George Washington

School Library Journal

Gr 7-9--This biography opens with Washington's inaugural as the first president of the United States, and then provides details about his entire life. Old includes information about her subject's personal and public persona, but her main focus is on Washington's enormous public-service contributions. Though she writes in an admiring tone, she does show readers the man behind the hero by debunking some of the myths about his childhood and providing critical analysis of his leadership decisions. The author also includes considerable background about both the era and the events Washington influenced, and uses some primary-source materials. Illustrations consist of average-quality black-and-white photos, art reproductions, and source documents. The reading list includes several YA titles, and a number of Internet sites and addresses are provided as well. Although this book is far better than John Rosenburg's fictionalized Young George Washington (Millbrook, 1997), it joins a field already crowded with other well-written biographies such as Milton Meltzer's George Washington and the Birth of Our Nation (Watts, 1986). An additional purchase for libraries that need more research materials on Washington or the Revolutionary era.--Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO