The popularity of the adult title will drive interest, but this book is strong enough to draw its own audience. An excellent choice for middle-school libraries.” —School Library Journal

09/01/2013
Gr 9 Up—President John F. Kennedy's assassination shocked and saddened the entire nation and the world. Political journalist Bill O'Reilly explores the events in both Kennedy and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald's lives in the years leading up to that fateful day. This juvenile version (2013) of his adult title, Killing Kennedy (2012, both Holt), is told in an alternating time line that follows both men's lives in the years preceding the devastating event in Dallas. By juxtaposing the lives of both men, O'Reilly compares and contrasts their backgrounds and beliefs. While O'Reilly's admiration of Kennedy is apparent, this slight bias is well balanced with many facts that will lead listeners to develop a more well-rounded view of the 35th president. Kennedy's lack of interest in politics while growing up, the injuries he incurred while serving in the military during World War II, and the choices he made during the Cold War and Vietnam War are all detailed in an easy-to-understand manner. Narrator Edward Herrmann does a wonderful job of pacing through the audiobook, presenting the facts as if telling a story. Combined with the relative short length of the book, Herrmann's narration makes this an excellent choice for introducing young learners to Kennedy's assassination.—Jessica Miller, West Springfield Public Library, MA

Gr 5–9—This adaptation of O'Reilly and Martin Dugard's Killing Kennedy (Holt, 2012) retains the adult version's brief chapters and "you are there" style. It opens with O'Reilly's memories of the day his high-school class learned of the events of November 22, 1963, and then briefly describes the backgrounds of the president and the assassin. Most of the book, however, follows the parallel paths of Kennedy and Oswald as they approach the fateful day in Dallas, describing the most important aspects of Kennedy's presidency and life, contrasting them with Oswald's radical beliefs, myriad failures, and growing isolation. O'Reilly discusses both men's personal lives but omits details of Kennedy's sexual escapades and Oswald's marriage found in the adult version. He gives an hour-by-hour account of the day and the assassination, and Oswald's capture and subsequent murder, and evaluates Kennedy's legacy. An afterword relates the post-assassination fates of major characters, and back matter provides primary-source documents, source information, and an overview of the Warren Commission's investigation. The well-captioned photos and maps that appear on almost every page are a major strength of the book. YA titles such as Wilborn Hampton's Kennedy Assassinated! (Candlewick, 1997) offer similar, detailed accounts of the assassination, but readers will find O'Reilly's readable style and juxtaposition of Kennedy's and Oswald's lives to be appealing. The popularity of the adult title will drive interest, but this book is strong enough to draw its own audience. An excellent choice for middle-school libraries.—Mary Mueller, Rolla Public Schools, MO

This historical audiobook focuses on the events that culminated in President John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s assassination. Although the book is targeted for a younger audience, Edward Herrmann’s narration is magnificently suited for both adult and child listeners. He leads his audience expertly through this fact-filled account to its unforgettable end. Herrmann creates a compelling cadence that builds to a crescendo as the drama and horror unfold in the last chapters of Kennedy’s life. This will be the first time that many young listeners hear a detailed account of how one man’s anger and delusions changed the course of American history. Adult listeners who remember that fateful day will feel a strong connection to Herrmann’s presentation. E.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

Aiming for a young audience, the popular political pundit pares down his Killing Kennedy (2012) considerably (and leaves out the sexual exploits) while shoveling in sheaves of documentary photographs. O'Reilly writes in staccato bursts of present-tense prose chopped into short chapters and featuring quick shifts in point of view. This effectively cranks up the suspense despite tinges of purple ("The man with fewer than three years to live places his left hand on the Bible") and the foreordained outcome. The book chronicles John F. Kennedy's course from PT-109 through a challenging presidency and positively harps on Lee Harvey Oswald's determined but doomed quest to become a "great man." Though he ends with a personal anecdote that hints at the possibility of a conspiracy, the author's closely detailed account of the assassination itself and its aftermath follows the Warren Commission's version of events. News photos or snapshots on nearly every page provide views of the Kennedy and Oswald families over time, as well as important figures, places and major world events. Aside from a perfunctory list of "Fun Facts About the Early 1960s" that seems misplaced considering the somber topic, the backmatter is both extensive and helpful for further study of Kennedy's career and accomplishments. The melodrama is laid on with a trowel, but it's nevertheless a thoroughly documented, visually rich presentation of the official version. (timeline, quotes, capsule bios, sites, books, films, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 11-13)