The poem "Birches" by Robert Frost frames each chapter of this well-crafted biography of the man who became president in 1961. The authors' uses of the oral history collection and audiovisual archives at the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston gives readers access to information and photographs typically not included in biographies for any audience. This biography offers new insights about President Kennedy's accomplishments and poses thoughtful reasons for the some of the ambivalence with which the man and his many achievements are now remembered. A detailed chronology, an annotated bibliography of print and non-print resources, extensively documented source notes and an index all enrich a well-written and handsomely designed volume. (Ages 9-14)

With a style and clarity that make this book especially appropriate for young people, Harrison and Terris explore the historical times and personal complexities of a president who trod a line between political and sociocultural progress.