Thomas Jefferson: Our Third President (Our Presidents)

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Summary: An introduction to Thomas Jefferson as the 3rd President
Review: At a White House dinner for Nobel Prize laureates President Kennedy joked about how the occasion was the greatest collection of minds gathered together in the White House since Thomas Jefferson dined alone. How many Jefferson accomplished in his life time is indicated in this juvenile biography by Elizabeth Sirimarco for the Our Presidents series that by the second paragraph on the first page Jefferson is 27 years old and laying the first bricks for his new home Monticello. By the end of the chapter Jefferson is married, finished his new home, written the Declaration of Independence, served as minister to France, and has just been named the nation's first Secretary of State. Sirimarco does not even have the time or space to talk about Jefferson's parents, his attending the College of William and Mary, practicing law, serving as a member of the House of Burgesses, being elected Governor of Virginia, and the death of his file (although these are mentioned in the Time Line of Jefferson's life that appears in the back of the book).

The other three chapters of the book cover Jefferson's political career during the Washington and Adams administrations, and his two terms in the White House. Obviously, this volume introduces young readers to the life of Jefferson and given that the Our President series is limited to three-dozen pages, there is not much more than that Sirimarco can do. This particular volume is also handicapped by the fact the format emphasizes the presidency, so two of the four chapters cover each of his two terms in office although there is a sense in which Jefferson's years in the White House were among the least productive of his life. The book is illustrated with historic paintings, etchings and such, some of which were drawn by Jefferson himself. The sidebars in this volume are especially good, focusing on Jefferson and the issue of slavery, his work as a scientist, and his friendship with John Adams. The margins of the book often contain Interesting Facts such as Jefferson once offered to race his old, fat mare against a friend's young stalion...on February 30th.