Now adapted for young adults—the #1 New York Times bestselling memoir, which Toni Morrison called “quite extraordinary,” offers an intimate look at Barack Obama’s early days. This is a compelling journey tracing the future 44th president's odyssey through family, race, and identity. A revealing portrait of a young Black man asking questions about self-discovery and belonging—long before he became one of the most important voices in America. This unique edition includes a new introduction from the author, full-color photo insert, and family tree.
The son of a white American mother and a Black Kenyan father, Obama was born in Hawaii, where he lived until he was six years old, when he moved with his mother and stepfather to Indonesia. At twelve, he returned to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. Obama brings readers along as he faces the challenges of high school and college, living in New York, becoming a community organizer in Chicago, and traveling to Kenya. Through these experiences, he forms an enduring commitment to leadership and justice. Told through the lens of his relationships with his family—the mother and grandparents who raised him, the father he knows more as a myth than as a man, and the extended family in Kenya he meets for the first time—Obama confronts the complicated truth of his father’s life and legacy and comes to embrace his divided heritage.
On his journey to adulthood from a humble background, he forges his own path through trial and error while staying connected to his roots. Barack Obama is determined to lead a life of purpose, service, and authenticity. This powerful memoir will inspire readers to examine both where they come from and where they are capable of going.
On sale: October 5, 2021
Age: 12 and up
Grade: Grade 7 & Up
Page count: 320 Pages
ISBN: 9780385738729
Reading level: Lexile: 910L
Barack Obama was the 44th president of the United States, elected in November 2008 and holding office for two terms. He is the author of three
New York Times bestselling books,
Dreams from My Father,
The Audacity of Hope, and
A Promised Land and is the recipient of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Michelle. They have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
PRAISE FOR THE DREAMS FROM MY FATHER (Adapted for Young Adults)"This title will be enjoyed by all readers for generations to come." —
School Library Journal
Praise for Dreams from My Father (Crown) ONE OF ESSENCE’S 50 MOST IMPACTFUL BLACK BOOKS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS “Guides us straight to the intersection of the most
serious questions of identity, class, and race.” —
The Washington Post “
Provocative. . . . Persuasively describes the phenomenon of belonging to two different worlds, and thus belonging to neither.” —
The New York Times Book Review “Obama’s writing is incisive yet forgiving. This is
a book worth savoring.”—Alex Kotlowitz, author of
There Are No Children Here “
One of the most powerful books of self-discovery I’ve ever read, all the more so for its illuminating insights into the problems not only of race, class, and color, but of culture and ethnicity. It is also beautifully written, skillfully layered, and paced like a good novel.” —Charlayne Hunter-Gault, author of
In My Place “
Dreams from My Father is
an exquisite, sensitive study of this wonderful young author’s journey into adulthood, his search for community and his place in it, his quest for an understanding of his roots, and his discovery of the poetry of human life. Perceptive and wise,
this book will tell you something about yourself whether you are black or white.” —Marian Wright Edelman
