From Booklist
Reviewed with Hal Marcovitz's Bill Clinton.Gr. 4-8. These short, lively volumes from the new Childhoods of the Presidents series focus on boyhood experiences that help explain how and why each man came to be the kind of leader he is. The purpose, according to the series introduction, is to help all young people aspire to great success, no matter what their background. In Marcovitz's book, the focus is on Clinton's charismatic charm, his compassion for African Americans struggling for civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s, and on the pivotal encounter when he stood up to his abusive, alcoholic stepfather. Thompson's title highlights Bush's fun-loving appeal, his childhood of financial privilege, his formative role as the eldest son of a politician, and his crucial experience helping his mother cope with the loss of "Georgie's" sister to leukemia. Filled with colorful photos and interesting sidebars, both books humanize their subjects, and the emphasis on character and family relations will help young readers see very approachable qualities in the powerful leaders. Roger Leslie
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Card catalog description
A biography of the forty-third president of the United States, focusing on his childhood and young adulthood.