Illustrated by Matt Tavares

On Sale: Oct 26, 2010
Page Count: 48 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9781423122722

$17.99

$18.99 CAD

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Hardcover $17.99 $18.99 CAD
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A moving portrait of a courageous figure by the author of Abe’s Honest Words and Martin’s Big Words.

John F. Kennedy was a popular, charismatic president, beloved by many. But he didn’t always believe he had the strength or courage for that office. As a child, he was sickly and also overshadowed by his strong, capable, athletic older brother Joe. After Joe Jr.’s death, John had to work hard to live up to his own expectations and to those of his father. He overcame pain and self-doubt to see the country through one of the most difficult crises in its history. Doreen Rappaport once again combines real-life quotes with her own lyrical prose to create a moving portrait of a beloved figure. Matt Tavares’ stunning artwork vividly depicts this unique time in history.

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A Big Words Book

“Readers see JFK’s competitive drive both in sports and in his defiance of Khrushchev; his intellectual side as a reader and author; his courage during World War II; and his dedication to service, as a “fill-in” for his dead brother Joe’s political plans and as founder of the Peace Corps. Still, Rappaport refuses to turn this life into a hagiography, citing the disaster of the Cuban Missile Crisis and pointing out Kennedy’s slow progress toward civil rights for African Americans.”
The Horn Book
“A brief but inspiring portrait…”
Kirkus Reviews
“This beautifully illustrated and gracefully told story serves as a superior introduction to our 35th president.”
School Library Journal

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Doreen Rappaport

About the Author

Doreen Rappaport is the award-winning author of the Big Words picture book biography series, including the Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Book Award Honor Book Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier; Beacon of Hope: The Life of Barack Obama, illustrated by Tonya Engel; Helen’s Big Words: The Life of Helen Keller, illustrated by Matt Tavares; and Ruth Objects: The Life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, illustrated by Eric Velasquez, among many others. She is the recipient of the Washington Post Children’s Book Guild lifetime achievement award for the writing of nonfiction. Doreen lives in upstate New York and invites you to visit her online at doreenrappaport.com.

Cozbi A. Cabrera is the author and illustrator of Me & Mama, which received a Coretta Scott King Book Award Honor and a Caldecott Honor, and My Hair Is a Garden. Her illustrated titles include Brown Girl, Brown Girl by Leslé Honoré, Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks by Suzanne Slade, and Chef Edna: Queen of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis by Melvina Noel, among others. Her handmade cloth dolls (muñecas) are collected all around the world. She lives in Illinois with her husband and daughter.

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