General Books

Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope

Nikki Grimes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

I am so Disappointed! 1 out of 5 stars.
8 of 12 people found this review helpful.

I was so excited to see a picture book version of Obama's life, and knowing the work of Nikki Grimes, I ordered the title without hesitation. What I received was very disappointing. The narration was saccharine, almost to the point of being a story about someone whom I did not know. The Illustrations were also very disappointing.
I felt the book, overall, gave an unrealistic picture of a wonderful man, and was, ultimately, not suitable for young readers. I will wait for something better written and illustrated for this age group to come along.

Editorial Review:

Ever since Barack Obama was young, Hope has lived inside him. From the beaches of Hawaii to the streets of Chicago, from the jungles of Indonesia to the plains of Kenya, he has held on to Hope. Even as a boy, Barack knew he wasn't quite like anybody else, but through his journeys he found the ability to listen to Hope and become what he was meant to be: a bridge to bring people together.

This is the moving story of an exceptional man, as told by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier, both winners of the Coretta Scott King Award. Barack Obama has motivated Americans to believe with him, to believe that every one of us has the power to change ourselves and change our world.

We the People: The Story of Our Constitution

Lynne Cheney

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 25 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Our thoughts 3 out of 5 stars.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful.

While we basically enjoyed the book, there is one serious omission that would make the book better - there should be a copy of the Constitution in the book. A copy of the Constitution would tie it all together.

We the People 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Book was too deep for my 6 year old grandchild, but I really liked the way she presented the Constitution. After watching the "John Adams" series on HBO, I am excited to read about that period and want my children & their kids to appreciate our government.

Editorial Review:

America had won the Revolution, but our troubles were far from over. The thirteen states were squabbling, the country could not pay its bills, and in Massachusetts farmers had taken up arms against the government. Was our country, which had fought so hard for its independence, going to survive? In May 1787 delegates from across the country -- including George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin -- gathered in Philadelphia and, meeting over the course of a sweltering summer, created a new framework for governing: the Constitution of the United States. Their efforts turned a shaky alliance of states into a nation that would prosper and grow powerful, drawing its strength for centuries to come from "We the people" and inspiring hope for freedom around the world.

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Our White House: Looking in, Looking Out is an astounding collection featuring more than 100 award-winning children's book authors and illustrators. It is much more than a history about the home and office of U.S. presidents and their families. Commissioned by the National Children's Book and Literary Alliance, this stunning picture book transcends the bounds of educational textbook, or any particular genre, for that matter. It includes essays by historians and well-known nonfiction writers (like David McCullough), fictional stories, poetry (including a memorable poem about Lincoln and a butterfly by Kate DiCamillo), imagined letters to the president, texts of actual speeches, memoir (including an essay by Linda Johnson Robb about the eerie history of a White House room where she once stayed), transcripts of TV interviews, and clever games such as a "Best in Show" presidential pet contest and a "Who's in the House?" presidential board game. Among the book's most captivating features are the "illustration essays" which feature stories or ideas rendered completely through pictures. Notable examples include David Small's sketch journal "Backstairs at the White House,"depicting all the people who work in the house and keep it running, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" speech illustrated by Calef Brown, Peter Sis, Ed Young, and Stephen Alcorn.

Our White House will likely be a favorite of children--and adults-who love presidential trivia, historical facts, and old stories. Children who weren't White House buffs already will surely be drawn into this colorful, fun history of an iconic building that simultaneously tells the story of the United States. (Ages 9 to 12) --Heidi Broadhead

. . . If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620

Ann McGovern

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

What kind of ship was the Mayflower? How did the Pilgrims feel when they saw land? What was the first building in Plymouth? In lively question-and-answer style, this fact-filled book answers all sorts of questions about the Pilgrims' journey on the Mayflower and their first year in America.

