American Presidents in World History

VOYA

This five-volume series covers the history of the presidency from George Washington to George W. Bush, up until the threat of a war in Iraq. Each entry begins with a brief overview of the president's impact on the country and the world. The story continues with biographical information on the president's early years and rise to political power, but the meat of the entries is in the descriptions of foreign and domestic policy issues, including wars and treaties seldom discussed in literature for the young adult age group. Chapters range from ten to twenty pages, and include black-and-white images as well as "Fast Facts" and longer sidebars about little-known historical figures who affected the presidency-and the world-in significant ways. Each book contains a bibliography that includes both books and Web resources and an index covering that volume. Titles such as Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Presidents and Their Times (Scholastic, 2001) cover biographical information about the presidents for a younger audience, but few resources bring together discussion of policy issues along with biography. The editors of this comprehensive reference series have correctly identified a need for books that deal with the presidents and their policies for students in middle school. The books are written in terse, coherent prose, and the descriptions of domestic and foreign policy issues are compelling. Although not an essential purchase for public libraries, this series is strongly recommended for middle and high school libraries. 2003, Greenwood, 670p. in 5 vols.; Glossary. Index. Illus. Photos. Biblio., Ages 11 to Adult.
—Deborah Fisher

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-Each chronological entry is introduced with a "Fact File" and discusses the man's childhood, rise in the political arena, events and policies during his presidency, the legacies of those policies, and return to civilian life. The profiles vary in length, but each one is straightforward and gives a clear picture of the president's term of office. Sidebars include "Famous Figures" and other pertinent information on amendments, treaties, and events. Wide margins, plenty of white space, and blue highlights make for an overall pleasing design and easy reading. Each volume includes average-quality, captioned black-and-white photographs and reproductions and occasional political cartoons, maps, and charts. This set will be an excellent reference for students looking to go beyond the information provided in resources such as Ann Bausum's Our Country's Presidents (National Geographic, 2001).-Tina Hudak, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Riverdale Park, MD Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.