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Robert F. Kennedy
Before his short life was ended by assassination, Robert Kennedy was Attorney General of the United States, Senator from New York, and a charismatic Presidential candidate. But even more astonishing was Kennedy’s personal odyssey. Born into immense wealth and privilege, Kennedy came to embrace the cause of the poor and the disenfranchised, and to be seen by them as their champion.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2007
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50 people want to read
About the author
Marc Aronson
53 books83 followersAronson has won many awards for his books for young readers and has a doctorate in American history. His lectures cover educational topics such as mysteries and controversies in American history, teenagers and their reading, the literary passions of boys, and always leave audiences asking for more.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/marcar...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/marcar...
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 25, 2019
28 January 2007 UPCLOSE: ROBERT F. KENNEDY: A TWENTIETH-CENTURY LIFE by Marc Aronson, Viking, April 2007, ISBN: 0-670-06066-5
"Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill
With Abraham, Martin and John."
--Dion DiMucci
"Bobby Kennedy's short, eventful, and ultimately tragic life, you might say, was the transition from a time of secrets to one of exposure. We now know as much about his crippling flaws as his lofty aspirations. If he no longer looms as a pure Kennedy prince, that is all the better. For instead of an idol, he comes across as a dark, complex -- and deeply human --human being."
It is rare for me to share a book's ending but, in this instance, it is difficult to improve upon Marc Aronson's own conclusion of what he has so successfully accomplished in crafting this exceptional biography for middle school and high school students about Robert F. Kennedy, a larger than life figure from my childhood. I'd previously thought I knew a lot about Bobby Kennedy. Boy, was I wrong!
Actually, this is not a biography exclusively for adolescents, for the impeccable research that is at the foundation of this work will easily hold up when some college student decides to use it for a class, and the drama of Aronson's tale will quite handily engage adult readers as well. Marc Aronson is well known for doing informational adolescent literature the right way; in fact, he was awarded the very first Sibert Informational Book Award, an American Library Association award which honors an author "whose work of nonfiction has made a significant contribution to the field of children's literature."
What Marc Aronson was required to do, in writing his first book for Penguin's brand new CLOSEUP biography series for adolescents, debuting this spring, was to distill all of his extensive research down to 200 pages of adolescent reading. (This will be one of the trademarks of this series.) And while this has got to be a significant challenge for someone like Marc who is known for thoroughly exploring both their subject and the world in which that subject lives, what the reader ends up with here is a 200-page biography that is quite a manageable read for most teens and is an utterly engaging and often horrifying story containing not a single clunker or superfluous sentence.
In revealing the person that was Bobby Kennedy, the author lays out how Bobby's disposition, his position in the birth order of the famous Kennedy clan, and his father's disdain for him in contrast to the paternal nurturing of Joe Jr. and Jack, all had an immense -- some would say, fatal -- influence upon the man that Robert Kennedy grew up to be:
"Reckless courage was a characteristic Robert Francis Kennedy showed throughout his life. The bigger the challenge, the more eager he was to throw himself at it. As a child, Bobby flung himself into cold waters. As a lawyer in Washington, and later as Attorney General, he took on the nation's most dangerous mobsters. He went up, one-on-one, against Jimmy Hoffa, a corrupt union official who was as ruthless as he was powerful. At the height of white racial violence, Kennedy made himself the number-one target of armed and hate-crazed segregationists. Then at the worst moment of African-American fury and dispair he chose to speak in an all-black neighborhood. In a time when assassinations of outspoken leaders were all too common, he plunged into endless crowds."
An interesting strategy that Aronson employs in his writing here is his allusion to pieces of well known children's literature in explaining Bobby Kennedy's story, such as when he refers to Portsmouth Priory "as a kind of Hogwarts-under-construction," or when he compares the severing of Bobby from his brother through Jack's 1963 assassination to the agony suffered in THE GOLDEN COMPASS when people are severed from their daemons.
Looking like it will be the antithesis and an antidote to the vapid and/or exceedingly dense institutional biography series that you so often find on school library shelves, UPCLOSE: ROBERT KENNEDY is a superb piece of writing that transforms an icon into a real human being.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
"Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up over the hill
With Abraham, Martin and John."
