John G. Roberts, Jr.: Chief Justice

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John G. Roberts, Jr.: Chief Justice
(Gateway Biographies)
by Lisa Tucker McElroy

How does a boy from Long Beach, Indiana, grow up to be Chief Justice of the United States? Through a lifetime of remarkable achievements. John G. Roberts, Jr., graduated first in his high school class, finished Harvard University in only three years, received high honors in law school, and became a well-respected attorney and judge. On September 29, 2005, Roberts reached the top spot in his profession, becoming the seventeenth Chief Justice.

Read all about the Chief Justice in this authorized children’s biography, the only one available. The book is full of personal anecdotes gleaned from interviews with his family and friends, and, of course, the Chief himself!

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Published by Millbrook Press (2006)
ISBN: 0822563894

 

Alberto Gonzales: Attorney General

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Alberto Gonzales: Attorney General
(Gateway Biographies)
by Lisa Tucker McElroy

We all see the Attorney General in the news, but it’s rare to hear about his up close and personal side. Kids will be interested to know that AG the AG is a down-to-earth person just like the ones who live in their own neighborhoods: he likes Mexican food, he loves baseball, and he's a big Star Wars fan. This book traces the AG’s life from his humble beginnings as one of eight children in Humble, Texas, through his boyhood and time as a student, up to his law career and service as White House Counsel and Attorney General of the United States.

The only biography of the Attorney General, the book includes many personal anecdotes from his wife, his mother, his former law partner, and the Attorney General himself.

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Published by Millbrook Press (2006)
ISBN: 0822534185

 

Love, Lizzie

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Love, Lizzie: Letters to a Military Mom
by Lisa Tucker McElroy, Diane Paterson (Illustrator)

Lizzie’s mom is serving in the military overseas, and Lizzie really misses her. While they are apart, Lizzie and her mom write letters to each other to help make the separation easier. Lizzie asks her mom to hurry up and defend freedom so she can come home soon. It’s hard when her mom misses Lizzie’s soccer championship and her birthday.

Throughout the story, Lizzie draws maps to show her mother the important things in her life—like the new ice cream store, her new friend's house, the family's Thanksgiving airplane trip to Florida, and the stars in the sky. While Lizzie doesn't know exactly where her mom is, they both can wish on the same star.

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Published by Albert Whitman & Company (2005)
ISBN: 0807547778

 

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Meet My Grandmother: She’s a Supreme Court Justice
by Lisa Tucker McElroy (with help from Courtney O'Connor)

To many of us, Sandra Day O’Connor is an icon. She was the first woman to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court, and her decisions, as Associate Justice, influence all of our lives. To nine-year-old Courtney, however, the Justice is just Grandma.

Young readers can join Courtney on a visit to the Supreme Court to find out about what Justice O’Connor does when she is at work, then share some of the Justice’s leisure time with her granddaughter in Washington, D.C. Together, they visit the Air and Space Museum, the FDR Memorial, the National Archives—as well as take an aerobics class, pop into a toy store, and stop for pizza and ice cream.

In this charming photo essay, we are treated to a glimpse of a devoted grandmother doing what all grandmothers, even those with demanding professions, love to do most—spend time with their grandchildren.

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Published by Millbrook Press (1999)
ISBN: 0761313869

 

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Sandra Day O’Connor: Supreme Court Justice (Gateway Biographies)
by Lisa Tucker McElroy

Sandra Day O’Connor was, in 1981, the first woman appointed to the United States Supreme Court. In this Gateway Biography, learn about her life from cowgirl to student to mother to public figure to grandmother!

The Gateway Biography series covers contemporary people as well as historic figures. Through the dauntless pursuit of a dream or the unwavering belief in an idea, each of the individuals featured in these fascinating biographies has changed the world.

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Published by Millbrook Press (2003)
ISBN: 0761325824

 

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Meet My Grandmother: She’s a United States Senator
by Lisa Tucker McElroy (with help from Eileen Feinstein Mariano)

United States Senator from California and the former Mayor of San Francisco, Dianne Feinstein is known to all of us as a woman of tremendous accomplishment. But to six-year-old Eileen Feinstein Mariano, the Senator is her grandmother, known as “Gagi.”

Eileen loves to visit Washington, D.C., to learn about what her grandmother does on Capitol Hill. But her favorite times are when Gagi has “recess” and can return to California. Then they can do the things they like to do together—explore San Francisco, read books, play the piano, draw beautiful pictures, and generally just enjoy each other’s company.

Reading level: Ages 4-8
Published by Millbrook Press (2000)
ISBN: 0761314326

 

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Meet My Grandmother: She’s a Deep-Sea Explorer
by Lisa Tucker McElroy (with help from Russell T. Mead)

“I think that getting near a shark would be scary, but my grandmother does it all the time. She says that if you mind your own business, they will mind theirs. It’s more dangerous to drive in traffic than it is to swim with sharks! The only time a shark got too close to her, G-mom just thumped him on the nose with her flipper and he swam right off.

“My name is Russell Mead and I’m ten years old. My grandmother, Sylvia Earle, is a deep-sea explorer...”

So begins this grandson’s view of a truly unusual grandmother whose passion for saving our oceans comes through in every aspect of her life.

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Published by Millbrook Press (2000)
ISBN: 0761317201

 

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Meet My Grandmother: She’s a Children’s Book Author
by Lisa Tucker McElroy (with help from Abigail Jane Cobb)

Vicki Cobb would be an unusual grandmother if she only had one career, but she actually has two. She is a scientist who, because she has chosen to share her sense of wonder with young people, is a successful and prolific author of children’s science books. And, like all of the women in this series, Vicki Cobb has another all-important role in her life: being a grandmother.

So, enjoy spending some time with Vicki Cobb and her granddaughter, Abby, and find out what it’s really like to be a children’s book author!

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Published by Millbrook Press (2001)
ISBN: 0761319727