Gal Gadot: Soldier, Model, Wonder Woman

by Jill Sherman

Overview

In 2017 the movie Wonder Woman became a box-office hit, breaking records and earning hundreds of millions of dollars. Israeli actor Gal Gadot played Wonder Woman—a fierce and compassionate Amazonian warrior. Prior to her time in the spotlight, Gadot served in the Israeli military, won a Miss Israel pageant, and studied to be a lawyer. When Gadot began acting, she wanted to play strong, independent women. She hopes to be a role model for her daughters as well as an inspiration to both women and men around the world. Follow Gadot's story from an average childhood in a small town in Israel to the role of a lifetime as Wonder Woman.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541523586
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/01/2018
Series:	Gateway Biographies Series
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jill Sherman writes fiction and nonfiction books for young readers. She started out her career in publishing as an editor, but soon discovered that her real joy was in writing. She has written dozens of books for young people, including fiction works, as well as news and magazine articles for print and digital publications. She thoroughly enjoys researching new topics to provide young readers with the best information that they can use in their own studies. Jill lives and writes in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

"Readers looking for information about Wonder Woman and Gadot will find this a timely and very positive account of the actress' life."—Booklist

From the Publisher

02/01/2018
Gr 4–7—Well-designed biographies of two contemporary figures in U.S. culture. Doeden effectively captures the widespread admiration of John Lewis. The narrative details several stages of the congressman's life with reverence, making for an empowering read. However, there are a number of small but notable errors in the text, the most glaring of which is the statement that Emmett Till was "killed for innocently flirting with a white woman." Gal Gadot chronicles the actress's long path to stardom, laying out the many roles she did and didn't secure on her way to Wonder Woman. Sherman often samples quotes from Gadot's interviews, particularly when it comes to her service in the Israel Defense Forces. There is no mention of Palestine in the book. The popularity of the subjects alone will warrant consideration of these materials; still, librarians may want to wait for more thorough volumes.

School Library Journal

2018-02-04
Some authors would find it a challenge to write an entire book about an actress who's played only one really big role, but Sherman makes a case that Gal Gadot has spent her whole life preparing to play Wonder Woman.Gadot's parents taught her to be confident. When she was 3, she sneaked into their rooftop party, late at night, and when no one paid attention to her, she started spraying the guests with water. At 20, she trained soldiers in the Israeli military. And when she became Miss Israel, as a teenager, she felt uncomfortable with the role and often refused to wear the makeup and gowns required of a Miss Universe contestant, showing up at many events in casual outfits. If these details aren't genuinely heroic, the book frames them to sound like an origin story. It makes her sound assured and rebellious, two of the main requirements for a superheroine. But when the biography isn't talking about Wonder Woman, it sometimes feels padded. It indulges in plot summaries of some of the movies she's appeared in, and there's a description of the hotel she ran with her husband that reads like promotional copy: "Guests appreciate the quiet privacy as well as the views of the nearby Mediterranean Sea." But there is a fair amount of information about her audition for the role of Wonder Woman, which is what kids really want.If Gadot is less of a heroine than the character she portrays, this book may convince readers she's close enough. (Biography. 6-12)

Kirkus Reviews