Bonnie and Clyde

 

A. Bibliographic Data

Blumenthal, Karen. 2018. BONNIE AND CLYDE: THE MAKING OF A LEGEND. Viking Books for Young  

  Readers. ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0451471229

B. Summary

Bonnie and Clyde may be the most notorious--and celebrated--outlaw couple America has ever known. This is the true story of how they got that way.

Bonnie and Clyde: we've been on a first name basis with them for almost a hundred years. Immortalized in movies, songs, and pop culture references, they are remembered mostly for their storied romance and tragic deaths. But what was life really like for Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in the early 1930s? How did two dirt-poor teens from west Texas morph from vicious outlaws to legendary couple? And why?

Award-winning author Karen Blumenthal devoted months to tracing the footsteps of Bonnie and Clyde, unearthing new information and debunking many persistent myths. The result is an impeccably researched, breathtaking nonfiction tale of love, car chases, kidnappings, and murder set against the backdrop of the Great Depression.

C. Critical Analysis 

 

I remember as a teenager watching a Bonnie and Clyde movie and it always stuck with me when they died everyone was trying to take things from their bodies and how they were just carried in front of everyone just dead in their car. It always stuck with me and finding this book gave me a chance to learn so much more about them. I enjoyed Karen Blumenthal’s writing, and you could tell she enjoyed her research of them. You get to read from the beginning of it for Clyde to growing up severely poor, and how it all started. Then you learn about Bonnie, and I find so many things about her story to be interesting from the fact she was married and still wearing his ring even though with Clyde. I really would love to ask questions because I wonder so many things like was, she just obsessed, did she not know how to leave, etc. I also think that they didn’t want to be such criminals but once they started down that path they couldn’t go back. Especially in the 1920’s I feel they knew they would be dead either way in the end. It was interesting to read how the family and friends all were in on it and didn’t want to give up the money coming to them either. I don’t want to give away much more but there are so many thoughts and questions I now have after reading this book and want to learn more. I feel that is a great sign of a book that stirs your emotions and intrigue. I would recommend this book to all ages.

D.  Book Reviews

"Blumenthal has written more than a crime narrative or a biography of the famous outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. The book presents a social and cultural snapshot of the duo’s times"
--School Library Journal

"Through her use of narrative nonfiction, Blumenthal builds a gripping story for readers of all ages. . .Blumenthal weaves her detailed account of history into a suspenseful tale that reads very much like a novel." --Voya

E. Connections

·         Karen Blumenthal's Discussion and Activity Guide is full of lesson ideas, recommendations for research topics, other books to read, photos, and much more.

·         Karen Blumenthal’s playlist recommendations- a great way to dig deeper into the era, cultural representation, and more.

·         Cultural Representation Lesson Ideas

·         Nonfiction Read and Respond Multi- Leveled Lessons

·         Story Map Multi-leveled Lesson