Hillary Rodham Clinton: Some Girls Are Born to Lead

Whether she was "acing tests" and "upstaging boys in class" or organizing elementary school fund-raisers to help the poor, Hillary Rodham bucked the status quo at a young age and began to blaze a trail for women with her drive, smarts, and support of public service and social justice ("Take that, 1950s!"). Adopting a breezy tone, Markel (Brave Girl) concisely outlines Clinton's journey from activist to First Lady of Arkansas and on to Washington, D.C. Markel hails Clinton as a "superwoman" and notes her reaction to sexist criticism, as well as her ability to pick up the mantle after suffering policy defeat. Without mentioning Clinton's current campaign for the White House in the main text (it is included an extensive closing time line), Markel writes, "No matter what Hillary does next, if she wants to change the world, she'll find a way." Pham's (the Freckleface Strawberry series) watercolors are steeped in period detail as she depicts Clinton beaming at her wedding, working on the campaign trail, making key speeches, and meeting with dignitaries. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Anna Olswanger, Olswanger Literary. Illustrator's agent: Linda Pratt, Wernick & Pratt Agency. (Jan.)

Gr 1-4--Framed in terms of the fight for equal opportunities for women, this picture book biography depicts Hillary Rodham Clinton's story as one of endless heroic struggles on behalf of the oppressed. Clinton is described as an excellent student who took an early leadership role among her peers, was inspired by hearing a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and later fearlessly advocated on behalf of women, people of color, children, and the poor. Her challenges in balancing work and family life, as well as the criticism she's received as a woman, make her willingness to conquer each new hurdle even more impressive. Employing deft and engaging prose, Markel covers much of the same ground Kathleen Krull did with Hillary Rodham Clinton: Dreams Taking Flight (S. & S., 2008) but provides far more specific details, though Krull's book offers a more impressionistic main text and extensive endnotes. The tone is relentlessly positive, making it difficult to get a well-rounded sense of Clinton as a person, and there is no reference to any of the political controversies surrounding her or Bill Clinton. Pham's evocative illustrations steal the show, varying in mood from whimsical to uplifting to sobering. Particularly effective is the contrast between the opening spread, which features well-known (and sepia-toned) men of the 1950s, and the concluding pages, which depict many vibrantly diverse and notable women of the 20th and 21st centuries. VERDICT A beautifully produced, if excessively laudatory, biography of a significant contemporary political figure; recommended for general collections.--Laura Simeon, Open Window School Library, WA