Magill's Choice: American Heroes: 0 - Hardcover

Grade 9 Up—This set covers more than 200 diverse men and women-from Bob Hope and Betty Friedan to Abigail Adams and Barack Obama-who represent achievement in a wide variety of disciplines. Each entry lists the subject's area(s) of achievement, followed by sections on "Early Life," "Life's Work," and "Significance," and a further reading list. There are black-and-white portraits of some of the subjects. Though only a few pages long, the articles contain a considerable amount of information. Short, introductory narratives in each entry encapsulate the individuals' significance and will go a long way toward helping students develop workable thesis statements before writing about these notable figures. The term "hero" is subjective, and some of those selected (Junípero Serra, Huey Long, Louis Farrakhan) are not without controversy. The articles address the debates, personal shortcomings, and disputes about accomplishments in an unbiased manner. Many of the personalities are well known but others, such as Jimmy Doolittle and Jeannette Rankin, may be unfamiliar to students. Heroes will be used primarily for research, and as background information for in-depth assignments.—Patricia N. McClune, Conestoga Valley High School, Lancaster, PA
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American Heroes profiles 209 individuals from a variety of ethnicities and walks of life. Some of the profiles appeared previously in sets in the publisher’s Great Lives from History series and have been updated; others are new. Only 61 entries are about women. Entries are arranged alphabetically and range in length from as few as three pages for Hank Aaron to seven or more pages for Samuel Adams and others. A famous quote by the hero begins each essay, followed by basic ready-reference information: birth, death, and area of achievement. The essays themselves contain the same format, with sections for categories “Early Life,” “Life’s Work,” “Significance,” and a “Further Reading.” Black-and-white photos can be found in some entries. Following the entries are a list of “Subjects by Category” and two indexes, “Ethnicity” and “Subjects and Personages.” The volumes are quite current as reflected in the inclusion of Barack Obama. Recommended for high-school and public libraries. --Carol Sue Harless