The Good Neighbor: The Life & Work of Fred Rogers

The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers

By Maxwell King

Audiobook Narrated by: LeVar Burton 

Published September 4, 2018

Length 14 hrs and 7 minutes 

My review 4 stars out of 5

I read this book to complete a prompt in the Story Graph Genre Challenge: a biography about someone you don't know much about. 

The definitive biography of Fred Rogers, children’s television pioneer and American cultural icon, an instant New York Times bestseller

Fred Rogers (1928–2003) was an enormously influential figure in the history of television. As the creator and star of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, he was a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness, fiercely devoted to children and taking their questions about the world seriously. The Good Neighbor is the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers.

Based on original interviews, oral histories, and archival documents, The Good Neighbor traces Rogers’s personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work. It includes his surprising decision to walk away from the show in 1976 to make television for adults, only to return to the neighborhood to help children face complex issues such as divorce, discipline, mistakes, anger, and competition. The Good Neighbor is the definitive portrait of a beloved figure.

I really enjoyed this look at the life of Fred Rogers, the man behind the character we all know as Mr. Rogers. It seems he really was this genuinely nice man. 

I loved seeing how he grew up, how he gained his education and got his start in television. Though his family came from money, and he was granted many opportunities, he never became a spoiled rich kid. I love that he used his musical abilities all his love to help others. 

This story delves into every part of his life. From when and where he was born, his childhood, and his eventual death. If you have the chance, grab the audiobook. It is read by LeVar Burton (of Reading Rainbow) so it really took me back to that time in my life where I watched Mr Rogers and then just stayed on the couch and listened to a story read to me by LeVar. It was a simpler time. 

We could all use a little more Mr Rogers in our life about now.