Justin Bieber: Pop and R & B Idol

By: Nadia Higgins
Publisher: Lerner Classroom
Publication Date: October 2012
ISBN: 978-1467702959
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: October 2012

Many fans might think that Justin Bieber was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but in fact nothing could be further from the truth. His parents were quite young when Justin was born and there was very little money to go around. When Justin was a baby they split up and his mother Pattie suddenly found herself a single parent with very little money. As Justin recalled, “I didn’t have a real bed. I slept on a blue pull-out couch in my room.” There wasn’t very much in their fridge either. There was, however, something in abundance in their household and that was music.

The Bieber house was filled with music as the radio played and “musician friends from church [came] to jam at the house.” Justin began to sing and learned how to play several instruments. When he was twelve, it was a turning point in his life when he entered a local singing contest and became a young street musician. Pattie, who wanted to share his talent with friends and relatives, started placing videos of his performances on YouTube. They weren’t the only ones who were watching. Scooter Braun had his eye on Justin and soon things would start to move forward ... very rapidly.

There aren’t many fourteen-year-old kids who are destined to become overnight sensations, but Justin was. He “signed a deal with Scooter” and found himself working with Usher to hone his act. Pattie and Justin moved from Ontario to Atlanta where he “logged long hours in the recording studio.” In 2009 four singles were released, all of which became hits. Justin was on his way. In this book you will learn about his music, how success affected him, his “goofball” attitude, his friends, his siblings, problems he encountered with fame, his world tour, personal projects, and you learn many other fascinating aspects of Justin Bieber’s life.

This is a fascinating bio of Justin Bieber, a pop and R & B idol. Justin no doubt is a superstar that most teens and ‘tweens around the world are quite familiar with. This book offers the fan a lot of little extra things they would love to know about their teen idol. For example, Justin “has a random love of Band-Aids and wears them just for kicks.” The layout of the book is fun and vibrant with loads of full-color photographs and sidebars that add a little extra zing to the book. For example, one says that “Justin went to a school where everything was taught in French. To this day, he speaks the language fluently.” In the back of the book is an index, source notes, and additional book and website resources to explore.

Quill says: If you want to find out about heartthrob Justin Bieber, you're going to love reading this book!