John F. Kennedy

School Library Journal

Gr 7-9This biography describes Kennedy's family background, education, war record, entry into politics, and run for the presidency. It also details some of the main issues and events of his administration, including the Bay of Pigs incident, the Berlin and Cuban Missile Crises, the space race, and the Civil Rights Bill, but makes little mention of his actions in Vietnam. Cole is admiring of his subject's ability and charm, but also shows how Kennedy and his family manipulated his public image and describes his failings as a husband without including sensational details about his personal life. The author closes with an analysis of Kennedy's legacy, concluding that the man's ability to inspire a "...sense of hope for the future" outshone his modest accomplishments. The author documents his work with chapter notes, and his bibliography includes both adult and young adult titles. Black-and-white photographs add little to the text. Barbara Harrison and Daniel Terris's A Twilight Struggle (Lothrop, 1992) is a more attractive and complete examination of Kennedy's life and legacy, and will be more appealing to researchers. For slightly older readers, Martin Goldman's outstanding John F. Kennedy (Facts On File, 1995) offers a more thoughtful and evenhanded look at the gap between the image and reality of Kennedy's life and presidency and a fuller analysis of his record.Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO