From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8?This book delivers exactly what it promises. Each of the four main sections (The First Presidents, America Grows, The Civil War and After, and The Twentieth Century) begins with an overview of the period and a chronology of important dates. A full-page portrait of each president appears opposite a bulleted list of personal information (birthdate, education, political party, etc.) and several paragraphs about the man and his presidency. Sidebars about the first ladies, vice-presidents, and major events of the day (e.g., "1860-The Pony Express began service...", "1954-Jonas Salk developed a polio vaccine") flesh out the presentation. Suggestions for further reading are included, and the book is well indexed. While not as detailed as Wyatt Blassingame's The Look-It-Up Book of Presidents (Random, 1992), Pascoe's title provides a fine, objective introduction to the subject. It's unfortunate that the timeline is limited to wars; surely there are other ways to place history in context. Nonetheless, youngsters will be fascinated by this attractive, oversized foray into the lives and times of our nation's leaders.?Peg Glisson, Dewitt Road School, Webster, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
