Suzanne Jurmain

Covers the political years of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, highlighting his perseverance and problem-solving skills. The text is readable and entertaining; the illustrations are attractive, and in the case of Franklin imitating his cousin Theodore, absolutely hilarious! This is the third collaboration of Suzanne Tripp Jurmain and Larry Day which give light-hearted and accessible introductions to the personalities of some of the Presidents of the United States. This would pair well with "Make Your Mark, Franklin Roosevelt" by Judith St. George, which covers his early years.… (más)

5 stars from me! I will definitely be using this in my classroom! Its a history lesson and a lesson on friendship all rolled into one! I love the way the author wrote it. The back and forth "Tom" and "John" reiteration was light and playful, but the story was accurate and very factual. I think this book tells of an important part in America's history. I also loved the fact at the end about them both passing away on the same day, July 4, on the 15th anniversary of America having independence. I'm 22 years old and never knew that! Very cool!… (más)

This book is a really fun read with humorous details and simple prose, it tells the story of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson's tumultuous friendship and America's early struggles with developing a new government. Great for many ages, children can learn a number of "life lessons" about friendship and character, while also learning a simplified version of our early political parties and the challenges our new government faced at conception. I have not used this in my classroom, but I could see students at a variety of grade levels enjoying this book as a quick intro to many topics (federalists vs. republicans, founding fathers, famous feuds, letter writing, journaling, early presidents, etc...). My one-year-old even enjoyed it (bc of the voices I'm sure). Highly recommend!… (más)