The kids’ books are historically accurate (no cherry trees) but G-rated, without photos of the gory shooting or references to womanizing. They also highlight issues today’s kids can relate to, such as how JFK dealt with parental pressure, illness and sibling rivalry. (He was the second of nine children.) JFK was “a sick kid in a healthy family, a kid who always stood in his brother’s shadow, the mischievous little joker, the kid who was not supposed to be president,” says “Jack” author Ilene Cooper. Not only will kids enjoy these offerings, but there’s a bonus for adults: they are much quicker to wade through than Arthur Schlesinger’s 1,087-page “A Thousand Days: John F. Kennedy in the White House,” which also made the list.