--Dion DiMucci
"Bobby Kennedy's short, eventful, and ultimately tragic life, you might say, was the transition from a time of secrets to one of exposure. We now know as much about his crippling flaws as his lofty aspirations. If he no longer looms as a pure Kennedy prince, that is all the better. For instead of an idol, he comes across as a dark, complex -- and deeply human --human being."
It is rare for me to share a book's ending but, in this instance, it is difficult to improve upon Marc Aronson's own conclusion of what he has so successfully accomplished in crafting this exceptional biography for middle school and high school students about Robert F. Kennedy, a larger than life figure from my childhood. I'd previously thought I knew a lot about Bobby Kennedy. Boy, was I wrong!
Actually, this is not a biography exclusively for adolescents, for the impeccable research that is at the foundation of this work will easily hold up when some college student decides to use it for a class, and the drama of Aronson's tale will quite handily engage adult readers as well. Marc Aronson is well known for doing informational adolescent literature the right way; in fact, he was awarded the very first Sibert Informational Book Award, an American Library Association award which honors an author "whose work of nonfiction has made a significant contribution to the field of children's literature."
What Marc Aronson was required to do, in writing his first book for Penguin's brand new CLOSEUP biography series for adolescents, debuting this spring, was to distill all of his extensive research down to 200 pages of adolescent reading. (This will be one of the trademarks of this series.) And while this has got to be a significant challenge for someone like Marc who is known for thoroughly exploring both their subject and the world in which that subject lives, what the reader ends up with here is a 200-page biography that is quite a manageable read for most teens and is an utterly engaging and often horrifying story containing not a single clunker or superfluous sentence.
In revealing the person that was Bobby Kennedy, the author lays out how Bobby's disposition, his position in the birth order of the famous Kennedy clan, and his father's disdain for him in contrast to the paternal nurturing of Joe Jr. and Jack, all had an immense -- some would say, fatal -- influence upon the man that Robert Kennedy grew up to be:
"Reckless courage was a characteristic Robert Francis Kennedy showed throughout his life. The bigger the challenge, the more eager he was to throw himself at it. As a child, Bobby flung himself into cold waters. As a lawyer in Washington, and later as Attorney General, he took on the nation's most dangerous mobsters. He went up, one-on-one, against Jimmy Hoffa, a corrupt union official who was as ruthless as he was powerful. At the height of white racial violence, Kennedy made himself the number-one target of armed and hate-crazed segregationists. Then at the worst moment of African-American fury and dispair he chose to speak in an all-black neighborhood. In a time when assassinations of outspoken leaders were all too common, he plunged into endless crowds."
An interesting strategy that Aronson employs in his writing here is his allusion to pieces of well known children's literature in explaining Bobby Kennedy's story, such as when he refers to Portsmouth Priory "as a kind of Hogwarts-under-construction," or when he compares the severing of Bobby from his brother through Jack's 1963 assassination to the agony suffered in THE GOLDEN COMPASS when people are severed from their daemons.
Looking like it will be the antithesis and an antidote to the vapid and/or exceedingly dense institutional biography series that you so often find on school library shelves, UPCLOSE: ROBERT KENNEDY is a superb piece of writing that transforms an icon into a real human being.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
March 27, 2024
Overall, not the best biography but definitely interesting. The author attempts to explain why the Kennedys were they way they were by first analyzing their father, then their individual relationships. Most of the book focuses on Bobby's role as a supporting character in his older brothers story. Although, once JFK is assassinated the book finds its stride in explaining how RFK was as a presidential candidate. This is where I believe the book is most compelling as it discusses how RFK reached people and convinced them of his cause.
Side note, this book also pretty heavily discusses all the Kennedy's "skeletons" which was actually really interesting.
3/5 but definitely interesting.
Side note, this book also pretty heavily discusses all the Kennedy's "skeletons" which was actually really interesting.
3/5 but definitely interesting.
October 4, 2018
Robert Kennedy was Attorney General, Senator from New York and a Presidential candidate before he was assassinated. As a Kennedy, he grew up with immense pressure to be perfect. His family was the definition of wealthy and privileged. Despite this, he embraced the poor and disenfranchised, becoming popular among lower social classes. This book is very informational and interesting. Robert Kennedy isn't as well known as the other Kennedys, so it is nice to learn everything about him.
