Franklin D. Roosevelt

June 1, 2002
Gr 4-8-Good-quality photographs and clear, accessible texts create instant appeal for these presidential profiles. Each volume provides insightful chapters about each man's youth, family, and education, revealing not only how they launched him into politics but also sustained him through his political life. Burgan describes FDR's rapid ascent to national prominence in 1932, explaining how that election centered on Americans' hope of finding a leader to help them survive the Great Depression. There is a candid discussion of his bout with polio that crippled his body yet molded his belief that he could overcome anything. Subsequent chapters chronicle the war years and his legacy as the country's only four-term president. Disappointingly, there is little mention of Eleanor Roosevelt, a gross omission in light of her active involvement in his domestic and foreign policies. The presence and power of the First Lady are more evident in Heinrichs's volume. It chronicles our nation's 42nd president's bumpy personal and political life as well as his two tumultuous terms in the White House, where he by turns ennobled and disgraced the office. Whether discussing Clinton's intellectual prowess, his enormous personal charm, or his impeachment, the author is evenhanded and concludes that "Few presidents have suffered more public attacks than Clinton did. Yet no president gave the nation a longer period of economic good times." Both of these compact volumes are broad enough in scope to be useful to general readers and to students seeking information for reports.-William McLoughlin, Brookside School, Worthington, OH

Copyright 2002 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.