High Hopes: A Photobiography of John F. Kennedy (Photobiographies) [Hardcover]

Deborah Heiligman (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Photobiographies

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of his assassination, this newest of National Geographic’s acclaimed photobiographies profiles the 35th President of the United States, a man of enduring fascination. The book follows John F. Kennedy from his privileged but sickly childhood through his studies at Harvard and heroism in the Navy to his sudden move into politics upon the death of his older brother, Joe. Young readers get an inside view of the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban missile crisis, and other highlights of Kennedy’s thousand days in office. Through compelling text, duotone photographs, and Kennedy’s own stirring words, Heiligman celebrates the life and legacy of this young President, who still looms large in the American public’s memory and imagination.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-A glossy take on the life of the 35th president. The text, which begins with a foreword by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, is frankly admiring, and successfully captures the spirit that makes Kennedy an enduring figure in our history. Heiligman covers her subject's life from his childhood to his assassination, including events from his administration such as the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the establishment of the Peace Corps, and his 1962 order to send 30,000 Army and National Guard troops to the University of Mississippi campus. The author addresses the president's health problems and need for pain medication, but leaves out allegations of drug abuse and adultery. This well-designed book features large, well-chosen, black-and-white photographs; black, white, and silvery-gray type highlights important quotations from Kennedy's speeches. The author lists numerous resources, including books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and Web sites. Ilene Cooper's Jack (Dutton, 2003), which goes into interesting psychological depth about Kennedy's formative years, is for an older audience. While less innovative in its approach, High Hopes is an attractive and useful addition.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-6. "It was is if the whole world fell in love with Jack and his glamorous wife." Heiligman is almost in awe of her subject in this handsome, large-size photobiography, which shows Kennedy and his family as brave, brilliant, benevolent superheroes. The black-and-white photos--some full-page, a few double-page--extend the glamour, especially the frontispiece of an adoring Jackie looking up at the president. The focus is on his stellar achievements, and then on the horror of the assassination and what was lost. The book design is spacious and inviting, much like a magazine piece, with clear type on thick paper. There's also a useful chronology and resource list, though the documentation for direct quotes is cramped into one tiny paragraph, which the middle-grade audience will find barely readable. Use this with Ilene Cooper's Jack: The Early Years of John F. Kennedy [BKL Jan 1 & 15 03], which covers Kennedy's childhood and coming-of-age in far more depth, including his long struggle with illness and his rivalry with his older brother. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792261410
• ISBN-13: 978-0792261414
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 0.4 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,261,007 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Deborah Heiligman has written more than twenty books for children, most of them nonfiction, including three other biographies. She is married to Jonathan Weiner, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1994 for The Beak of the Finch.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book to Share With My Sixth Grade Class, October 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: High Hopes: A Photobiography of John F. Kennedy (Photobiographies) (Hardcover)

I've been looking for a good book on JFK to share with my sixth grade class and I'm happy to have found it here! The text is very kid friendly and full of compelling stories from JFK's childhood. The author's style is perfectly suited to the layout of pictures and children can come away with not only important facts, but the feeling that they've spent some private time with the Kennedy family. I learned things I never knew and was very moved by some of the quotes and stories. This is just the book I was hoping to find, for the author has taken a leader and an ikon in American history and presented him in a new and fresh way. I especially liked the author's handling of JFK's early, formative years. After all that's been written about this man and his presidency it's amazing to me how inspiring this book was. I found lots of ways to spin off on this material. Anyone wanting to share the life of this very unique president with school age children could do no better than High Hopes.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easily accessible for young people, April 12, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: High Hopes: A Photobiography of John F. Kennedy (Photobiographies) (Hardcover)

Award-winning children's author Deborah Heiligman presents High Hopes: A Photobiography Of John F. Kennedy. This a thoughtful and wonderfully illustrated rendition of President John F. Kennedy's inspirational life and tragic assassination. Black-and-white photographs on every page add a strong presence to the straightforward narration in a text which is easily accessible for young people at an intermediate reading level and up. Highly recommended.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars High Hopes deserves High Praise!, October 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: High Hopes: A Photobiography of John F. Kennedy (Photobiographies) (Hardcover)

In this compelling biography, award winning author, Deborah Heiligman, captures the spirit of the handsome, charismatic President, Jack Kennedy,who won the hearts of Americans and people around the world. Born to a wealthy Massachusetts family, Jack had been taught at an early age that his mission was to serve others. The hopes of the family really resided in his older brother Joe, but when Joe died, Jack stepped into his shoes, and despite serious medical problems, became the youngest person ever to be elected President. Accompanied by stunning photographs this eloquent biography is the perfect choice for family sharing.