November 18, 2025
Could’ve talked more about RFK…
March 16, 2013
Up Close: Robert F. Kennedy is a biography by Marc Aronson that examines Kennedy’s life “up close”. It goes beyond a typical biography, depicting events and relationships that have never been brought up before, and describes Kennedy’s feelings about these events. As a young boy, we learn that Kennedy felt a sense of loneliness, and inadequacy in comparing himself to his older, “superior” brothers, Joseph Jr. and John. We watch as Kennedy grows not only as a person but as a strong leader in his own right. The “forgotten” son soon becomes known, not only in his family, but throughout the nation.
I liked that this story used a basis of characters and continued with their relationships with Robert throughout the story as the years passed. Additionally, I enjoyed the vivid detail in portraying Kennedy's innermost feelings and events. It made you feel closer to the Kennnedys. However, I did not enjoy how the story was only mainly focused on Robert, his older brothers, and his father. I think that to get the full feel of the situation it would have been helpful for Aronson to project how the other characters interacted with Robert, too. Also, I didn't like that Aronson was a bit too bias at some points in the novel, possibly influencing the reader with his input.
This book will appeal to anyone who loves history or has a sibling in which they feel they cannot live up to. While not only providing a synopsis of Kennedy’s life, Up Close: Robert F. Kennedy offers much historical background that is relevant to Kennedy’s life, and contributes heavily to the story. This historical background allows us to connect his life the time period, and makes an everlasting impression. A person who enjoys historical novels with insight into a characters life would greatly enjoy this novel. Additionally, a person who feels that they have a sibling that they cannot live up to would also enjoy this book, for they will be able to connect with Kennedy and know what he is feeling. This connection will allow the reader to enjoy the novel more, for they feel like they are a part of it.
I chose this book because I was very interested in Robert Kennedy's life and his political duties. I wanted to know more about Robert, as he is usually in the spotlight of his older brother, John.
I loved the book, as I felt I had built a personal relationship with Kennedy, and knew details about him that no one else did. Up Close: Robert F. Kennedy is a fascinating read that will keep you thinking, and inspire you to read more about the Kennedy family.
I liked that this story used a basis of characters and continued with their relationships with Robert throughout the story as the years passed. Additionally, I enjoyed the vivid detail in portraying Kennedy's innermost feelings and events. It made you feel closer to the Kennnedys. However, I did not enjoy how the story was only mainly focused on Robert, his older brothers, and his father. I think that to get the full feel of the situation it would have been helpful for Aronson to project how the other characters interacted with Robert, too. Also, I didn't like that Aronson was a bit too bias at some points in the novel, possibly influencing the reader with his input.
This book will appeal to anyone who loves history or has a sibling in which they feel they cannot live up to. While not only providing a synopsis of Kennedy’s life, Up Close: Robert F. Kennedy offers much historical background that is relevant to Kennedy’s life, and contributes heavily to the story. This historical background allows us to connect his life the time period, and makes an everlasting impression. A person who enjoys historical novels with insight into a characters life would greatly enjoy this novel. Additionally, a person who feels that they have a sibling that they cannot live up to would also enjoy this book, for they will be able to connect with Kennedy and know what he is feeling. This connection will allow the reader to enjoy the novel more, for they feel like they are a part of it.
I chose this book because I was very interested in Robert Kennedy's life and his political duties. I wanted to know more about Robert, as he is usually in the spotlight of his older brother, John.
I loved the book, as I felt I had built a personal relationship with Kennedy, and knew details about him that no one else did. Up Close: Robert F. Kennedy is a fascinating read that will keep you thinking, and inspire you to read more about the Kennedy family.
