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THE PRESIDENTS DECODED by Katie Kennedy

THE PRESIDENTS DECODED

A Guide to the Leaders Who Shaped Our Nation

by Katie Kennedy ; illustrated by Monique Steele

Pub Date: Oct. 17th, 2023
ISBN: 9781523515868
Publisher: Workman

Short biographies of the 45 people who have been president of the United States, including snippets of primary source material.

Kennedy, a college-level history and government educator and author of The Constitution Decoded (2020), offers quick looks at each of the men who have served in the nation’s highest office. Each chapter opens with a portrait and fast facts, both ordinary and unusual. Each goes on to cover the man’s life before his presidency, his actions as president, his legacy, and his post-presidential life, if any. The prose is smooth, engaging, informative, and often sympathetic. What gets decoded are the short selections from primary sources: George Washington’s farewell address, a prescient comment from Thomas Jefferson about the “Missouri question,” a statement by Grover Cleveland regarding the overthrow of Hawaiian queen Lili‘uokalani, and so forth. Text boxes appear on almost every page, making interesting and often important points. The narrative is also broken up with occasional maps, drawings, and photos, adding to the accessibility. The author pays careful attention to past presidents’ attitudes and actions about slavery. Donald Trump’s section concludes with an open-ended observation that “Trump’s post-presidential period was one of turmoil, just like his presidency.” This might serve as a pleasant accompaniment to a more sober middle school history text. The volume is also visually engaging, with portraits opening each profile, spot art breaking up the text, and helpful maps.

Surprising, straightforward, and readable.

(additional illustration credits, further reading) (Nonfiction. 9-14)