Obama: A Promise of Change

OBAMA: A PROMISE OF CHANGE is an adaptation for young readers ages eight to twelve of David Mendell's OBAMA: FROM PROMISE TO POWER. It is a good introduction to Obama's history and should appeal to the audience for which it is written. Each chapter opens with a quotation, sometimes from Barack Obama himself, his wife Michelle ("Congratulations, Mr. Senator"), elderly Kenyan women, Obama's brother-in-law, an Obama voter et al. Mr. Mendell quotes liberally from both Mr. Obama's writings and interviews and includes photographs as well. The author briefly describes Obama's uniqueness, his father from Kenya, his mother from Hawaii and Kansas, his childhood in Indonesia, his education, how the young Barry became Barach, his community organizing in Chicago, his marriage and children, his faith, then his foray into state and national politics and his visits to Africa in straightforward language. He explains terms and events to the young reader-- the definition of a stump speech and the events of 9/11, for instance, as well as how to pronounce the word "Kibera" without being pedantic, a necessary quality for any writer trying to get the attention of young readers in this age of television and the many other distractions that keep them from picking up a book. Whether one is for Mr. Obama for president or not-- after all children do not vote anyway-- it is impossible to read this book without catching the magic of the man and believing that ours is a diverse country where all things are possible.

David Mendell Amistad (2008) ISBN 9780061697005 Reviewed by Brianne Plach (age 10) for Reader Views (8/08) Do you know that Barack Obama has been called Barry? Do you want to know the real facts about Barack Obama? This year is another election year! Barack Obama and John McCain going for President of the United States! You are bound to see a lot of TV programming and commercials advertising these two men. But, do you want to know one of them on a more personal basis? David Mendell has written a biography of Barack Obama which will answer some of your questions about the man who may become the next president of the United States. We all have faced sad and life-changing events in our lives. At age 21, Barack Obama received a telephone call telling him that his father had been killed in a car accident. He never was close to his father because his father left him and his mother when he was very young. For obvious reasons, his mother is probably the most influential person and vital part of his life. She had her own issues to deal with; first of all, her name is Stanley. Her parents had wanted a boy. She was an only child who found solace in her love of books and reading. This is a trait which she passed onto her son Barack. There are a lot of details about Barack's childhood that remain unseen from the political world. Barack's parents married at an early age. He was a Kenyan exchange student and she a Hawaiian. Multi-racial marriages were unheard of at that time. His dad received a scholarship to Harvard but couldn't afford to take young Barack and Ann with him. His stepfather was Indonesian and the family lived in that country for a while. He saw poverty up close and realized that he wanted to do something about it when he was older. He was sent to live with his grandparents back in Hawaii as a young boy. Barack met his wife, a lawyer, when he was living in Chicago. Michelle Obama has been a companion at his side throughout his political life. Because of his height, he was a basketball player. He hopes to make a slam dunk in November! Read about Barack Obama in David Mendell's "Obama: A Promise of Change."