May 10, 2011
This book is not even worthy of one star. As this is a book for adolescents, I am incredibly disappointed in the way the author presents Robert Kennedy. First, for the author to compare the sincerity of Kennedy’s beliefs and actions toward humanitarian causes to that of hip-hop artists and lyrics found in rap music is a shame. Second, his concluding paragraph recounting the night of June 4th conflicts with everything else I have ever read. This leaves me to wonder how much of this book is actually factual. The 60s represented a turning point across our nation. It was the height of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the war on poverty. It marked a time of violence, sparked by inequality, where we lost three great leaders: Bobby, Martin and John. It should be a time reviewed with honesty as opposed to personal opinion. How can we teach future generations about the values of equality and unity if we refuse to be honest about the past? How can we introduce them to people who are making or have made a difference if we do not give proper credit to those who attempt to eradicate injustice? I am sorry Mr. Aronson, but I hope adolescents do not base their opinion of this time in history and of Bobby Kennedy on your book. In his book Searching for America’s Heart, Peter Edelman, who was an aide to Robert Kennedy and worked in the Clinton administration, says this about Kennedy, “His passion to make a difference left a permanent mark.” It is this book that I would recommend for people who want to understand the politics of Robert Kennedy and the hope for equality.
January 28, 2009
I learned that A Separate Peace and Lord of the Flies are frankly too close to true. I wanted more information about Bobby's wife and kids, but I'm not sure he really had time for them in his all-consuming political/Kennedy life.
RFK basically refused to take safety precautions; not that that meant he deserved what happened to him. Aronson calls it "recklessness" and writes on page 184:
"But there's another way to make sense of Bobby's behavior on the campaign. Perhaps he hesitated so long about running because on some deep, basic level he did not feel he was a leader. He was not Joseph, nor Joe Jr., nor Jack. He tried, God how he tried, to be what others needed him to be. He met the crowds, he counted the delegate votes, he gave the speeches, he prepared for the debate. But maybe he knew, in his deepest sense of himself, that he was not up to the task. He whipped up the crowds, urged his followers to see him as their hope, their voice, their hero, while courting the death that would save him from having to lead them. He could organize a winning campaign, but he himself could not be a winner."
Whoa! Now, I don't know much about psychology, but I would think that in an informational work, a biography, the author might add some insights from an expert in that field before making that statement. I'm not saying that there isn't truth in what he's writing, but it strikes me as too much of his opinion for a biography.
Mostly the book reaffirmed that I'm glad I'm not part of that family
RFK basically refused to take safety precautions; not that that meant he deserved what happened to him. Aronson calls it "recklessness" and writes on page 184:
"But there's another way to make sense of Bobby's behavior on the campaign. Perhaps he hesitated so long about running because on some deep, basic level he did not feel he was a leader. He was not Joseph, nor Joe Jr., nor Jack. He tried, God how he tried, to be what others needed him to be. He met the crowds, he counted the delegate votes, he gave the speeches, he prepared for the debate. But maybe he knew, in his deepest sense of himself, that he was not up to the task. He whipped up the crowds, urged his followers to see him as their hope, their voice, their hero, while courting the death that would save him from having to lead them. He could organize a winning campaign, but he himself could not be a winner."
Whoa! Now, I don't know much about psychology, but I would think that in an informational work, a biography, the author might add some insights from an expert in that field before making that statement. I'm not saying that there isn't truth in what he's writing, but it strikes me as too much of his opinion for a biography.
Mostly the book reaffirmed that I'm glad I'm not part of that family
March 16, 2013
I chose to read Up Close: Robert F. Kennedy by Marc Aronson because of my love for politics and my overall admiration of the Kennedy family. I liked the characters in the book, especially Robert Kennedy, whose character and personality are explained in more depth in an attempt at understanding him and the role he had behind the scenes in the political aspect of his life. The only portrayal of a character I disliked was that of Joseph Kennedy, Robert’s father. He is exhibited to be cold and ruthless man not only in business, but also with his own family. He never supported Robert in the way that their father supported his two older brothers. I liked the themes presented in the book with my favorite being that the Kennedys as a whole were winners, always. It didn’t matter who had actually won because in their mind they would always be winners. Success is another theme, which I found displayed prominently throughout the text, which I also liked. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because of the style in which it is written and how the story flows. It is a book that educates its audience in a somewhat elementary way that is easy to follow. Honestly, there was nothing I disliked about the way in which the book was written. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with a desire to educate themselves in history and politics. The history behind these politics is never boring, and will keep you reading to the end.