Boys and girls will find out why the Pilgrims left England to live in America, what they took with them on board the Mayflower, and the hardships they endured. They'll learn what the Mayflower Compact was, how the Pilgrims made a peace treaty with the Indians, and how these brave settlers managed to survive in their new land.

Ms McGovern has carefully researched the Pilgrims' journey and their first year in America. Her portrayal is full of fascinating detail about their everyday life. Young readers will be intrigued to discover that Pilgrim boys and girls slept on corn husk mattresses they made themselves, and that most of the houses had only one chair -- which was reserved for the man of the house!

The humorous, true-to-life illustrations serve as effective complements to the informative, fun-to-read text.

Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl

Scholastic Inc.

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Valerie Wisniewski 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the life of a Pilgrim Girl and its partner books about Samuel Eaton a Pilgrim boy and Tapenum"s Day about a Wampanoag Indian boy are excellent. I used all three in teaching about Massachusetts history. The books are well researched. The setting is Plymouth Plantation where reenactors wear authentic clothing and use authentic reproductions of tools, furniture, etc. The books depict children's work, play, families, homes and clothing. The books should be in every school library.

Brings history to life! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrom Girl is an exceptional teaching tool for the young "history detectives" in your circle. Textbooks are never enough. What better way to understand that the "story" of history happened to real people who looked just like us, had needs and families just like us, but lived a different lifestyle because of the time in which they lived.

Follow this up with a visit to a museum, and the story of our history becomes very real!

This is a wonderful book, and I highly recommend it.

Editorial Review:

Text and photographs of Plimouth Plantation follow a pilgrim girl through a typical day as she milks the goats, cooks and serves meals, learns her letters, and adjusts to her new stepfather.

Barack

Jonah Winter

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great Illustrations 3 out of 5 stars.
5 of 8 people found this review helpful.

I'm still holding out on buying this book or the McCain book, depending on who wins. It would be a great way to introduce our new president to students. The McCain book I saw was more informative and had actual photographs. This Obama book had beautiful illustrations and covered the basics on Obama's life with the focus being on finding his identity. It sounded as if the author read Obama's first book and just regurgitated it, making it sound choppy. I find that most biographies for children do turn people into flawless heroes with hearts of gold and this book did it again...either way, still worth using it for possibly introducing the president and enjoying the beautiful illustrations.

Editorial Review:

This is a journey that began in many places.

It began in Kansas, home of Barack's mother. It began in Africa, home of Barack's father. It began in Hawaii one moonlit night, the night that Barack was born.

Sometimes it was a lonely journey. Sometimes it was an enchanted journey. But throughout this most unusual ride, this boy often wondered: Who am I? Where do I belong?

Jonah Winter and AG Ford re-create the extraordinary story behind the rise of the inspirational icon Barack Obama in this stunning picture book.

Samuel Eaton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy

Kate Waters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Values for today from a tale of 1627 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

This is a wonderful, wonderful book. It will help you teach your children about hard work, perseverance, and family. My children want it read to them again and again.

Young Samuel Eaton (a historical character) is looking forward to his first chance to help his father bring in the crops. He finds the work incredibly hard, and the coarse grain raises bad blisters on his hands. But he perseveres, and at the end of the day when his father tells him "you did a man's work today, Samuel," we feel his pride.

Masterfully written, beautifully photographed, this is a gem in every way.

An excellent book for learning about life as a pilgrim boy! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This book took us back to 1627. We learned all about Samuel Eaton's first day as a man. He told us all about the hard work he had to do in the fields. It was so interesting to read a story that used different words from long ago. The pictures were awesome! They showed us the clothing the pilgrims wore, what their house looked like, and the hard work everybody did. We thought it would be difficult to be a pilgrim boy! We think everyone should read this book because you can learn a lot about how the pilgrims lived. Read this wonderful book!

Editorial Review:

When the day in which he is to help with his first rye harvest approaches, young Samuel Eaton is so excited that he can hardly sleep, but his blistering tasks prove harder than expected. Reprint. H. SLJ.

