CLOSE CALLS: How Eleven U.S. Presidents Escaped from the Brink of Death by Michael P. Spradlin.  New York:  Bloomsbury, 2020. 116p. ISBN 978-154760023-6 hc. $18.99   Gr. 4-6   J973.09

History can be so much fun when there are interesting stories to go along with the bare facts.  Stories breathe life into historic figures, like long-dead presidents, and give meaning to surrounding events.  From the very first president of the United States, George Washington, to George H.W. Bush, the 41st president, signs of bravery and leadership were part of their stories.  Most "close calls" were due to military service, but not all.  Ronald Reagan was ambushed by a potential assassin during his presidency.  This short book is broken into eleven chapters, and well documented with Notes and an index. 
Lynette Suckow, Superiorland Preview Center, Marquette, MI