Lang Lang

September 1, 2008
Gr 6-9-Winning his first piano competition in his native China at age five, Lang Lang had only one thought in mind from the beginning: to be "Number One." While his accolades have been many, his trials have been equally numerous, for he was forced to spend most of his childhood away from his kind and loving mother and under the ever-watchful eye of his strict father. He suffered tremendous homesickness and had to learn to cope with situations far beyond those normal for his chronological age in order to realize his dream of being an internationally known pianist on the classical circuit. This boy wonder explains his life as the pampered only child of parents who placed all of their hopes in him. His father definitely went over the edge, at one point even begging his 10-year-old son to overdose on pills because he had "lost face"a part of the story that is sure to horrify readers. The book includes a glossary of Western composers with Lang Lang's personal commentary about their strengths and styles. Much like Li Cunxin's "Mao's Last Dancer" (Walker, 2008), this is the story of a young man determined to make something of himself, not only for his own sake, but also for the sake of his family. However, unlike the former, which places the personal story within the political context of Maoist China, "Lang Lang" is a totally personal tale. Nevertheless, because of the youthfulness of the author, his autobiography could serve as an additional purchase for libraries building modern-biography and/or Chinese-culture collections."Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, LaSalle Academy, Providence, RI"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2008
Although he is only 26, Chinese-born Langis recognized as one of the worlds most accomplished classical pianists. This smoothly paced, often rivetingly candid autobiography, written with MichaelFrench, follows the musicianthrough his first encounters with the keyboardandgrueling training to histriumphant debut concerts with the Chicago Symphony. The musician addresses the intense pressures he experienced in full detail, and he vividly recounts his turbulent relationship with his father, whose inflexible expectation that his son be the number one pianist in all of China. And then all the world led to incidents of abuse and violence. Throughout, Lang honors the mentors who helped him develop his remarkable gift, and his revealing, humble account may inspire readers not only to apply themselves to their own talents but also to approach music with the openhearted passion thatLang writes about so convincingly. A map of China and a time line help round out this strong autobiography. Older readers might also be interested in Lang and David Ritzs adult book, Journey of a Thousand Miles, reviewed on p.32(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2009
The superstar pianist chronicles his childhood and adolescence. His writing style is easygoing, but Lang Lang is also honest about the hard work and sacrifice a music career demands, in addition to being frank about his relationship with his bullying, hard-driving father. It's a compelling and enthusiastic self-portrait, accompanied by an insert of photos and list of "vital statistics." Timeline. Glos.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2008
Based on and published concurrently with his autobiography for adults, Journey of a Thousand Miles, the superstar pianist here chronicles his childhood and adolescence, climaxing with his breakthrough performance at the Ravinia Festival in 1999 at the age of seventeen. The style is easygoing, but the book is honest about the hard work and sacrifice a music career demands, especially when the musician's goal is to be "number one": "Being number one was a goal that would come to give my life meaning, and provide great lessons when I fell far short." Lang Lang is frank about his relationship with his hard-driving father, whose bullying could extend to hysterical rage -- once, when ten-year-old Lang Lang was late for practice, his father tried to force him to commit suicide ("Swallow all thirty pills right now and you will die!"). At the same time, Lang Lang comes to rely upon his father's pat on the back before the all-important competitions, each of which he usually won. It's a compelling and enthusiastic self-portrait, and is accompanied by an insert of photos and list of "vital statistics and some of his favorite things."

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)