shameless bump
Check out the Reagan Library - they have Reagan Biographies and such that they recommend...
Personally, I recommend How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life
by Peter Robinson and An American Life: The Autobiography by Ronald Reagan...
When Character Was King by Peggy Noonan is by far the best.
Sorry I can't think of one for elementary students, but "An American Life" is a genuinely wonderful, unbiased masterpiece. Hopefully some others will have more age-appropriate suggestions...
I am trying to think, there was one I did for 4th grade that I loved...give me a few moments.
My wife (who is not very political) cried while reading the Peggy Noonan biography of Reagan. I highly recommend it.
All three books that Reagan79 and Chad mentioned would be perfect. All are well-written. They avoid the wonkish Beaureau-Speak that most political writers and historians use.
For 4th and 5th graders try Ronald Reagan: Young Leader by Montrew Dunham. It's supposed to be unbiased.
An excellent biography I just read is Dinsesh D'Souza's "Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader." It has the added benefit of being somewhat short (about 260 pages). Despite the hagiographic title, the book is unbiased and doesn't hesitate to discuss some of the darker moments, such as the Iran-Contra affair and Reagan's coldness towards those around him. You should also know that the book proceeds in themes, rather than a real time-line, and several important items are left untouched (such as detailed discussion of the political campaigns, etc.).
On the whole, I think it would be a great choice for your son--a solid, if not too deep, look at the life of the Gipper. It isn't definitive by any means, but it does what it sets out to do. I hope your son continues to love history--the greatest of all disciplines. Especially American history--it's taken me far too long to discover its wonders.
How old is your son? My son has a paperback (large) of around 120 pages titled, "Ronald Regan: A Remarkable Life" that is pretty good. It would be appropriate for a 5th grader, or an advanced 4th grader.
I did a google search using:
"Ronald Reagan" biography childrens book
Ronald Reagan Childrens Biography:
Who Was Ronald Reagan?
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?endeca=1&isbn=0448433443&itm=5
Another one to look for:
Kent, Zachary. Ronald Reagan: Fortieth President of the United States. Encyclopedia of Presidents Series. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1989.
An easy-to-read biography of Ronald Reagan, including many black-and-white photographs and a chronology of the major events in U.S. history.
And another:
Hand of Providence
The Strong and Quiet Faith of Ronald Reagan
Hardcover
By Mary Beth Brown
http://www.thomasnelson.com/consumer/product_detail.asp?dept_id=260000&sku=0785260536
I've read about 30 or so. In addition to what has been mentioned here, Lou Cannon's books are excellent (perhaps a bit tough on Reagan here and there) in terms of being "objective."
It's a long read - but have your son try "Role of a Lifetime" by Cannon. If not, D'Souza's is my favorite.
I have read almost every Reagan bio and book. One of the most concise and easy to read bios is "Ronald Reagan: How an Ordinary Man Became an Extraordinary Leader" by Dinesh D'Souza. It is less cumbersome than some of the other suggested readings, yet it conveys the remarkable qualities that made Reagan the great President he was.
Over lunch today I asked Ed Meese about one of Reagan's favorite jokes. "The pony joke?" Meese replied. "Sure I remember it. If I heard him tell it once, I heard him tell it a thousand times." First the psychiatrist treated the pessimist. Trying to brighten his outlook, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with brand-new toys. But instead of yelping with delight, the little boy burst into tears. "What's the matter?" the psychiatrist asked, baffled. "Don't you want to play with any of the toys?" "Yes," the little boy bawled, "but if I did I'd only break them."
Next the psychiatrist treated the optimist. Trying to dampen his out look, the psychiatrist took him to a room piled to the ceiling with horse manure. But instead of wrinkling his nose in disgust, the optimist emitted just the yelp of delight the psychiatrist had been hoping to hear from his brother, the pessimist. Then he clambered to the top of the pile, dropped to his knees, and began gleefully digging out scoop after scoop with his bare hands. "What do you think you're doing?" the psychiatrist asked, just as baffled by the optimist as he had been by the pessimist. "With all this manure," the little boy replied, beaming, "there must be a pony in here somewhere!"
"Reagan told the joke so often," Meese said, chuckling, "that it got to be kind of a joke with the rest of us. Whenever something would go wrong, somebody on the staff would be sure to say, 'There must be a pony in here somewhere.'"
First, when I first started reading about Reagan, I read material that could be (or reasonably be) directly attributed to him. I think it's important to do this, so you first get an exposure to President Reagan in his own words, and not filtered via a biography.
My top picks:
Reagan In His Own Voice - by Kiron K. Skinner, et al
Absolutely outstanding. You get to hear President Reagan when he was doing his radio commentaries in the late 1970's.
Reagan, in His Own Hand: Ronald Regan's Writings That Reveal His Revolutionary Vision for America by Kiron K. Skinner (Editor), et al
Same here. Dr. Skinner, et al has really done a good job putting together many of Reagan's commentaries, the majority of which he wrote himself.
An American Life - by Ronald Reagan
Reagan's second autobiography. I hear complaints that it was ghostwritten. So what? Do people think that Clinton wrote his autobiography without the help of a ghostwriter?
Where's the Rest of Me: The Autobiography of Ronald Reagan. With Richard G. Hubler
Little known to most folks is that Regan wrote his first autobiography circa 1965. It's out of print - which I don't quite understand. You can get a copy on Ebay or through Inter Library Loan at a local library.
Biographies, etc.
President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime by Lou Cannon by Lou Cannon
I have mixed feelings about this book. I kept getting the impression that Cannon was trying to prove something other than discussing Reagan's presidency. I read the entire book, and it does have much good information, thus I recommend for reading. Certainly, President Reagan had flaws. But I got the impression that Cannon was at times trying to bash Reagan over the head with these flaws.
Reagan's America by Garry Wills I did not make it all the way through this book and will finish up later this Spring. It is a slogging, tedious read. I understand the concept of Wills trying to explain the forces in America that shaped President Regan. But he rambles at times- well, a lot. And it makes for a real tedious read. But it also has much detailed information.
Governor Reagan: His Rise to Power by Lou Cannon
What I am reading now as of 02/2005. Through about 100 pages and pleased with the book. It certainly carries itself in a more scholarly manner that Cannon's "President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime ". Note that Cannon wrote this book in 2003 AFTER President Reagan: The Role of a Lifetime, so be mindful that many years have elapsed since Reagan's days as California governor, and keep an eye to Cannon trying to describe events that occurred in the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's, but opining through the prism of the early years of the 21st century.
Yet to read this summer:
Reagan's Path to Victory : The Shaping of Ronald Reagan's Vision: Selected Writings by George P. Shultz (Foreword), Kiron K. Skinner, Annelise Anderson, Martin Anderson
Reagan: A Life in Letters by Kiron K. Skinner (Editor), Annelise Anderson (Editor), Martin Anderson (Editor), George P. Shultz (Foreword)
When Character Was King: A Story of Ronald Reagan by Peggy Noonan
I would initially stick to writings by Reagan himself to start with, then move on to biographies and books by others about Reagan.
How did your son's assignment turn out?