Description: Oprah Winfrey is one of the most famous people in the world and, with her huge media empire, one of the wealthiest and most influential. She has used this influence to make the world a better place. Her famous "Oprahs Angel Network" has been changing the lives of the underpriveleged for the better since 1998. In more recent years, she has raised millions for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and funded the opening of schools in Africa.
Review Quotes: This series purports to emphasize charity, but it does so with limited success. Lavigne, whose charitable work is largely through performances in fundraising concerts and auctions, is perhaps the biggest stretch. Duff has worked with USA Harvest and Blessings in a Backpack, but again the emphasis is on her career. Winfrey and Jolie are obvious candidates for this theme, and their biographies show their commitment to various social and governmental organizations within the context of their work as entertainers. Tim McGraw mentions the singer's work with Katrina relief briefly, but reads otherwise like a typical celebrity biography, including information on a run-in with police and a song that offended Native Americans. Sandler's work with 9/11 relief organizations, spinal cord injury groups, and the Chris Farley Foundation is covered, but the emphasis is on how much money his movies and comedy albums have made and on his appeal to fans versus critics. The standout title here is Oprah Winfrey., School Library Journal Fall 2010