July 1, 2018
Gr 7 Up-An uneven introduction to the lives of two Founding Fathers. Details about the first U.S. secretary of the treasury are conveyed in an engaging way with brief chapters that contain images (maps, paintings, portraits, and photographs) and sections that focus on topics such as The Federalist Papers and the musical Hamilton. Burr gets a measured treatment in the sections focusing on the duel. Though excerpts of pieces written by Hamilton with the editors' annotations and a link to where the materials are archived are included in the back matter, there is a lack of citations in this title. The life of President George Washington is presented chronologically in his compact biography. Readers will be engaged by the text bubbles that highlight significant events, images (maps, paintings), and topical discussions. However, the discussion of slavery occurs primarily within four pages in which the editors present a tone-deaf and ahistorical understanding of it ("no evidence paints Washington as a particularly harsh master by the standards of the time."). The text references the Iroquois Confederacy but not the specific tribes that were part of that alliance. The layout for both books has visual appeal for younger readers, though the dense content is written at a higher level. VERDICT Consider Hamilton only where there is high demand.-Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY
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