Barack Obama: An American Story

Barack Obama: An American Story is a biography of President Barack Obama written especially for teen and young adult readers. Covering his adolescence (raised by a single mother and grandparents), his rise to the top of his class at Harvard Law, his Christian faith, and how he left a well-paying career to enter the realm of public service, Barack Obama: An American Story is more than a true-life biography - it's a motivational story about bettering oneself and reaching for one's dream. Highly recommended for youth collections in both school and public libraries.

I plan to share this book with the community and school libraries in my town...and with English, History, Government and Sociology teaching friends in the US and abroad. In language accessible to young people, the inspiring anecdotes in this biography often step beyond politics to focus on the unexpected journey of our new president - a journey that proves the American Dream lives on. Regardless of your personal politics, this life story should empower young people to recognize the strength that education and perseverance offer them to impact the real world, starting today.

Few people are ambivalent when it comes to Mr. Obama and this includes adolescents. For those who want to learn more about his background, this book does an excellent job of surveying those factors and forces that have helped form him. No matter what an adolescent or youth worker's political persuasion is, he or she will find the book helpful in creating rich discussions on numerous topics dealing with politics, family and faith.