The Thanksgiving Story

Alice Dalgliesh

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Thanksgiving Story 5 out of 5 stars.
30 of 30 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful easy to read chapter book dealing with everything from the Mayflower and Speedwell to Squanto in a very realistic, historical manner. As a first grade teacher, I have found this book to be both interesting for young readers as well as informative. It differs than other "Thanksgiving" books in that although it is most sympathetic to the abilities of the reader, it provides a very compassionate, "adult" look into our history. It is much more than just a "pilgrims, Mayflower, Indians and turkey" story book! It is an excellent resource for the home and the classroom!END

Finally! A THANKSgiving book.... 5 out of 5 stars.
28 of 31 people found this review helpful.

I was just at a huge retail bookseller yesterday looking at Thanksgiving books that I could read to my homeschooled Kindergartener. There is a large selelction of bland books about thanksgiving. The wise child will say, "But, WHO are we thanking?" after reading most of those books. THIS book answers that question...GOD! Yes, while it seems politically incorrect, the truth is that the first settlers to our country WERE religious pilgrims, seeking a safe haven from religious persecution. This book is a gem in a PC sea of bland, corny thanksgiving day books for children. Children will enjoy the simple story; those just getting into chapter books will enjoy feeling successful reading a 'big kid' chapter book; and they will enjoy seeing how God blesses the faithful when they endure through trying times and complete hard work. This is a great book that your early elementary aged children will enjoy and can become a traditional read aloud for your family on the holiday!

Editorial Review:

The Thanksgiving Story "is the only really distinguished book we have on that holiday. Miss Dalgliesh has told the Pilgrim story simply from the point of view of the Hopkins family whose little Oceanus was born on the Mayflower; and Miss Sewell has made wonderful full-color pictures. A beautiful book".--The Horn Book. Caldecott Honor Book.

Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy In Pilgrim Times

Kate Waters

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

This is a wonderful book ! 5 out of 5 stars.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.

We are big fans of Kate Waters' books about the Pilgrims (Samuel Eaton's Day, Sarah Morton's Day and On the Mayflower). When we discovered "Tapenum's Day", we were thrilled ! I found the 'point of view' from a young Native American boy to be both fascinating and educational, as did my children. We enjoyed seeing this historically accuate slice of life, written from a balanced perspective. I think this wonderful book rounds out the collection, including the other four, that no study of the Pilgrims should be without.

A GREAT BOOK! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Another great book by Kate Waters. This book shows the daily life of a Native American child during the time of the Pilgrims. This book goes great with Sarah Morton's Day and Samuel Eaton's Day. Also, check out On the Mayflower also by Kate Waters.

Editorial Review:

Chosen to become a special warrior prince in 1627, Tapenum prepares himself for the great honor by hunting, fishing, and sharing a day with friends and family, in a story that is complemented by photographs of Plymouth Plantation.

America : A Patriotic Primer

Lynne Cheney

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 71 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Written by Lynne Cheney, author and wife of Vice President Richard Cheney, to honor this "beautiful land made more beautiful still by our commitment to freedom," America: A Patriotic Primer is a proud celebration of the individuals, milestones, and principles of this nation. Each busy spread features elaborately decorated letters of the alphabet, with one or two kids draped over its bars and loops, along with the highlighted concept or person: "N is for Native Americans, who came here first," "T is for Tolerance." Surrounding every letter is a veritable circus of entertaining and useful related information, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser (Alexander, Who's Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move). "J is for Jefferson," for example, is bordered with biographical details and quotations from Thomas Jefferson, while mini images depict the third president's famous home (Monticello), some of his inventions, and a description of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. This compelling picture book will work best as a supplement for children who are already immersed in basic American history at school. Teachers and parents will enjoy exploring with their kids every inch of the detailed, hand-drawn and illustrated U.S. map found in "U is for United States," explaining and elaborating on the historical lessons as appropriate. (All ages) --Emilie Coulter