A First Look at America’s Presidents Complete Set
Reading Level Grade 2Interest Level Grades K – 3
Reviewed
Reading Level Grade 2Interest Level Grades K – 3
ReviewedThomas Jefferson helped create a nation when he wrote the Declaration of Independence. Abraham Lincoln worked to keep the country together when the North and the South fought against each other in the Civil War. Franklin D. Roosevelt helped millions of Americans who were suffering during the Great Depression. In this colorful, dramatic series, beginning readers will learn about several remarkable presidents, including their childhood experiences and their amazing achievements as leaders of our nation. Each 24-page book in this series features controlled text with age-appropriate vocabulary and simple sentence structure. The lively text, colorful design, and rich photos and illustrations are sure to capture the interest of emergent readers.
Reminiscent of Scholastic's True Books, these titles are ideal introductions to the most studied presidents. Each spread features an apt illustration with a few sentences about the subject, while the opposite page is designed to look like a bulletin board, with fullcolor maps, paintings, and drawings attached with pushpins. Despite the brevity, the sentences are informative, with not a word wasted. VERDICT: Though these are sanitized biographies, they're suitable for the audience.
School Library Journal
Notable for their respectful, fairminded tone, this series emphasizes four 20th century presidents' virtues and how each impacted the United States. Texts provide broad overviews of the presidents' childhoods, early years, and terms in office - ”helping students discover these leaders' very human sides. The books have strong visual appeal: highquality photos depict subjects' lives, careers, and concurrent historical events; type is set against colored backgrounds; and sidebars resemble campaign buttons. Standard nonfiction features - ”table of contents, brief index, glossary with pronunciation guides, bibliography with a link to the publisher's site - ”acquaint youngest students with the tools they need to locate information. Also in each volume: aFacts and Quotes page highlighted by a statue or bust of the president. VERDICT A welldone introduction to presidents for early graders; highly recommended.
School Library Journal
First Look at America's Presidents series. Each highly abbreviated biography of a US president uses a variety of visual and textual elements arranged informally on pages designed to look like cork bulletin boards. The brief, uninspired narratives are supported by photographs on period illustrations with captions and short sidebars in campaignbutton graphics. Two famous quotes are appended. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.
The Horn Book Guide
