Monday, February 18, 2008 is the third Monday of February 2008, and it is the day the United States will officially observe George Washington’s Birthday. Unofficially, the holiday is expanded to include all US presidents, especially Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Here are a few of my favorite books on our US presidents.
Enjoy!
-
A Woman for President: The Story of Victoria Woodhull
Written by Katerine Krull
Illustrated by Jane DyerIn 1872, when women still wore corsets and bustles, when it was “inappropriate” for women to dine by themselves in a fancy restaurant, one woman challenged the status quo and ran for the office of the President of the United States. The incredulity of her presidential candidacy is also magnified by the fact that she ran for office 48 years before the Nineteenth Amendment granted women the right to vote.
This book is a lovely introduction to Victoria Woodhull and her presidency campaign. Over time Woodhull has all but disappeared from history. Since then, there have been many other women who ran for the presidency, such as Shirley Chisholm. But as we head into the 2008 presidential election with another female presidential candidate, let’s remember Victoria Woodhull, who led the way.
Order A Woman for President: The Story of Victoria Woodhull from Bookshop Santa Cruz
-
George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the War
Written by Thomas B. Allen
Featuring Illustrations by Cheryl HarnessDid you know that founding father, and First president of the United States, George Washington was also a champion of espionage? Thomas B. Allen, in his in his award winning book, entitled George Washinton, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the War, reveals how one of our greatest presidents managed a large spy network that undermined the British during the Revolutionary War. Allen takes the reader from Washington’s humble beginnings as a young Major in the Virginia militia, who fraternized with the enemy to acquire the vital information to help the British defeat the French during the French and Indian War, to his duplicitous dealings with the British during the Revolutionary period. In one episode, George Washington used a double agent by the name of Elijah Hunter to pass mis-information to British Generals. This paved the way for Washington and his Continental Army to make the infamous crossing of the Delaware to defeat British mercenaries and ultimately win the Revolutionary War.
This book was an interesting read that was full of intrigue and suspense as the story unfolded. Accompanying the story was a set of illustrations that included old sketches and old maps. Along the same theme of codes and spies, are secret codes imbedded in the book that the reader can decipher using a code that Washington and his ring of spies developed.
-
The Remarkable Rough-Riding Life of Theodore Roosevelt and the Rise of Empire America
Written and Illustrated by Cheryl Harness
Theodore Roosevelt was man of big ideas and big actions. During his time as a president he fought the powerful Captains of Industry when they wanted to form larger monopolies. Teddy was also the first president to invite an African American, Booker T. Washington, to dine at the White House when the nation was still divided with racism.
In Harness’s book, the book begins with with the birth of Teddy Roosevelt, and ends with his death. It’s a bit of a rough start as Harness awkwardly tries to include every detail of Teddy’s life in a casual tone of voice. But the book picks up towards the middle and becomes an engrossing read. This book would be a good alternative to a textbook detailing the life and times of Teddy Roosevelt, as it is chock full of national and world events as well as quotes from Teddy Roosevelt’s letters, books, and diaries. The illustrations, sidebars and the timeline at the bottom of the page are also interesting and add even more background to the story.