Obama-mania hits the kids’ shelves January 17, 2009

Whether you were an Obama supporter or not, he is indeed our 44th President-elect. And our children need to know about him. Fortunately, to help our efforts, Barack Obama-bios abound for the juvenile market, from the board books crowd to pretty good  junior biography.

And unlike some cloying titles that appeared at election time — like the puffed up Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope —  more down to earth titles have emerged that offer useful, objective information and good profiles of our new president and even his First Lady to be, Michelle.

Here’s a little tour of some of the better Obama titles now lining the juvenile section shelves:

• Barack Obama 101: My First Presidential-board-book (101 Board Books). Full-color photos of the first family and Obama through the years give a visual history for the very young.
• For the busy bees and hands-on learners, check out President Barack Obama A Coloring & Activity Book.
• Change Has Come: An Artist Celebrates Our American Spirit pairs the black and white drawings of illustrator Kadir Nelson with Obama’s messages of hope and change.
• Barack Obama: Our 44th President by Beatrice Gormley is considered by the Associated Press to be one of the better bios for young people, and has been updated since Obama’s victory.
• Michelle Obama: Meet the First Lady by David Bergen Brophy. The AP has this to say: “Drawing strength from the struggles of her disabled father and hardworking mother on Chicago’s South Side, Michelle Obama’s life as a young girl at predominantly white Princeton is described with a steady hand, as is her first look at her husband-to-be in ‘bad sport jacket and a cigarette dangling from his mouth.’ Brophy relies nicely on the soon-to-be first lady’s own words.”

posted by Janie McQueen, author of The New Magic Bookshelf: Finding Great Books Your Child Will Treasure Forever

Visit http://www.magicbookshelfonline.com