(3) K-3 Illustrated by Amy June Bates. This portrait of the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee focuses on Joe Biden's childhood and young adult years. The narrative ties together anecdotes showcasing Biden's leadership, compassion, faith, and strong commitment to family, with a focus on his humble upbringing and struggles with stuttering and bullying. Written by his wife--with veteran nonfiction author Krull--this picture book biography is laudatory but not overly so. Warm illustrations contribute to the text's comforting mood. Family tragedies are included in a timeline (current to March 2020). A list of homey "Bidenisms" and a bibliography are appended.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by James Lancett. Jonathan and Shelley--average, unmemorable twelve-year-olds--are ideal spies for The League of Unexceptional Children. The unremarkable duo must save the day when the vice president is kidnapped and the nation's secrets are threatened. The one-note premise wears thin, but fans of comic mysteries should enjoy this projected series debut. Cartoon illustrations break up the text.

Reviewer: Russell Perry

(4) 4-6 Searchlight Books: How Does Government Work? series. These books provide accessible overviews of the U.S. government. Documents looks at the creation of three essential documents from the late 1700s. The other volumes discuss running for elected office and the three branches of government. Lots of archival illustrations and/or photographs break up the concise, choppily written texts. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Searchlight Books: How Does Government Work? titles: Checks and Balances, Judges and Courts, The President, Vice President, and Cabinet, The Congress, Getting Elected, and Documents of Freedom.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(4) YA People in the News series. These mainly laudatory volumes examine their subjects' early obstacles, career controversies, and successes. Perry endured childhood abuse; he had many professional failures before becoming a powerful writer, producer, and actor. Biden overcame stuttering and coped with the tragic death of his wife and child early in his political career. Combs has reinvented himself many times. Copious photos illustrate the texts. Reading list, timeline, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Sean Combs, Joe Biden, and Tyler Perry.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA People in the News series. From politicians to actors to world leaders, these biographies provide mostly adulatory portrayals of their subjects (with the exceptions of Castro and Kim Jong Il); occasionally something controversial slips in to spice up the texts. Each volume includes biographical information, photographs, and career highlights (through 2008). Reading list, timeline, websites. Ind. Review covers these People in the News titles: Salma Hayek, Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, Coretta Scott King, Pope Benedict XVI, Fidel Castro, and Kim Jong Il.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(2) 4-6 The narrative unfolds first with a tantalizing preview of the duel, then with alternating but not strictly linear profiles of Hamilton and Burr, and finally with the outcome and consequences of the duel. St. George employs the dual biography format with facility and flair, bringing these two historical figures to life, along with their unceasingly fascinating feud. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jonathan Hunt | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2009

(4) YA Political Profiles series. These three uneven political biographies cover their subjects' childhoods, important life events, and present-day careers. Though the texts are marred by occasional inaccuracies (e.g, Lewis incorrectly states that Martin Luther King Jr. went to Boston College instead of Boston University), they could appeal to budding politicians. Photographs, some without captions, help illuminate history and personalities. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Political Profiles titles: Sarah Palin, John Lewis, and Joe Biden.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(1) K-3 Illustrated by Larry Day. Concentrating on personalities rather than larger political questions, Fradin describes the early years of Burr and Hamilton, what the men had in common, and the beginnings of their animosity. Day's ink, watercolor, and gouache illustrations beautifully pace the narrative, highlighting the hostility between the two by shifting perspectives throughout. A brief sidebar about the demise of dueling is appended. Reading list. Bib.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008

(4) YA Political Profiles series. These profiles of seven politicians currently in the spotlight are thorough, concentrating heavily on childhood, background, and the forces that shaped these leaders. The volumes will quickly be dated (especially in the four on presidential candidates); Gore ends before his Nobel Peace Prize award. Photographs help break up the dense pages. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Political Profiles titles: Al Gore, Barack Obama, Rudy Giuliani, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Reviewer: Susan Halperin

(4) YA Headline Court Cases series. In each case--the early nineteenth-century trial of politician Aaron Burr and the late-twentieth-century trial of terrorists Ramzi Yousef and Eyad Ismoil--the flatly written books begin with background on the circumstances around the crimes, then relate the court proceedings and the closure (or lack thereof) that followed. Burr is illustrated with reproduced art; Terrorist has black-and-white photos and a timeline. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Headline Court Cases titles: The Aaron Burr Treason Trial and The Terrorist Trial of the 1993 Bombing of the World Trade Center.]

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Gateway Biography series. These biographies of major players in the last, contested presidential election present their subjects' lives as a series of activities and accomplishments, highlighting the positives and downplaying any controversies. The result is bland and uninspiring, but the books in this series may be useful for report writers. All have color and black-and-white photos and time lines; Bush contains a bibliography. Ind. [Review covers these Gateway Biography titles: Dick Cheney, Joseph Lieberman, Laura Welch Bush.]

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) YA People to Know series. Well-known Americans who have achieved success in government, the arts, and popular culture are the subjects of these clearly written biographies. The emphasis is on public success and career growth, never going much deeper to acknowledge idiosyncrasies or personal flaws. Still, the books will be sufficient for those seeking basic biographical information. Illustrated with average-quality black-and-white photos. Time lines are included. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta