Petrillo, Lisa. bio
Morgan Reynolds 2009 112p 28.95
Political Profiles 978-159935133-9 jr/sr VG-BN
This is a biography of Sarah Palin, a relative unknown, who was chosen as the first female Republican vice-presidential candidate, and only the second woman in U.S. history to appear on a major party ticket. Few juvenile biographies on Sarah Palin have been produced, so this title may fill a gap in many library collections. Author Lisa Petrillo attempts to report Sarah Palin’s life story in a non-partisan way, although the text leans (slightly) towards judgmental. The text is crisp, interesting and straightforward. Controversial issues (for example: Palin’s attempt to censor “Daddy’s Roommate,” Creationist beliefs, and rigid views regarding abortion) are addressed.
Students will find Palin’s unconventional frontier upbringing interesting. Palin’s determination to succeed is balanced with descriptions of how she overcame failures to succeed. This is a recurring theme.
Vivid photographs liberally highlight the text and chronicle Palin’s childhood, adolescence, and political career. Panoramic pictures of Alaskan landscapes and towns bring locations to life. Two double-page photos should be noted, however. On pages 18-19, students may be distressed by the photo of a young Sarah Palin scratching her nose and holding up a bloody, dead bird, at a table of dead ptarmigan with her siblings. Also, on pages 88-89, the “L” in “PALIN” disappears into the gutter of the book, so her campaign supporters appear to be holding up the word “PAIN.”
In addition to an adequate index, the book includes sources, bibliography, several websites, and photo credits. Welliver, Hilary
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