King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin
Stephen Costanza
This picture-book biography follows African American composer Scott Joplin from his childhood in the Texas Red River Valley to his work as a musician and composer. Raised in a musical family, he played cornet before encountering a piano and later left Texas as a young man. After hearing ragtime in Chicago, he taught piano in Missouri, performed at the Maple Leaf Club, studied composition, and wrote “Maple Leaf Rag.” Joplin went on to compose more ragtime pieces, operas, and ballets.
This book appears on 5 reading lists across 2 editions from 5 organizations.
