Franklin D. Roosevelt: The Making of America #5

by Teri Kanefield

Overview

Award-winning author Teri Kanefield’s biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt for young readers is the inspiring story of one of America’s greatest presidents.

The fifth book in the Making of America series, Franklin D. Roosevelt examines the life of America’s 32nd president: his birth into one of America’s elite families, his domineering mother, his marriage to Eleanor Roosevelt, his struggle with polio, and his political career.

A Democrat, Roosevelt (1882–1945) won a record of four presidential elections and is the longest-serving US president. During his time in office, he led the country through the Great Depression and World War II and helped to redefine the role of the US government with the New Deal. Scholars often rate him as one of the three greatest presidents, along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The book includes black-and-white archival images, plus selections from FDR’s writings in addition to endnotes, a bibliography, and an index.

The Making of America series:
Alexander Hamilton (#1)
Andrew Jackson (#2)
Abraham Lincoln (#3)
Susan B. Anthony (#4)
Franklin D. Roosevelt (#5)
Thurgood Marshall (#6)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419734021
Publisher:	Abrams Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	10/08/2019
Series:	The Making of America , #5
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	368,153
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Teri Kanefield is a lawyer and the author of The Girl from the Tar Paper School, The Extraordinary Suzy Wright, the Making of America series, and more. Her awards include the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and the Carter G. Woodson Book Award. She lives in San Luis Obispo on the central California coast.

Table of Contents

Prologue: America Under Attack 1

1 Always Bright and Happy 8

2 Anna Eleanor Roosevelt 24

3 Entering Politics 42

4 Assistant Secretary of the Navy 61

5 The Great War 76

6 Trial by Fire 94

7 The Great Depression 115

8 A New Deal 129

9 Action, and Action New 139

10 A Switch in Time Saves Nine 161

11 The Second World War 180

12 Back to the Hudson 199

13 Afterward 214

14 Legacy 217

Selected Writings of Franklin D. Roosevelt 220

Timeline 225

Notes 229

Bibliography 242

Acknowledgements 244

Index 245

Interviews

San Luis Obispo, CA

Editorial Reviews

"Some issues presented in this history are uniquely similar to those present in today's politics, making them worthy of comparison in a history or government classroom. Equally compelling is the number of quotes that originated from Roosevelt that are taken as clichés now. Again, the history and context of these quotes would make good discussion topics for history, government, or English classrooms."

School Library Connection

"Kanefield affords readers the opportunity to 'see' Roosevelt as his contemporaries might have. Readers more familiar with Eleanor Roosevelt than her husband will find this title a valuable counterpoint, and students seeking a general American history of the period will benefit from its well-defined focus." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Kanefield provides readers with an intimate examination of Franklin Delano Roosevelt . . . it flows in a friendly and welcoming style that reluctant readers will appreciate."—Kirkus Reviews

"This evenhanded overview of FDR walks a middle path perfect for middle grade readers. A commendable addition to school and public library collections."—School Library Journal

"Some issues presented in this history are uniquely similar to those present in today's politics, making them worthy of comparison in a history or government classroom. Equally compelling is the number of quotes that originated from Roosevelt that are taken as clichés now. Again, the history and context of these quotes would make good discussion topics for history, government, or English classrooms." —School Library Connection

From the Publisher

"Kanefield affords readers the opportunity to 'see' Roosevelt as his contemporaries might have. Readers more familiar with Eleanor Roosevelt than her husband will find this title a valuable counterpoint, and students seeking a general American history of the period will benefit from its well-defined focus."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

"Kanefield affords readers the opportunity to 'see' Roosevelt as his contemporaries might have. Readers more familiar with Eleanor Roosevelt than her husband will find this title a valuable counterpoint, and students seeking a general American history of the period will benefit from its well-defined focus."

BCCB Review

"This evenhanded overview of FDR walks a middle path perfect for middle grade readers. A commendable addition to school and public library collections."

SLJ Review

10/01/2019

Gr 6–8—The latest installment in the "Making of America" series follows Franklin Delano Roosevelt's journey from Hyde Park scion to a seminal player on the world stage. About half the text explores his early life, while the remainder focuses on his administration and legacy. Emphasis is placed on Roosevelt's reorientation of the Democratic Party, groundbreaking policies, landmark shift in the relationship between the federal government and its citizens, and push for a globally relevant America. Despite a glut of photographs and tangential sidebars, Kanefield's colloquial narrative serves as a sprightly introduction. While the text prefers primary sources to editorial commentary, it doesn't shy away from the president's complicated private life (including his protracted affair with Lucy Mercer), political mishaps (his attempt to pack the Supreme Court with six additional justices), or ethical shortcomings (say, a long-standing alliance with racist Southern Democrats). Since dates are often omitted and footnotes nonexistent, conscientious readers will find themselves mining back matter, including a comprehensive time line and textual notes, to aid their understanding. Kanefield's attention to Eleanor Roosevelt's formative influence on progressivism, especially in relation to race and gender, is also worth noting. VERDICT Neither hagiography nor a hatchet job, this evenhanded overview of FDR walks a middle path perfect for middle grade readers. A commendable addition to school and public library collections.—Steven Thompson, Sadie Pope Dowdell Library, South Amboy, NJ

School Library Journal

2019-07-28
A conversational examination of the life of the 32nd president.

Kanefield provides readers with an intimate examination of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, following the president from his birth in Hyde Park, New York, to his death in Warm Springs, Georgia. Along the way, readers discover Roosevelt's complexities, his personal life, and his policies. These include well-known shining moments, such as his electoral victory in 1932 and the political and gender diversity of his cabinet, as well as darker moments in his life, including his ongoing affair with Lucy Mercer and his lavish lifestyle as a young man. Although Kanefield's storytelling isn't always smooth, overall it flows in a friendly and welcoming style that reluctant readers will appreciate. Photographs and supplemental boxes of contextual information interrupt when additional background information is needed. The backmatter is also helpful, and it includes a timeline, bibliography, notes on the chapters, and selections of FDR's writing for curious readers. Those readers will need to flip back and forth between narrative and endnotes for sourcing information, however, as they are not directly anchored to the text. Those familiar with Kanefield's other biographical works will not be disappointed.

A solid account for both history buffs and report-writers. (Biography. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

"Kanefield affords readers the opportunity to 'see' Roosevelt as his contemporaries might have. Readers more familiar with Eleanor Roosevelt than her husband will find this title a valuable counterpoint, and students seeking a general American history of the period will benefit from its well-defined focus."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books