John McCain

Honor, country, and service have always been important to John McCain. His grandfather was an admiral in the U.S. Navy. So was his father. As a Navy pilot, John was wounded in Vietnam and survived five terrible years as a prisoner of war. After becoming a U.S. senator in Arizona, McCain rose to the top of the political world. In 2008, he ran for the country's top job-president.

Children's Literature

Author Horn covers all the basic information in this thirty-two page picture book biography about John McCain, a United States Senator and twice presidential candidate. In 1967 McCain was shot down over North Vietnam, captured and imprisoned for six years. He endured injuries from his plane crash and torture and injuries during his six years of imprisonment. When the Vietnamese learned that McCain was the son of a top Navy officer, they offered him special treatment and a chance to go free but he refused. He did not want to leave the other POWs behind. When he was released, McCain was a changed man. He said he fell in love with his country when he was imprisoned. He remained in the navy and worked at a job that brought him in contact with the U.S. Senate. In the early 1980s he ran for Congress under a Republican ticket and won a seat. A few years later he ran for the U.S. Senate and won. He also won another six-year term in 1992. In 2000 he decided to run for president, but lost. In 2008 at the age of seventy-two, he ran against Senator Barrack Obama and also lost the election. McCain continues to serve his country as a senator and will be remembered as a man who fought and works for the country he respects and loves. Color and black-and-white photographs illustrate the text as well as sidebars. Back material includes a time line, glossary, books for further reading, websites, and source notes. "People We Should Know." Reviewer: Della A. Yannuzzi