John's Secret Dreams: The John Lennon Story

by Doreen Rappaport, Bryan Collier (Illustrator)

John Lennon's influence on music and culture is legendary. From a young age he dreamed of fame and fortune. When he achieved it as one of the Beatles, he recognized the need for a deeper meaning in life. His inner search for happiness shaped his life and brought new dimension to the world of rock 'n' roll.



As a follow-up to their award-winning title, Martin's Big Words, Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier present John Lennon's life through a combination of narrative and song lyrics, cut-paper collage and watercolor art-capturing the energy and the essence of a man whose vision and creative genius continue to inspire people today.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Music, Nonfiction, Childrens, History, Juvenile

48 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Doreen Rappaport has written many books of fiction and nonfiction for young readers, specializing in thoroughly researched multicultural history, historical fiction, retellings of folktales and myths, and stories of those she calls the "not-yet-celebrated." Among her recent books is Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, which received a Caldecott Honor Award and a Coretta Scott King Honor Award for illustration. Doreen Rappaport divides her time between New York City and a rural village in upstate New York.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice introduction to John Lennon that uses his lyrics when telling his story - art is beautiful and really fits well with the tone of the book. It took me some time to really get into Lennon's music - I guess I was still really hung up on what I wished could have been if things just stayed the way they were. A wonderful look at this giant of pop-culture.

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful introduction to John Lennon and the Beattles for kids who have never heard of them or wonder what they are about. Part of my niece and nephew is there musical education and they can name all 4 members of the band and songs too.

I thought the art was amazing and it fit so well with the story being told. I thought the poetry used to tell the story mixed with lyrics from songs worked so well together.

I think John truly wanted Peace and worked very hard to bring about his dream of a world lived in peace. John is such an interesting character and I didn't know about his childhood. As an adult, I usually learn something from these books too.

The kids enjoyed this book and my niece is a budding artist and she got into the artwork.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a young teen, I was a “Paul girl”, to quote from the wonderful Anna Quindlen, and I suppose I’m still a Paul fan: How could I not love a vegetarian and it’s a McCartney song that touches me most (The Long and Winding Road), but during my adulthood I’ve definitely been a John woman too. I’ve always liked his complexity and admired some of his outlook.

I found this to be an interesting biography, told partly via his song lyrics.

The illustrations are spectacular.

The information in the back is incomplete (re Beatles records in particular but) adds a great deal to the story. The important dates section adds a lot more information.

Somehow, though, this felt like a shell of a biography. I do think it’s a good introduction to John’s life, and the Beatles music and the Beatles. And, though this book wasn’t alone in this, I saw a window into what attracted John to Yoko. Most importantly, it’s a wonderful book for kids who feel unsupported in any way and who need to find within themselves motivation to follow their dreams. Even if kids read this seeing John as just anyone, not the celebrity, not the real man, they could get a great deal from this story.

I really appreciated the author’s and illustrator’s notes at the beginning of the book. I found it fascinating what they said about what John’s life and music meant to them; they came to it from very different perspectives, both interesting.

[Vrinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

John’s Secret Dreams: The Life of John Lennon is biographical book intended for Intermediate (I) readers. It is the telling of the many facets of Lennon's life from a very young age to the end of his short life. It talks about the influences and motivations for his music and explains some of the stories behind the lyrics to a few of his famous songs. There is not a clear plot in this book, but the biographical approach about what John Lennon went through creates the feeling of a plot to some extent. There are many characters involved in Lennon's life from his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George whom raised John for a large portion of his childhood to all the members of the Beatles band including Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. But ultimately the most influential person in John's life was Yoko Ono who filled a major void in John's life that was empty despite his huge success as a world famous musician.

There are a range of illustrations in this book, to include: cities, people, record discs, guitars, concerts, fans, the band, and images depicting the various songs recorded by Lennon. Various colors are used in the illustrations but none overly bright. Every color shade is of a medium tone. The text is easy to read and flows smoothly. There are some portions where it is hard to follow the direction of the text to know what to read next since there is text in the illustrations showing the lyrics from Lennon's songs. Nonetheless, author Doreen Rappaport, does a great job keeping the life of such an extraordinary person simple and easy to digest while including the major crossroads of Lennon’s life in perspective to his impact on the world.

I would definitely read this book in the classroom to the students because John Lennon made a huge impact on the world through his music. His music with the Beatles and as a solo artist crossed racial boundaries, international boundaries, and personal boundaries. It is important for children who live in today’s society, bombarded continuously by technology and advertisements of social media, to be able to read about someone who expressed his individuality and made an impact on humanity at large.

