Hillary Rodham Clinton

October 19, 2015
Chronicling the life of the notoriously impenetrable Clinton has challenged many biographers; writing a version for middle-grade readers that describes and interprets the moments that led to her becoming the First Lady, a U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State is even tougher, because so much of Clinton’s story is about her troubled marriage, thwarted ambitions, and political infighting with Republicans. Levinson (Watch Out for Flying Kids!), a classmate at Wellesley, succeeds in being even-handed while taking a mile-wide, inch-deep approach. She briefly recapitulates some of the scandals (Whitewater, Monica Lewinsky, Benghazi) that have made Clinton a polarizing figure in American politics, but the unifying theme is the presidential hopeful’s life of service: the subtitle refers to a Methodist ethos that Clinton has subscribed to her entire life, beginning with buying a first communion dress for a migrant worker’s daughter and continuing to the gauntlet she threw down in China in 1995, when she declared that “Women’s rights are human rights.” A time line, source notes, and an eight-page photo insert are included. Ages 8–12. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

November 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-This comprehensive, well-documented account of Hillary Clinton's life and public service begins with her Chicago childhood and ends with the early days of her current presidential candidacy. The book draws on many sources, especially the politician's own accounts of her life, to describe how Clinton's desire to "do all the good you can" has guided her beliefs, choices, and actions. The author is admiring of Clinton, praising her many accomplishments and framing some of Clinton's mistakes as the result of her drive to "do good" and achieve her personal and public policy goals. Levinson is critical of Clinton's vote to authorize the war in Iraq but is more understanding of some of her missteps and occasionally blames politics as the motivation for those who criticized or opposed her. Clinton's life has been covered in numerous YA biographies, and this volume offers much more detail than titles such as Michael Burgan's Hillary Clinton (Raintree, 2014). However, at least some of those details, such as lists of the reasons why Clinton's healthcare initiative failed, her improvements to the White House, and the intricacies of the Democratic presidential delegate selection process, are dry and detract from the main narrative. The level of information in this book will be helpful to report writers, but there's a little too much praise of Clinton to make this truly well-balanced. As Clinton's candidacy progresses, this title may date quickly. VERDICT A supplemental purchase.-Mary Mueller, Rolla Public Schools, MO

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2015
Over the summer, a reporter e-mailed to ask about Hillary Clinton books aimed at kids for an article she was writing. I replied that almost all of the titles available were in series about first ladies or famous women, but that as election time grew closer, there should be more.The election may be a year away but, to say the least, the books have begun to arrive. Cynthia Levinson's Hillary Rodham Clinton: Do All the Good You Can (2016), aimed at a slightly younger crowd, covers much of the same territory, though the emphasis here, as the subtitle indicates, is how a predilection for service is the key to understanding Clinton. Levinson, who attended Wellesley at the same time as Clinton, includes some original research amid interviews with friends and advisers. Denser detail gives way to more bullet-point-style writing here, but readers will still come away with a sense of what makes Hillary run, even in the face of overwhelming odds.If the last election taught us anything, it's far too early to be fitting the Oval Office chair quite yet, but these four books make clear that, regardless of the outcome, Clinton's place in history is already secure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)