this. It features a variety of images and information that cover King's entire career, providing intriguing insights into his personal life as well as background information on his works. Although this title is primarily aimed at younger readers, any fan of Stephen King would be pleased to add it to their collection.
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