November 30, 2007
I remember the morning I woke to hear that Bobby Kennedy had been shot. It was another shock in a series of violent episodes across the American landscape. And Bobby was our last, best hope. I was hoping that Aronson could show us Bobby as a person as well as a politician, and he tried. But the book is full of opinion and a smattering of research. There are notes at the back but it is difficult to know what is a direct quote from a source and what is Aronson's rehashing of someone else's opinion.
"Perhaps he hesitated so long about running because on some deep, basic level he did not feel he was a leader. He was not Joseph, nor Joe Jr., nor Jack. He tried. God how he tried, to be what others needed him to be." (p. 184)
Maybe if Aronson had focused on just one aspect of Bobby's life and had not editorialized so much I would have liked this book more. It was hard to tell if Aronson admired Bobby or if he wanted to bring his memory down a peg or two. All in all, this was not the most satisfying biography I've ever read. It just left me confused.
"Perhaps he hesitated so long about running because on some deep, basic level he did not feel he was a leader. He was not Joseph, nor Joe Jr., nor Jack. He tried. God how he tried, to be what others needed him to be." (p. 184)
Maybe if Aronson had focused on just one aspect of Bobby's life and had not editorialized so much I would have liked this book more. It was hard to tell if Aronson admired Bobby or if he wanted to bring his memory down a peg or two. All in all, this was not the most satisfying biography I've ever read. It just left me confused.
December 28, 2012
I realized about a quarter of the way through that this was actually a Young Adult biography. I had thought it was strange that the author felt a need to compare Robert Kennedy to Harry Potter and hip hop artists, haha...
I sometimes found the book was a bit misleading, especially when it came to RFK's relationship with the poor and oppressed. It suggested that he didn't actually care about them at all.
Overall, however, this book worked as a simple biography about Robert Kennedy which was all I had wanted. It wasn't half bad, really, but definitely could have been better!
I sometimes found the book was a bit misleading, especially when it came to RFK's relationship with the poor and oppressed. It suggested that he didn't actually care about them at all.
Overall, however, this book worked as a simple biography about Robert Kennedy which was all I had wanted. It wasn't half bad, really, but definitely could have been better!
June 12, 2013
I liked this book. it gives just enough information without being overwhelming. Many of the RFK books I've read end up being about the Kennedy|s as a whole and less about Bobbie as a person. I didnt like that the author posed "perhaps" things, like that Bobbie wanted to die in explaining why he wanted his security lessened. Thiss book is for adolescents (i actually found it in the childrens wing); tall like that, if not substantiated is reckless.
December 8, 2014
This biography of Kennedy was actually very interesting to me but at some points in his life it got really boring. I enjoyed seeing how he grew up from a little kid to becoming a president. It was inspiring how his hard work paid off in the end. But there were some moments that I really couldn't care more about as they didn't lead anywhere. They were just useless facts that weren't interesting. But it was only a minor setback to this great biography of Robert F. Kennedy
December 30, 2008
A book about one Kennedy by necessity has to be about the clan. This is a compact version of an interesting, complex and tragic family. The book has a significant amount of opinion integrated which I think is good for discussion and developing critical thinking. Unfortunately, the vocabulary and sentence structure is a bit complex for my students who read best at a 5th grade level.
January 10, 2011
More nonfiction! What is happening to me??? My students are researching civil rights biographies, and I had gotten some complaints that this book was difficult to use for research. I don't see why, as several references to civil rights are right there in the index. This was a great look at the era, and at the person--seems like Bobby Kennedy was connected to everyone.
January 29, 2009
Looking at this from a teen's perspective, I think it would be an enjoyable read. Aronson portrays both the negative and positive aspects of Kennedy. I think the information is presented in an entertaining way for teens.
September 19, 2012
The negative and positive sides of Robert F. Kennedy are explored through extensive research about a man who "did not have to worry about how to make a living, only how to make a difference" and took that challenge.
March 16, 2016
I felt like this book showed his life very good. It explained his childhood and his politicial career very well. I would recommend this book to all readers for all ages and reading levels. I liked how they explained his assassination and what he did during his life
July 11, 2008
A lot of bigraphies only talk about the positive things in the person. This book however reveals the good and bad of Kennedy' father, brothers, and Kennedy himself.
June 1, 2013
This book is for young readers
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews