August 1, 2013
Gr 5-8-Each of these books looks at the life of a U.S. president from his youth through the years of his presidency. The titles are well illustrated with photos and reproductions that offer significant detail and greatly enhance the presentations. The brief texts are accessible and contain enough information for standard reports. Teachers will be able to align these titles to Common Core Standards by asking students to argue whether or not the author makes his claim that these presidents were pivotal to our history. Classes can study the structure of each text and how the author builds an argument using quotes from primary sources. Lincoln, in particular, makes wonderful use of quotes. Solid choices for libraries looking to update their presidential biographies.-Esther Keller, I.S. 278, Brooklyn, NY
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