Description: And the contestant going home is . . . Jennifer Hudson! Standing on the AMERICAN IDOL stage, a shocked Hudson found out she had been voted off the famed singing competition. But unlike many IDOL contestants whose musical dreams end on that stage, Jennifer Hudson was just getting started. Her rapid rise to superstardom saw her win an Academy Award and a Grammy Award in only a few years. Author John Micklos, Jr., explores the life of this multi-talented music idol.
Review Quotes: When a series is titled African-American Icons, many parents, teachers, and librarians might hope it is filled with volumes about doctors, lawyers, teachers, or scientists. This one is not. Instead, each book is devoted to an entertainer (i.e., Beyonce, Jay-Z, Sean Combs, Chris Rock, Tyler Perry, and Jennifer Hudson). Like celebrities who came before them, most of these performers report a moment during childhood when a particular talent surfaced and surprised family members, whether it was a comedic flare for describing ordinary events (Chris Rock) or being one of the youngest members in a choir given a solo (Jennifer Hudson). Each icon used natural talent, hard work, and big breaks to climb to the top. The books do not focus solely on triumphs; they are also filled with details about trials, including Jennifer Hudson's family tragedy and Sean Combs' close contact with the law.