Margaret Chase Smith: A Woman for President [Hardcover]

Lynn Plourde (Author), David McPhail (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Margaret Chase Smith was the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket. this biography highlights key moments in her personal and political life. From Smith's humble beginnings to her foray into Congress to her historic decision to run for president, readers will be inspired by the feisty, independent woman who embodied the qualities upon which this country was founded. A series of thematically organized time lines accompanies the text, providing context for the life of this extraordinary woman.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Hillary Clinton is not the first woman to run for president; one of those who came before her is Margaret Chase Smith, best known as the senator from Maine at a time when women in Congress were in scarce supply. But Smith also showed her mettle is many other ways. The book begins with Chase’s modest Maine upbringing and moves swiftly through her school days. Unable to afford college, she tried several jobs and considered her involvement in women’s organizations as her education. When her husband, a U.S. representative died, Smith took his seat and then, for the next 32 years, won her own elections and became a strong advocate for space exploration. One of her strongest moments came in 1950 when she spoke out against McCarthyism. Pleasant, if occasionally stiff watercolor-and-ink illustrations face each page of text, and helpful time lines ribbon the page bottoms. Plourde keeps the text brief and interesting, while an informative afterword fleshes out the biography. Grades 3-5. --Ilene Cooper

About the Author

Lynn Plourde has written many picture books, including A Mountain of Mittens, Teacher Appreciation Day (Dutton), and Pigs in the Mud in the Middle of the Rud (Scholastic). Lynn lives in Winthrop, Maine.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (January 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580892345
• ISBN-13: 978-1580892346
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,583,814 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Three for the price of one, June 28, 2008

By 

ANNIKA BLACK - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Margaret Chase Smith: A Woman for President (Paperback)

This is a must have book for everyone!

A lovingly crafted new biography which is really three books in one.
On each page there are three parts, the story text, a positive, one sentence summation, and different contextual timelines. This wonderful combination means that the book can be used for a storytime, a school report, and as a reference book for social and cultural history. These three elements create a broad appeal for many different age groups and reading abilities.

The illustrations are lovely and strong at the same time,
much like Margaret Chase Smith herself.

How refreshing to have such a vibrant and timeless biography!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great read for girls, September 12, 2009

By 

Carolyn Carr "eccentric reader" (Fremont, N.H.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Margaret Chase Smith: A Woman for President (Paperback)

This book gives good factual information in an entertaining way. Girls will like this book and learn a little history too!