Scarbrough, Mary Hertz. Presidential Politics by the Numbers.

Scarbrough, Mary Hertz.  Presidential Politics by the Numbers.  Capstone Publishers 2016  48p   $21.49  ISBN 978-1-4914-8238-4  Series: Presidential Politics  ms/hs    Nonfiction  E-BNS

This is a collection of political numbers about everything from soup to nuts: the number of presidents born in hospitals, the number of presidents who were lawyers, the amount of the fine charged to Susan B. Anthony for voting in 1872, and many more. What could have been an organizational nightmare to create instead became a perfectly enumerated collection of facts about presidents, vice presidents, amendments, the Electoral College, the right to vote for both women and African- Americans, and more!  This book has something for all fans of numerical facts and figures about all things political.  Author Mary Scarbrough chose thirteen topics, laid them out clearly and perfectly, placed photographs in the background and made a book that will win over today’s children, who have been weaned at a young age to like action, fantasy and mystery.  Social-studies teachers who need to teach analysis, statistics, compare/contrast and other nonfictional text structures will find accurate numbers, educational content and relevant photographs that will be valuable in supporting a wide variety of lessons in U. S. history.  The three discussion questions at the end of the book are tied to the Common Core; an example of higher-level thinking is to compare and contrast the struggle for women’s right to vote to the struggle of African-Americans for the right to vote.  Extension lessons abound.  The glossary is thorough, and sidebars and introductions within each chapter further add to the book’s purpose, which is to encourage teen readers to think about interesting statistics that are part of our history.  A bit of prior knowledge is helpful, but anyone can dive right in! 

Summary: Presidential Politics by the Numbers is a collection of political numbers about everything from soup to nuts: the number of presidents born in hospitals, the number of presidents who were lawyers, the amount of the fine charged to Susan B. Anthony for voting in 1872, and many more.  

Statistics, Presidents                          --Martha Squaresky

Mara, Wil. James Garfield.

Mara, Wil.     James Garfield.        Marshall Cavendish/Benchmark, 2012.  96p. $27.42.  ISBN 978-1-60870-183-4   elm/ms VG                 

James Garfield is a well-written book geared toward upper-elementary and middle-school student researchers. Mara provides readers with biographical data from Garfield's beginnings as a child in Ohio through his years in office.  He includes important events such as Garfield's college years at Williams College, his marriage to Lucretia Rudolph, and various career choices -- including teacher, Eclectic Institute’s school president, public speaker, politician, Ohio state senator, Civil War colonel, U.S. Congressman, and eventually the president of our great country.    There is a great deal of information leading up to Garfield’s presidential win in 1880 and assassination in 1881 by Charles Guiteau.  Even though Garfield’s presidency was short, the author presents readers with his often overlooked legacy. 
The book includes primary historical documents, color and black and white photographs, a chronolog, a glossary, a list of books and web sites for further reading, and a great comprehensive index.  It is part of the series Presidents and Their Times, each title of which examines the period and formative events of an individual president's term, and includes childhood character-building experiences, entry into politics, major events of the presidency, and a life after the presidency.         

Subject: Garfield, James A. (James Abram), 1831-1881.               Charleen Forba-Mayer

Nardo, Don. Barack Obama.

Nardo, Don. Barack Obama.
Compass Point Books/Capstone 2010 64p 26.65 978-0-7565-4285-6 elm/ms Profiles of the President (Compass Point) An overview of the life of Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States. This biography includes information about his childhood, family, political career, first one hundred days in office, and includes the text of his Inaugural Address. An excellent, well-researched and up-to-date biography of Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States. His life is explored from his parents’ marriage and his birth to his first 100 days in office. This inspirational portrait is well illustrated with family photos, maps and campaign stills. Included at the end of the section on his fist 100 days are a number of supplemental materials, including a timeline of his life, set against the events in the world at that time, his public and private life, his Presidential cabinet, further reading, a glossary and comprehensive index. A very useful volume for students researching the life of our current President. Naismith, Pat

Barack Obama: We Are One People,

Schuman, Michael Barack Obama: We Are One People, Revised & Expanded
Enslow 2009 160p 34.60 978-0-7660-3649-9 elm/ms
African American Biographies(Enslow)
This title, revised and expanded, contains information about Obama’s life as a young child up to when he became President. Includes excerpts from his inauguration speech, photos in the appropriate places, chronology, chapter notes, books and Internet sites for further reading, and an index. Very good resource for upper elementary and older readers in need of high interest material. This title is a revised and expanded edition of Barack Obama’s biography. It contains information about Obama’s life as a young child, his family, his school years, early employment, and political life. It goes up to when he became President and includes excerpts from his inauguration speech. There are unobtrusive side bars on some pages that highlight the information on the page or present details on some aspect of the text. Photographs are placed in the appropriate places within the text and there is a color map that indicates places where Obama has lived during his younger years. As in other titles in the African-American Biography Library series, this book contains a chronology, chapter notes, a list of books and Internet sites for further reading, and an index. In reading this book, I gained more knowledge about Obama’s background and the process necessary for him to become President. The writing is clear and well researched and the information is quite accessible to most readers. This would be a very good resource for upper elementary and older readers in need of high interest material. Weinraub, Tina