April 1, 2009
Gr 2-5-If your library needs a full set of presidential biographies, this is a decent choice. The profusion of color and black-and-white pictures will give students a leg up on the old dress up as a president and give a short report assignment, and the brief declarative sentences keep the books within the reach of most first chapter-book readers. The texts are a bit choppy, and pronoun antecedents sometimes suffer along the way, but the strong layout keeps each title interesting. Thats saying something, especially when it comes to those hard-to-remember 19th-century presidents such as Tyler, Taylor, Polk, and Pierce. Pages and pages of facts about the presidency (qualifications, benefits, line of succession, etc.) plus a full list of the men and their terms pad each volume.
Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
March 15, 2009
Grades 1-4 A spate of biographies about the life of Barack Obama have been published in the past two years, including this simple, approachable entry in the United States Presidents series. Wheeler gives an overall glimpse of Obamas life from childhood to the presidency, beginning with a brief introduction, a time line of major events, and a quick Did You Know? page. Following are two-page chapters with photographs that guide the reader through Obamas life. The end piece of the book offers information about the three branches of the U.S. government, the office of the president, the line of succession to the presidency, and benefits to holding the office. Included is a list of all of the U.S. presidents, their political affiliations, dates of their service, and the names of the vice-presidents who served with each. A glossary, with pronunciations as needed; a link to the publishers Web site that leads to other Web sites about the president; a table of contents; and an index are included.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)
July 1, 2009
Broad overviews of each president's early life, aspirations, political challenges, and triumphs are packed into these brief, easy-to-read texts augmented with sidebars, illustrations, and photographs. Highlights of each administration are placed within the context of American and world history. Each volume concludes with the same general information about the presidency, branches of government, and the electoral college. Timeline. Glos., ind.
(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)