Now available in paperback for the first time, James Cross Giblin and Michael Dooling relate the story of our nation's third president and author of the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Jefferson was a soft-spoken man. But his contributions to American democracy live on as bold reminders of his formidable intellect and spirit. Son of a wealthy famer, young Thomas was a studious boy who shared his father's love of books. He was painfully shy about speaking up in school, especially when other children taunted him. By age 16, though, Thomas had entered college, and began law school two years later. He was a man of many talents. Besides practicing law, he played the violin and designed Monticello, the beautiful home where he lived with his wife and family.
Author
James Cross Giblin was an author of biographies and history books for children and younger readers, as well as some history books for adults. In his own words, he was "shy, bookish, and a little spoiled." He loved comic books and drew his own comic strips. Giblin worked on his school newspapers and wrote a play while he was at Western Reserve University. That play, My Bus Was Always Late, was published in 1954. He worked hard at writing plays, but disappointment followed. After receiving his MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, he went to work at the British Book Centre, which proved to be his doorway into the publishing field. An associate editor at Lothrop, Lee & Shepard from 1962 to 1967, Giblin then moved to Seabury Press as editor-in-chief of its children's division, Clarion Books. In 1989, he stepped back to the position of contributing editor so he could focus on his writing career. The Truth About Santa Claus and Chimney Sweeps: Yesterday and Today were named ALA Notable Books. Walls: Defenses Throughout History received an SCBWI Golden Kite Award. The Secrets of the Sphinx was given the Orbis Pictus Award. Most recently, The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler received a Sibert Award in 2003.