[Emily]

1. When John Lennon was a boy, he got sent away to live with his Aunt and Uncle. He dreamed of being an artist but had to keep it a secret. His Uncle finally gave him a banjo and was swept away with rock and roll. He met Paul McCartney and they formed a band. The Beatles were formed and Beatlmania swept the world. They changed music forever. Soon John left the Beatles and married Yoko Ono where they started holding events and writing songs for peace. He dreamed of his future until one day he was shot at the age 40 so now it is our turn to live out these lives of peace.

2. This was a beautifully written and illustrated story to show the life of John Lennon who changed the face of rock 'n' roll music. It was inspirational because after all of the hardship John faced as a kid, he never gave up on his dream of playing music. Each page also has a lyric from one of the songs that the Beatles sang which greatly adds to the story because the reader can see what kind of music he was writing.

3. https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-famo... This article tells stories of 9 famous people who never gave up on their dreams and that's the reason they are where they are.

"Stephen Curry: The Children's Book: The Boy who Never Gave up" by Anthony Curcio tells the story of how Stephen Curry was told he was too short to play basketball but never gave up on his dreams and is now one of the greatest basketball players ever in the NBA.

4. "John went to art school, but all he dreamed of was rock 'n' roll. Aunt Mimi told him he could never make a living as a guitarist."

This book could be used as an anchor text for having students write about what they want to do when they grow up and what their dreams are.

[Heathergross23]

I thought this book was so cool. The way the author told the story using lyrics from John Lennon and the Beatles' songs was really effective. The lyrics mirrored whatever the author had said on that particular page and reinforced the story. The illustrations were radical and very fitting to be paired with a story about a Beatle. Though the story is not an official biography, it gives a lot of information about Lennon in a good story that kids would be able to follow. The story is simple and is almost in a list-like form, which I normally wouldn't like, but for this book it seemed to work. The lyrics and illustrations aided the simple story in making it sort of come to life. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a different approach to telling a non-fiction story and I thought it did a good job of engaging the reader.

[(NS) Panagiota Angelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Lennon's influence on music and culture is legendary. He was a rebel, a genius, an innovator, and a peace activist. From a young age he dreamed of fame and fortune. When he achieved it as one of the Beatles, he recognized the need for a deeper meaning in life. His inner search for happiness shaped his life and brought new dimension to the world of rock 'n' roll. As a follow-up to their award-winning title, Martin's Big Words, Doreen Rappaport and Bryan Collier present John Lennon's life through a combination of narrative and song lyrics, cut-paper collage and watercolor art-capturing the energy and the essence of a man whose vision and creative genius continue to inspire people today. (Goodreads Review)

[Ashley Hilton]

John Lennon had dreamed of being a famous star since he was a kid. When he hit his goal as being a beetle he decided to search for a deeper meaning in life. He brought new styles to rock and shaped his life while he was searching for that deeper meaning. His life his explained through collages, water color, stories and lyrics. This can be very inspiring to the students in the class. They can learn to follow their dreams. Students need to know that the sky is the limit. They just need to work toward it. It would be good for students to make an outline of what they would like their life to be like. After they do this they would write a list of things they need to do to work towards their goals.

[David Bauer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book. John Lennon and the Beatles are such an inspiration in music to many age groups. The author (Doreen Rappaport) does an excellent job with the way the book flows i feel. It flows like a poem or song and that is relevant given who the book is written about. I was most drawn in and connected to the autobiography when Rappaport focused on the song lyrics because John Lennons lyrics speak to me very well. She has great use of the pictures throught the autobiography. I will carry with me the experiences of John Lennons life and the background of musical history i learned while reading about this creative artist. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is the slightest fan of the beatles and even to those who want to explore the life of a musical legend.

[Brittany Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be a great way to get students to learn more about John Lennon and his life. I really like how some of The Beatles song lyrics are printed on each page. I think this book presents a lot of mature topics that may be hard for younger children, seeing as it touches on drugs and such. My favorite part of this book was the last page, that simply had the chorus of John's famous song "Imagine," it was a powerful ending which stood out to me as representing what John Lennon really stood for and dreamed.

[Mackenzie Ness · Rating 5 out of 5]

John's Secret Dreams is a biography about the famously known Beatles singer John Lennon. From a very young age John had always dreamed of fame and fortune, and this story shows how he reached that dream. “I like to write about me, because I know about me.” Through out the story Rappaport uses Lennon’s story and song lyrics to express his search for inner happiness and the need to learn the true deeper meaning of life. Lennon was known for being a peace activist and his genius lyrics.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

John's Secret Dreams is creative portrayal of John Lennon's life through biographical narrative, lyrics inspired by events in his life, and beautiful portraits embodying the spirit of the time. Much of the subject matter is meant for an older audience, but the overall message is great, especially for teaching expressive and reflective writing. The overarching theme of peace and love is also seamlessly intertwined throughout Lennon's story.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving tribute to John Lennon, beautifully put together. Not sure how much it speaks to kids per se -- it reads like a love poem/ode to John's work and life goals/process. I gave it to my daughter and when she saw how much my partner and I like it, she gifted it to us with sweet generosity -- "here moms, you should have this because you like it so much."

