Darren Criss
Rising Stars
* Reviews *
Book review: Darren Criss
If youve got a student reading below middle-grade level who enjoys superstar profiles, the Rising Stars series presents a solid, if surface, glance at performers who might hold reader interest long enough to channel that interest into deeper works. The tall trim emulates a magazine, and the format is simple: two or three short sentences on the left, typically about career beginnings, highlights, and awards, and a full-page photo on the right, mostly captured at red-carpet or onstage venues. When other stars appear in the shots, they are usuallythough, frustratingly, not alwaysidentified with a bubble caption. Born in 1987, Darren Criss is the old man of this group, parlaying YouTube stardom into a fan-favorite role on Glee. Pics showcase various smiles, suits, and degrees of sweatiness. Light on substance? Sure. But books like these serve a purpose in any library, and the multicultural subjects showcased here will add to the series appeal.
Daniel Kraus, Booklist