From Booklist
The Monumental Milestones series looks at important events, in this case the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. The focus is on the fight between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but the series also covers the many twists and turns of the campaign. The Clinton View begins with the Iowa caucus, the effect the loss had on front-runner Clinton, and how her win in New Hampshire made her the second Clinton “comeback kid.” Then, the book goes back to Clinton’s early years, her academic successes, and her tenures as First Lady and senator. Tracy captures some of the excitement of the campaign, but sometimes the text does not put statements in context (MSNBC’s Chris Matthews “openly supported Obama as a candidate”) or properly explain terms and titles (Politico is not identified as a political Web site). Still, as memory of the 2008 elections fades, this detailed account will be useful. One of the best things about this series is its well-chosen full-page sidebars; they allow space for important topics like the effect of the Internet on the election, Obama’s books, and caucuses. The design is lively and colorful, and the photos will draw readers. Grades 5-8. --Ilene Cooper
Product Description
Hillary Rodham Clinton is one of the most polarizing figures in modern American politics. To critics, she is willful and ambitious a liberal more interested in promoting her agenda than uniting the country. To supporters, she s intelligent and committed an advocate of social causes such as universal health care that would benefit average citizens. Abhor or admire her, the importance of Hillary s historic run for the Democratic presidential nomination is indisputable. Before most people became acquainted with Hillary as First Lady, when her husband Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992, she was an accomplished attorney and activist, serving on several state and national boards promoting legal aid, health care, and education. After putting her personal ambitions aside during her husband s presidency, Hillary returned to public service in 2000 and was elected U.S. Senator from New York, becoming the first former First Lady to hold a Senate seat. Eight years later she announced her candidacy for president, initiating a race that would prove to be one of the most dramatic and suspenseful in American election history.