[Jess Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative writing style coupled with amazing illustrations make for an excellent children's biography of John Lennon. Quotes by Lennon, as well as lyric excerpts are included throughout. I had the opportunity to meet the author, Doreen Rappaport several years ago, and know she puts extensive research into all of her works. It's evident in this book, as with all her others.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a wonderful, short book with great illustrations to read quickly. I have always been a big John Lennon and Beatles fan, so I naturally decided to read this over the other Doreen Rappaport books. Before reading I did not expect such abstract and colorful illustrations, but they (along with the short, but informative text) made the book great!

[Melissa Housholder · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. The author and illustrator did a wonderful job telling the condensed version of John Lennon's story. I love that lyrics from his songs were included throughout the pages. I would not recommend this book for very young children as it briefly discusses drugs, divorce and murder.

[Christa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My post-generational love of John Lennon definitely stems from my mother. From The Beatles to 'Imagine', I have had a slow free fall into love of Lennon. I have read many biographies and watch numerous documentaries, but this is by far one of my favorite depictions of Lennon's life. It is a treasure that feels like new every time I pick it up.

[Shelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beatles fans will love sharing this beautifully illustrated mini-picture book biography of John Lennon with their children. The narrative and multi-media images are woven charmingly together with Beatles lyrics and there is an interesting forward written by both the author and the illustrator describing their approach to creating this work.

[Annelise Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great nonfiction picture book by Doreen Rappaport. I love John Lennon and was impressed with the dreamlike style of words and art so attached to the Beatles. I had to buy it for my coffee table.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the text and the illustrations. A great way to introduce an incredible song writer for kids.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

picture reading this outside. high. but not really.

[Victoria Griffith]

I thought this book was a little heavy for kids....

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't wait to buy this book for my future children.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely and interesting illustrations paired with biographical poetry. Got a bit teary eyed at the end. Good book for upper elementary kids.

[Chloey Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

The life of infamous John Lennon is displayed from the age of around sick to his untimely death around age forty. Constantly told he will never be good enough by his aunt and mother, John almost never went into music. But, despite everything they said he decided to let his fuel his fire and made him try even harder to make a living playing the guitar. John became a member of the famous Beetle's group and felt on top of the world. Years later he began to become unhappy and quite the band, divorced, and married a singer named Yoko. They always imagined growing old together and never being separated by a tragic day.
The illustrations and color in the story are unusual. The illustrations are a little scattered and don't relate to the text presented. It is thought the graphics displayed may be a representation of what is going through John's mind. In his era, being laid back and living the "hippie" life style was more popular. The crazy, images may be hallucinations of the famous guitarist or simply to represent how his mind worked. Either way, the jumble of textures, colors, and images made it a little difficult to focus and get meaning from the text presented.
Throughout the story lyrics from various Beetle's songs are thrown in. Often the lyric has to do with what was being discussed on the page which allowed the reader to make a connection with the artist. In some scenarios the lyrics slid right in between paragraphs as if meant to be the sentence between and the lyric often flowed well with the other text. A clever addition made by Doreen Rappaport.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just re-read this book and found it better than ever. It's a biography of John Lennon spun through his song lyrics. The illustrations are the most wonderful collages that are as fascinating as the lyrics and the story. This book is for intermediate students and up. It isn't for elementary students. So much can be done with this outstanding books and with its format. What wonderful discussions you can have with your kids! I'm going to use it in a presentation I am giving in another month, and the ideas and pinging around in my head right now. One of our senior AP-English teachers loved it when I used it in a presentation to our teachers several years ago, and she took it and ran with it. She got our district Secondary Teacher of the Year, and I just know it was because of her cleverness with books like this. LOL!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rappaport and Collier did a wonderful job conveying John Lennon's story with their words and illustrations. That said, I had hoped for a little more "and the world will live as one" and a little less "help me if you can I'm feeling down." I appreciate that the author did not compromise the story by making Lennon's life out to be something it was not, like, for example, happy. But ultimately, for me, while "John's Secret Dreams" was beautiful and informative, it was also more than a little depressing.

[BillyAnn Stempel]

This book is a biography of John Lennon's life as a musician. It talks about how the Beatles formed and how they came to America and became famous.

Illustrations are paintings and collage

I really enjoyed the art work of this book. It is really stunning. I feel the book reaches all ages of readers. This seems like a book that would be a fun read rather than a classroom piece.

[Robert Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, if convoluted portrait of John Lennon. As with all of Doreen Rappaport's picture books, the illustrations take center stage. She benefits greatly from being able to associate with superb artists who contribute to create astonishingly beautiful books.

[Margar Ramone · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love it! Its one of my favorite books about my favorite people