For a YA audience, this book is a quick but understandable overview of Hamilton's life, & includes just enough social/political/historical context (sometimes "pull out" graphic boxes w/explanations) to help the reader understand, but continue to advance the narrative. ( )

My fifth grade son was enthralled by this biography of Alexander Hamilton. He read it in a single night, and then spent the next week telling his older sister about every way in which the musical, Hamilton, strayed from historical fact. For any student who likes the musical, and wants to know more about the founding father, I would heartily recommend this book. ( )

Alexander Hamilton by Teri Kanefield is a timely book on an often overlooked figure.

This biography serves as a wonderful introduction to both the person of Alexander Hamilton as well as an overview of the various arguments over how the United States would function. The narrative will keep young readers interested yet Kanefield masterfully incorporates a multitude of teaching points into the story.

As a biography the work, of course, focuses on the ideas and thoughts of Hamilton. Yet the opposing ideas of the other founders are given a fair accounting as well, which will help students to understand the differences in locating power in government in different places.

Also of interest to educators are the various sidebars which explain terms (such as tariff or Articles of Confederation). These are kept brief but provide enough information to help the reader better understand the events taking place in Hamilton's life.

The writing, as I have come to appreciate in Kanefield's work, is clear and concise. For the target age group, 10-14, this will be an interesting and relatively easy read but will also help to expand both vocabulary and comprehension. I can envision this being a central source for a classroom debate on type of government with students taking Hamiltonian and Jeffersonian positions.

Hamilton's inclusive ideas on who should be included in the freedom the new country was promising can serve as a jumping off point for discussion on far more than form of government or type of economic system is best. Such discussion in the classroom can be used to help students learn empathy and compassion in addition to facts and figures.

I would highly recommend this book to any parent wanting to supplement their child's education (the discussions I envision for a classroom would be equally valuable in the home) and for any educators seeking engaging reading material for their classrooms. ( )

I love history. It amazes me how much I really do not know, especially about American History. Teri Kanefield has once again done an exceptional job of bringing history to life. Her book about Alexander Hamilton opened my eyes to a man I realized I really knew nothing about. He starts off life in another country, poor, abandoned and making his own way in life. When given the opportunity to come to America he jumps at the chance. His mind for learning amazed me. I had no idea how much influence he had in shaping what we now call the United States of America. He married a woman who came from a wealthy family with the understanding that he was poor and would probably always be that way. She loved the man he was and agreed to the marriage. He put so much into this country. Through reading this book you get a well-rounded picture of the man and his love for this country. You get a first-hand look at how much he was willing to sacrifice for it. I learned what an elegant writer he was. For the history lover, this is a must read book. This is a book that will definitely go on my shelves. It is a book that I want my students to read. It is a book I will recommend to our History department as a valuable resource. Teri has included some of his writings in the back of the book. More importantly was the timeline and endnotes she included. Such a valuable resource, yet it held my attention and I read it in one sitting. This is a must read book. This book will be published in March of 2017.
I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own. ( )