High Hopes (Direct Mail Edition): A Photobiography of John F. Kennedy - Hardcover

Deborah Heiligman

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0792261410 ISBN 13: 9780792261414

Publisher: National Geographic Kids, 2003

Synopsis

On the eve of the 40th anniversary of his assassination, this profile of President John F. Kennedy follows him from his privileged but sickly childhood all the way to the White House. 50 duotone photos.

About this title

About the Author

Deborah Heiligman is the award-winning author of many children’s books. Her ability to simplify complex subjects for young readers, specializing in the areas of science and social studies, has brought her wide acclaim. Her National Geographic titles include Honeybees, Babies: All You Need to Know, and High Hopes: A Photobiography of John F. Kennedy. She lives in New York City. Visit Deborah Heiligman at her Web site: www.deborahheiligman.com and see what’s new to CELEBRATE.…

Reviews

Grade 4-7-A glossy take on the life of the 35th president. The text, which begins with a foreword by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, is frankly admiring, and successfully captures the spirit that makes Kennedy an enduring figure in our history. Heiligman covers her subject's life from his childhood to his assassination, including events from his administration such as the Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the establishment of the Peace Corps, and his 1962 order to send 30,000 Army and National Guard troops to the University of Mississippi campus. The author addresses the president's health problems and need for pain medication, but leaves out allegations of drug abuse and adultery. This well-designed book features large, well-chosen, black-and-white photographs; black, white, and silvery-gray type highlights important quotations from Kennedy's speeches. The author lists numerous resources, including books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and Web sites. Ilene Cooper's Jack (Dutton, 2003), which goes into interesting psychological depth about Kennedy's formative years, is for an older audience. While less innovative in its approach, High Hopes is an attractive and useful addition.-Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 4-6. "It was is if the whole world fell in love with Jack and his glamorous wife." Heiligman is almost in awe of her subject in this handsome, large-size photobiography, which shows Kennedy and his family as brave, brilliant, benevolent superheroes. The black-and-white photos--some full-page, a few double-page--extend the glamour, especially the frontispiece of an adoring Jackie looking up at the president. The focus is on his stellar achievements, and then on the horror of the assassination and what was lost. The book design is spacious and inviting, much like a magazine piece, with clear type on thick paper. There's also a useful chronology and resource list, though the documentation for direct quotes is cramped into one tiny paragraph, which the middle-grade audience will find barely readable. Use this with Ilene Cooper's Jack: The Early Years of John F. Kennedy [BKL Jan 1 & 15 03], which covers Kennedy's childhood and coming-of-age in far more depth, including his long struggle with illness and his rivalry with his older brother. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: National Geographic Kids
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0792261410
• ISBN 13: 9780792261414
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 64