Donald Trump: Outspoken Personality and President

Gr 4–7—Born into a family of successful businessmen, Donald Trump built an international business empire, became a reality TV star, and was elected president of the United States. Sherman, who has written on subjects ranging from the Hindenburg disaster to the American identity, takes on the challenging task of summarizing Trump's life for middle grade students. In a sanitized sketch of his lucrative business career, Sherman includes few negative episodes and also describes his marriages, divorces, and children and his rise to celebrity through hosting the TV show The Apprentice. Concluding with Trump's presidential campaign, Sherman writes that he believes "immigrants can bring problems to the United States." There is no mention of incidents of violence during rallies or his call for a ban on Muslims and for jailing his opponent. Sherman glosses over the name-calling and fabrications that characterized Trump's campaign, saying, "He thought it was important to state his views honestly."