This juvenile biography shows that John Paul Jones did much more in his life as a naval commander than utter the immortal words, "I have not yet begun to fight." Norman Jean Lutz tells the story of how a young boy born in Scotland named John Paul ended up being buried at the U.S. Naval Academy as the Father of the U.S. Navy. Always having a strong love for sailing on the seas, he became the captain of his own ship when he was only 21, even though he did not have any family connections to aid him in his career. The famous battle between the "Bonhomme Richard" commanded by Jones and H.M.S. "Serapis" is usually mentioned in American History textbooks, but Lutz gives more details about the story, in which Jones wins the battle although he loses his ship. However, what proves more fascinating are the exploits of "Pirate Jones" on the U.S.S. "Ranger," which actually attacked English coastal towns and shipping. Certainly these exploits were as important as his more famous sea battle. The idea that Jones is the Father of the U.S. Navy basically comes down to the fact he advocated a naval college, along with the assertion that other ideas have been adopted and are still used by the U.S. Navy today. Lutz touches on both the ambition and pride Jones evidenced throughout his naval career, telling about the various slights Jones felt he had received in terms of commissions. The controversial side of Jones's nature is not explicitly developed, but young readers will certainly get the idea. This book is illustrated with historic paintings and engravings, most of which actually have to do with Jones and his naval career (this is not always the case with these books). Other titles in the Revolutionary War Leaders series include Nathan Hale, Thomas Paine, Betsy Ross, and George Washington.

This is a great book about a preteen boy and his desire to play in a marching band. There are hardships along the way like getting used to a new stepfather. Then a mysterious letter comes from a famous person!

William Penn turned his back on his rich family and became a Quaker at a time when the Society of Friends was being persecuted, if not prosecuted, by the Anglican Church. In this juvenile biography of Penn for the Colonial Leaders series Norma Jean Lutz focuses on Penn's role as a "Founder of Democracy" based upon the "Charter of Privileges" he created for the colony of Pennsylvania (named for his father, whose was owed a debt by the king of England which translated into the land grant). In fact, Lutz points out that for the 50th anniversary of Penn's Charter a bell was hung in the State House at Philadelphia which we now know as the Liberty Bell. Lutz spends as much time in this book covering the religious differences that led Penn to become involved in the Society of Friends as it does to the founding of the colony of Pennsylvania. This book is illustrated with historic paintings and engravings of Penn and the Quakers, as well as contemporary photographs of some of the places and sites important in his life. Other books in this series look at Lord Baltimore (who had a disputed land claim against Penn), Benjamin Franklin, Cotton Mather, and John Smith. These books provide nice introductions to the colonists and early politicians who help defined American life.

This historical fiction story, geared towards preteens, captivates young readers, even if it does contain a healthy amount of factual information. It is a bit easy to read, even for the age group, but other than that, it is a well written story.

Norma Jean Lutz's The History of Third Parties is more apt to confuse than inform the young adult reader. This six chapter, 60-page title is not only unfocused, but critical information about United States government and history is absent.

Lutz neglects to explain the structures and laws under which political parties and elections operate. While the book uses "third-party" to describe minor parties, it fails to enumerate the two major parties and to indicate when they are in power. The greatest confusion comes in the section that describes members of the free-soil movement joining the new Republican Party in 1854. What were the major two parties before the mid-nineteenth century? Lutz doesn't tell the reader.

Lutz enumerates the "Third-Party Hurdles" which have limited the success of minor parties in the U.S. In this section, there is no description of the Electoral College. There is no explanation of "winner take all" elections. An understanding of the system's basic structure is fundamental to comprehending the challenges faced by minor parties. This material is not too advanced for the young adult reader, and the absence of such information promotes confusion rather than clarity.

Another shortcoming is the intermixing of terms. Descriptions of political parties, independent candidates, political factions, and social movements are treated synonymously. The book opens with a chapter dedicated to Ross Perot's 1992 presidential bid and Jesse Ventura's gubernatorial victory. Descriptions of Perot's personally funded candidacy and the Reform Party are commingled; no clarifications are made between individual candidates and the institutions of a political parties. Later in the book, abolitionists are described as a political party rather than a movement. While having many political implications, the abolitionist movement crossed many party and social lines.

Throughout the book, historical descriptions of political unfoldings are weak. Rather than presenting past actions or statements, Lutz attributes emotions and attitudes to significant political actors. In discussing conflicts between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, Lutz writes that President Washington "was greatly distressed over the conflict". There is no further mention of anything the president said or did in response. Rather the description continues that Jefferson "felt" and "believed" in the rights of men and that the ordinary people "hated" the Federalists (pp. 18-19). No writings, letters, or journals are cited to support these assertions. While these may be an accurate descriptions of their sentiments, it is not a sufficient substitute for describing their actions and public statements.

Imprecise language and inadequately defined terms leave readers guessing meanings throughout the book. A glossary provides definitions to only 12 terms. In one paragraph, readers are referred to the glossary for the term "political convention" but not referred anywhere to find out what or who "the Barnburners" and "Hunkers" might be. Phrases that might be unknown or unclear to young people are often used. To describe Roosevelt's entry in to the presidential race, Lutz only writes he "threw his hat in the ring" (p. 44). Unquantified descriptions such as "paupers' wages" and "unimaginable wealth" are meaningless to many as well (p. 33).

The most egregious issues of language are those that reflect racial and ethnic bias. The opening sentence of a section on the American party reads, "Yet another problem that arose during the 1840s and 1850s was that of record numbers of immigrants coming to this county." (p. 30) This anti-immigrant tone is further reflected in a discussion of the temperance movement, "More powerful were the large groups of immigrant drinkers. Theirs was the voice that moved the major parties." (p. 39) Certainly Irish and German immigrants were neither the central political force nor the only anti-temperance voice in the later half of the 19th century. Other potentially insensitive word usage includes "tramps" and "hoboes" instead of " the unemployed" and "homeless" (p. 34).

The History of Third Parties leaves more questions than answers for readers. The book meanders through U.S. political history uninformed and without focus. Look elsewhere for a history of minor parties and political movements in the U.S.