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Catherine Johnson celebrates the incredible life of Josephine Baker in this "superb autobiography" (Guardian), chronicling her journey from an impoverished childhood to beloved actress, dancer and wartime heroine.
Dancer, singer, actress, movie star, civil-rights activist - Josephine Baker was a phenomenon!
Overcoming the poverty and abuse of her childhood in a segregated America, Josephine grew up to become one of the biggest stars of the early twentieth century, particularly adored in her adopted country of France. She used her connections to help the Resistance in their fight against the Nazis during the Second World War and later became involved with Martin Luther King Jr and the civil rights movement in the US.
Controversial and outspoken, she is an iconic historical figure and Catherine Johnson brings her story vividly to life for a young audience in this enthralling piece of narrative non-fiction.
Particularly suitable for readers aged 9+ with a reading age of 8.
About the author
Catherine Johnson is a screenwriter and bestselling author of several books for children and young adults. Shortlisted for the 2020 UKLA Book Awards,
Race to the Frozen North is a perennial bestseller with sales of over 40,000 to date. Her acclaimed novel
Sawbones won the Young Quills Award for Historical Fiction, and
The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal and the YA Book Prize. Catherine is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Report
"In instantly involving first-person prose, Johnson tells the true story of Josephine Baker, from her poor childhood in segregated Missouri to her work for the French resistance, her civil rights activism and her meteoric rise as a performer. This superb 9+ "autobiography", from dyslexia-friendly publishers Barrington Stoke, is super-readable in every sense." - The Guardian
"A dazzlingly readable biography of the inimitable Josephine Baker. Dancer, singer, actress, movie star, civil-rights activist - Baker really did defy all expectations and norms and Johnson's wonderful book explores her extraordinary life in an accessible and enlightening way." - Big Issue
"What an astounding life Josephine Baker lived, how filled with adventure, drama, joy and sadness. And somehow Catherine Johnson manages to cram all of that glory into a hundred pages, showing why she is one of the finest writers for young people we have. The book (and the life) is elegant, graceful and truly inspiring." - Anthony McGowan
"Fluent, vivid and immersive story telling. I read it in one take." - Hilary McKay
"Delivered in a stirring first-person voice, Catherine Johnson's Dance of Resistance does dazzling justice to its subject ... Johnson integrates shifting global socio-political landscapes brilliantly, with a clarity readers of 9+ will relate to. Indeed, Dance of Resistance is wonderfully accessible and infectiously inspirational as it evokes Josephine's joie de vivre, determination and courage." - LoveReading4Kids
"Who could ever condense all of the harshness, the glitter, the luxury, the complexity, controversy and courage of Josephine Baker's life into one slim novella? You now have your answer ... readers are going to come to the end of this novella feeling like they have experienced the breadth and the proportions and the wealth of an epic novel." - Letterbox Library
