What Does the President Do?

School Library Journal

Gr 3–5—These titles do not succeed in either inspiring or educating. The terms are not clearly explained, and the texts are often awkwardly written. The format will not appeal to older elementary students, and the vocabulary is not accessible to most younger readers. What Does a Senator Do? states that "…President George Washington laid the cornerstone of the Capitol," but readers will most likely not know what a cornerstone is. In some cases, the illustrations and color photographs contradict the text, such as in What Does a Supreme Court Justice Do?, when the text on one page states, "Some Supreme Court justices, such as Antonin Scalia, are known for asking many hard questions. Others, such as Clarence Thomas, generally just listen to the arguments," and then the photograph on the following page shows Justice Thomas talking with another justice, and the caption reads, "The Court's justices do not always agree." What Does the President Do? offers current information regarding the present administration, though, as with the other titles, the vocabulary is stilted and not likely to appeal to students. Suzanne LeVert's The Supreme Court (Marshall Cavendish, 2003) is a better choice.—Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA