My Dad, John McCain [Hardcover]

Meghan McCain (Author), Dan Andreasen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2, 2008 | Age Level: 5 and up

Born the son and grandson of military men, Senator John McCain from Arizona was destined for a life serving his country in the armed forces. Like many great men, he occasionally struggled with authority, but once he found his true calling -- flying naval aircraft -- his ideals and commitment to his country took him far.

From the low point of five years as a prisoner of war to the high points of raising a large, happy family and being chosen as the Republican nominee in the 2008 presidential election, Senator McCain has lived an incredible life driven by a love of his country and a desire to serve it to the best of his ability.

This picture book biography, written with great love and insight by his oldest daughter, writer Meghan McCain, shows us the public John McCain and the personal John McCain in a way we've never seen before -- making this American hero come to life before young eyes.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Although the picture-book format makes this look a bit young for kids who may actually be interested in John McCain, readers will get a broad-strokes biography, with some parts of the candidate’s life brushed away altogether. The author for this adulatory tome is McCain’s daughter Meghan, who begins by saying “he would make a great president.” She then goes on to detail how her grandfather and great-grandfather, both admirals in the navy, set a high standard for McCain, who had problems with authority growing up. She then traces his naval career, especially his time in Vietnam, including his five-year incarceration as a POW. But when he comes home, highly decorated, from Vietnam, “he met and married my mom, Cindy.” Well, first he divorced his wife, and nowhere, including a family picture, is there mention of his children from that marriage. An overview is given of McCain’s political career, and Andreasen’s color-and-sepia-tone art is handsome and evocative throughout. The shelf life for this could be short—or it could be one of the first biographies of a new president. Grades 2-4. --Ilene Cooper

About the Author

Meghan McCain is a blogger who documents life on the campaign trail with her father and muses about fashion, music, and pop culture. Check out her blog at McCainBlogette.com.

Meghan is the oldest daughter of John McCain, U.S. senator from Arizona and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, and Cindy Hensley McCain. She was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated from Columbia University, where she majored in art history. McCain interned at Newsweek magazine and Saturday Night Live.

Dan Andreasen is the illustrator of numerous picture books, including By the Dawn's Early Light: The Story of the Star-Spangled Banner by Steven Kroll, which was named an ABA Kids' Pick of the Lists and a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies; A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood; and Sailor Boy Jig by Margaret Wise Brown. He has also authored several picture books, including With a Little Help from Daddy and A Special Day for Mommy. Dan lives with his family in Medina, Ohio.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin; First Edition edition (September 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416975284
• ISBN-13: 978-1416975281
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #884,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

MEGHAN MCCAIN writes a weekly column for The Daily Beast. Prior to that, McCain worked on her father's 2008 presidential campaign and created the website McCainBlogette.com, which provided a personal look at daily life on the campaign. Her children's book, My Dad, John McCain, was a national bestseller. She lives in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars John McCain, September 23, 2008

By 

B. Andrus "KT" (CT) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: My Dad, John McCain (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this book. I bought it for my sons who are 9 & 7. It 's nice to be able to explain to them why he is such an American Hero.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Daughter's Viewpoint, October 29, 2008

By 

Shelley Gammon "Geek" (Kaufman, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: My Dad, John McCain (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

I'm not a parent, but if I was, this would be a book I'd share with my children to help them understand the character of the man running for President. The illustrations are sweet pencil drawings from well known photographs... and some not so well known of John McCain and family. The narrative is short and sweet for any child of 5 or 6 to be able to read and understand for the most part.

McCain's well known prisoner of war experience is not glossed over, but it is not gruesome. You do not see faces of angry Vietcong that attacked him in the water or anything that would frighten children or the like. I think the book does a fair representation of the man, his character and his family's hope that he is successful in the 2008 election.

My less than perfect review is because the book is lacking. To rise above just being a propaganda-for-kiddos book, I would have really liked to have read a cute story that Meghan McCain (the author, and eldest daughter of Senator McCain) remembered about her father as a child - perhaps teaching her to ride a bike, fly a kite, or staying with her when she was sick or something. I think it would make the book not even more relevant to children who are clearly the audience for this book, but also for adults who read it with or to their kids - to get a feel for the man behind the sometimes sandpaper exterior.

Senator McCain has said himself that he will win no awards for Miss Congeniality. He can't come off as a sap or a softy in commercials or in interviews - but this book would have been a great opportunity to include some of his sweeter side for public consumption. I hope that no matter how the election turns out, that the author will update this book, including more pictures and stories of growing up the child of a Senator. The book is about John McCain, but the title is "My Dad, John McCain." I don't know a lot about Meghan other than she was born in 1984, is the eldest daughter of John & Cindy McCain and that she wrote this book. I don't have any idea if her father ever took her and her siblings to Six Flags or Disney World, or if they ever went on a family vacation or anything relevant concerning a father-daughter relationship other than he is her father and there's a sweet illustration on the cover of him holding her as a child and another one that is a graduation photo illustration.

This is a nicely illustrated, well done first book for such a young author, but it could be so much better and has a lot of potential to be improved if it is revised and updated after the election. It is very dated, even with the date "September 2008" cited in there. This story will have more of a shelf life if it is updated and made into a timeless children's book.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biography of an American Hero and Statesman, October 28, 2008

By 

Eagle Vision (Southeastern United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: My Dad, John McCain (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This is a brief biography of an American Hero, Arizona State Senator and 2008 Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain. The book is written by McCain's oldest daughter from his second marriage, Miss Meghan McCain.

It gives a personal look into Senator McCain's background from the Naval service of his father and grandfather, his adolescence, college years at Annapolis, and his career in the U.S. Navy. We get a glimpse of his character, as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and his fortitude to remain a prisoner until the conclusion of the war.

The second half of the book jumps to Mr. McCain's career as a public servant in the U.S. Congress.

The book is well illustrated and captures the emotions that Miss McCain is communicating in her narrative.

It is a lesson in service to one's country, one's history, and one's character.

The book is appropriate for first graders through middle school/junior high school.

The work is a great tribute to an American Hero and Statesman. It is a book about a man who loves his family, military tradition and this nation. His story instills personal and national pride that many people should emulate.

Highly recommend this book.