Franklin D. Roosevelt (Profiles of the Presidents) [Library Binding]

Michael Burgan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2002 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up | Series: Profiles of the Presidents

A biography of the wheelchair-bound president who optimistically led the United States through more than a decade of economic, social, and political problems.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 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 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Michael Burgan is a Capstone Press author.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 64 pages
• Publisher: Compass Point Books (January 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0756502039
• ISBN-13: 978-0756502034
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,398,221 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb first biography for students to learn about FDR, June 21, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Franklin D. Roosevelt (Profiles of the Presidents) (Library Binding)

I am currently working my way through various juvenile biographies of the Presidents in alphabetical order and the Profiles of the Presidents series has carved out a niche as the best volumes for young readers to be introduced to the occupants of the White House. This look at Franklin D. Roosevelt by Michael Burgan provides a solid introduction to the wheelchair-bound president who optimistically led the United States through more than a decade of economic, social, and political problems. After establishing FDR as "A President with Hope," Burgan provides the standard biography of Roosevelt's rich childhood, his early involvement in politics, and the polio that paralyzed his legs. From that point on the book is organized more by national events: the Great Depression, the New Deal, and World War II. Burgan does a nice job of explaining how FDR responded to each of these challenges and underscores that it was this President who changed the role of the president and the role of the government in people's lives.

The Profiles of the Presidents series goes from George Washington to George W. Bush and each book features a glossary, fast facts about the president, a parallel timeline of world and presidential events, an index, and other resourcs intended to help young students better understand the life and times of each president. The books are lavishly illustrated and even the black & white photographs sometimes have golden frames around them to keep the look of the book up to date, which it proves with the final photo of the statues of FDR and his dog, Fala, that are part of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial on the Mall in Washington, D.C. The result is another solid effort in a fine series. Young students can get more information about FDR from other books later in their education, but this would be the ideal choice for their first book about the man who was elected President of the United States four times.