Independent Reading Level: Grade 5

00014908

Summary
Ronald Reagan was our fortieth President. He lived in Illinois until he got a career acting in Hollywood. After his acting career, he decided to have a career in politics. Reagan always stood his ground on his beliefs. He also has some interesting facts about him, such as almost getting assassinated and being the oldest President ever.

Personal Reaction
I thought this book was very interesting. It was very informative and I learned a lot of new things I did not know about President Reagan. Things I think everyone should know about. I think this would be a great story for students to read to learn about people that had an effect on America.

Classroom Extensions
1. The students could do some extra research over Ronald Reagan and present their new information to the class.
2. This would be great to read to the class during the week of Presidents' Day. The students could even take a mini quiz over the book after they have read it. ( )

This book was extremely informative to the reader. I really got to know who Ronald Reagan was not only as a president of the United States, but as a person. This book focuses a lot on what made Ronald Reagan who he was, focusing on his childhood and background before he ever became president, focusing on three main phases of his life: his college years as a lifeguard, his years being an actor in movies, and his years as president. The book is extremely detailed and doesn’t miss anything that happened in his life, however it was not boring to read or repetitive. The writing is light and humorous and although Ronald Reagan is not the one telling about his story and life, it seems as though the author knew him personally, almost as a close friend: “But Dutch always looked back on his days as a lifeguard as one of the best times of his life.” We are able to get really familiarized with the subject of the book. Finally, I really enjoy that even though this book is a chapter book, the book still includes many pictures to help younger readers focus on the information being given and be able to visualize what is going on in the story. ( )

As I read this novel, I liked learning about President Reagan's background life. We always hear about presidents and what they accomplished in office, but this book focuses on before the presidency. Who knew Ronald Reagan saved multiple lives as a lifeguard for six years? I liked the cartoon illustrations which accompany the chapter book, however I wish there was at least one real photograph of Ronald Reagan. The book has a helpful timeline at the end to piece together the entire novel which is a great reference for book reports. This biography serves its purpose of educating citizens on the life of Ronald Reagan, from childhood to the end. ( )