Who Was Gandhi?

Mrs. Rau's nonfiction books are a staple in my classroom. Most popular are her planet books and the big head biographies. This one is an incredible biography. SO many students love this book, but especially my students of Indian descent. I use this bio with Dr. King's biography and when teaching the Revolutionary War. Students are shocked to learn India was a British Colony and a massacre happened in India that was very similar to the Boston Massacre. A must have and suggest multiple copies.

These series are wonderful for my 9year old son. He finds them interesting and learns so much about the subject. They are a quick read but hold his attention and he can't wait to start another. Highly recommend.

My daughter loved reading it and would tell us random facts about Gandhi that I didn't even know. Written a an easy to follow format for young kids.

Kid read it in a day..she's 7 years old.. At first, I thought it was going to take her a lot longer, but she was able to read it from start to finish and seemed to enjoy it. i just wish the kindle edition wasn't so expensive..

Who Was ...? biography series for middle grade introduces Gandhi who was a global icon of peace and freedom, and the champion of an independent India. Mohandas Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India. His father was a political leader. At school, he was average and very shy. The books were his sole companions. After high school, he tried college, but found no interest in the lectures. A friend suggested studying law in England which was easier than in India. He spent three years in England, where he obtained law and in his loneliness learned a lot about himself. It set him on the path as a spiritual and political leader. Back in India, he was still too shy to lead cases in court, but then an opportunity came to work in South Africa. On his way there, he was mistreated only because he was Indian. In this injustice, he found his voice which led him to public speaking and fighting for equal rights. But he always used a peaceful way to stand up against unfairness. After twenty-one years in South Africa, he returned to India. During this time, he transformed from a shy, young lawyer to a well-known leader. In India, he wanted to change how the lowest caste, called untouchables, was treated. He met with some opposition, but he persisted. He cared for poor people by opening schools and giving advice to farmers. He spent some time in prison for urging others to resist British laws. As soon as he was out, he continued his work. He united the Indian people and spoke out in support of an independent India. On August 15, 1947, India became independent, but clashes between religious groups continued. During his lifetime, Gandhi went on many hunger strikes in order to unite people. Even after achieving country’s independence, he still had to go on those hunger strikes. This biography demonstrates a man who was so shy that he was forced to face unjust event in order to find his voice. And in his loneliness, he found spiritual meaning in life. I’m a huge fan of this series, but this biography feels a bit choppy as too much was put in one place and not enough in another, feeling rushed and underdeveloped.

I buy books from this series for my grandson. I love that he enjoys reading about "real" people. They are well illustrated and written well. As I have found most lower elementary levels lack sorrowfully in their biography sections, I have been delighted with this series.

Me and my kids love the "Who Was" and "Who Is" and "What Was" Collection. It's a great way for kids to learn about influential people like from our past and present in a fun way. Working towards getting the entire set, already have 38. Who ever thought of this idea and wrote these is simply Brilliant!!

Bought for my 4th grader. Easy read, very informative. I may have enjoyed it more than him.

Interesting

Gandhi's Life cannot be explained in a better form than this book. Amazing for every child and Parents and teachers to refresh them with Life and events of Mahatma Gandhi. Well researched and Illustrated. Can you Please bring more such Titles on Great Indian Leaders and Reformers. it will benefit thousands of Young readers and book lovers, Please consider my suggestion seriously

ce livre a ete envoyé a un petit anglais de 8 ans, cela lui permettra de faire une collection et de connaitre des grands personnages de notre monde

Nice compact, very accessible soft cover book with black and white art that captures the essence and defining episodes of Ghandi’s life very well. It may not be our 11-year old daughter’s favourite topic, but she loves history and this transports here to a different part of the world and conditions she is not very familiar with. She typically picks these books up and reads them in one go. Emerging as an expert on the topic afterward. Initially I was unimpressed with the books in this series as they are quite thin and the plain black and white illustrations do not provide it with the best presentation compared to many other brilliantly illustrated and colourful children’s history books. Yet, the story line is straightforward, quite readable and the books are overflowing with reasonable detailed information and facts. The books in this series include several box pages that step away from the narrative to explain more about a specific topic. In this case about Indian religion The British Raj, Indians in South Africa ect. I find these very educational and helpful to provide context. As such I would recommended this book and most in this series. By now we have built a small collection of these books, that at some stage will be picked up by our daughter’s younger brother as well.

Good