Presidential Campaign

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9 These attractive books are easy to read and understand. Raber has arranged his material into short, logical chapters, and he uses interesting stories from many campaigns. Captioned black-and-white illustrations and photos add interest, although Michael Dukakis and Jesse Jackson, who appear in photos, are not mentioned in the text. Election Night covers more than just the night a candidate is elected, with chapters on the political parties, fraudulent elections, and the use of opinion polls. Raber tends to skim over many controversies, leaving out issues such as the charges of fraud made after the 1960 presidential election. His discussion of the effects of the television networks' early prediction of winners is far from complete. Presidential Campaign is the better book, offering a look into modern campaigns. It contains historical background, including sections on the attractions of and qualifications for the presidency, but Raber concentrates on the rigors of campaigns, including chapters on staff, primaries and conventions, fund raising, and modern campaign practices. He barely discusses the effects of television and advertising. These books are not so detailed as Presidential Campaigns (Oxford University Press, 1984), but they are attractive and should be considered by librarians needing material on elections and campaigns. Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, Mo.