Customer Reviews

Obama: A Promise of Change

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OBAMA: A PROMISE OF CHANGE is an adaptation for young readers ages eight to twelve of David Mendell's OBAMA: FROM PROMISE TO POWER. It is a good introduction to Obama's history and should appeal to the audience for which it is written. Each chapter opens with a quotation, sometimes from Barack Obama himself, his wife Michelle ("Congratulations, Mr. Senator"), elderly Kenyan women, Obama's brother-in-law, an Obama voter et al. Mr. Mendell quotes liberally from both Mr. Obama's writings and interviews and includes photographs as well.

The author briefly describes Obama's uniqueness, his father from Kenya, his mother from Hawaii and Kansas, his childhood in Indonesia, his education, how the young Barry became Barach, his community organizing in Chicago, his marriage and children, his faith, then his foray into state and national politics and his visits to Africa in straightforward language. He explains terms and events to the young reader-- the definition of a stump speech and the events of 9/11, for instance, as well as how to pronounce the word "Kibera" without being pedantic, a necessary quality for any writer trying to get the attention of young readers in this age of television and the many other distractions that keep them from picking up a book.

Whether one is for Mr. Obama for president or not-- after all children do not vote anyway-- it is impossible to read this book without catching the magic of the man and believing that ours is a diverse country where all things are possible.

This books is just glorified politics of good feelings but doesn't really tell what his promise of change really will be. Sad thing people will believe this stuff and follow him into socialism.