Born the son and grandson of military men, Senator John McCain from Arizona was destined for a life serving his country in the armed forces. Like many great men, he occasionally struggled with authority, but once he found his true calling — flying naval aircraft — his ideals and commitment to his country took him far.

From the low point of five years as a prisoner of war to the high points of raising a large, happy family and being chosen as the Republican nominee in the 2008 presidential election, Senator McCain has lived an incredible life driven by a love of his country and a desire to serve it to the best of his ability.

This picture book biography, written with great love and insight by his oldest daughter, writer Meghan McCain, shows us the public John McCain and the personal John McCain in a way we've never seen before — making this American hero come to life before young eyes.

"No one would expect John and Cindy McCain's oldest daughter to be objective — on the other hand, some personal touch would have been nice. She does talk a lot about family, that is, about the wartime services of McCain ancestors, all the way back to the Revolutionary War; McCain's pedigree as the son and grandson of admirals; the military duty of two McCain sons. Given this emphasis, it's odd to have omitted any mention of McCain's first family; it's not as if the concepts of ex-wives and half-sisters are unfamiliar to the target audience. The one truly moving section details McCain's heroism under captivity in North Vietnam; the rest succumbs to an apple-pie variety of blandness. Meghan McCain discloses that her father loves his country and also that he 'never gives up,' whether he's playing on the boarding school football team or 'fighting for what he believes in.' Andreasen (Pilot Pups) steeps his accomplished, mostly realistic pictures in nostalgia: cross-hatching suggests old-time engraving, while burnished tones hint at antiqued colors. A number of spreads represent photos and newspapers — the effect is oddly distancing, as if Meghan McCain were flipping through someone else's scrapbook. Ages 5 — 10. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Meghan McCain is a blogger who documents life on the campaign trail with her father and muses about fashion, music, and pop culture. Check out her blog at McCainBlogette.com.

Meghan is the oldest daughter of John McCain, U.S. senator from Arizona and the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, and Cindy Hensley McCain. She was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated from Columbia University, where she majored in art history. McCain interned at Newsweek magazine and Saturday Night Live.Dan Andreasen is the illustrator of numerous picture books, including By the Dawn's Early Light: The Story of the Star-Spangled Banner by Steven Kroll, which was named an ABA Kids' Pick of the Lists and a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies; A Quiet Place by Douglas Wood; and Sailor Boy Jig by Margaret Wise Brown. He has also authored several picture books, including With a Little Help from Daddy and A Special Day for Mommy. Dan lives with his family in Orlando, Florida.