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SEACOAST BOOKS
As many as 100 authors have taken on the complex life of John Paul Jones, many
in books written for young readers. Here is one more. But we’re pleased to report
that this new "library edition" for middle-schoolers is not your father’s history
text. Although well-researched and well-written, this bio is fun to read, filled
with pictures and up to date.
VISIT OUR John Paul Jones Section
JOHN PAUL JONES: Father of the American Navy
Brenda Haugen’s highly readable life of JPJ is the first post-Evan Thomas biography for children. Thomas, an editor at Newsweek magazine, managed to boost John Paul
Jones into the bestseller list for the first time in half a century. His book
of the same title -- thanks to his journalistic flair -- is the most readable
of scores of biographies about Jones. Drawing on that bio, Brenda Haugen has done
the same for middle schoolers.
 The problem with most biographies about JPJ for younger readers, and there have
been dozens and dozens of them in the last century, is that most are both childish
and inaccurate. Jones, like many heroes of the American Revolution, suffered from
too much heroic adoration and too little factual information. By the early 20th century, biographers were literally making up the story, while avoiding the
less savory details of Jones’ private life moody personality. Samuel Eliot Morison
cleared up a lot of the false tales in his very popular 1959 book (again by the
same name. But it was Thomas who really brought Jones – warts and all – to life
with exciting writing and journalistic research.
From what we have seen, this entire Compass Point "Signature Series" is a blessing
for school libraries and history teachers. The books are intelligent and never
"talk down" to student readers. They are both well-designed and packed with pictures
pulled from history. This particular series fleshes out a wide-range of characters
from Benedict Arnold and abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison to Harriet Beecher
Stowe, Tom Paine and Frederick Douglass. Each character gets his or her own colorful
hardcover volume.
I "discovered" this new book about John Paul Jones when the publishers contacted
SeacoastNH.com for info about our favorite Portsmouth maritime character. After
talking with the editors, I was pleased to serve as content adviser for the book.
It was a pleasure working briefly on a project of this caliber. When the first
copies arrived this week, it was a thrill to discover that the book lives up to
expectations. --- JDR
John Paul Jones: Father of the American Navy
By Brenda Haugen
112 pages, size: 6" x 9"
Compass Point Books
$22.95
BUY THIS BOOK from Amazon.com
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Covering important figures throughout the ages, these lively books are filled
with engaging text based on primary sources and thorough research. The full-color
images, historical photos and paintings, and detailed maps add to the books' appeal.
Each book includes fascinating sidebars, the subject's life at a glance, a parallel
timeline of the subject's life and world events, source notes, glossary, suggestions
for further reading, and pertinent Web sites and places to visit.
MORE JPJ BOOKS FROM AMAZON:
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