Lincoln: A Photobiography

Our rating: *****

Abraham Lincoln lived in a log cabin during the 1700’s. He was poor and in debt for a long period of time. But Lincoln was determined to fulfill his dreams. Overcoming ridicule and poverty, Lincoln made his way to being the president of the United States.

This is a great book for history lovers. Russell Freedman does a great job of telling Lincoln’s story without adding anything of his own. On almost every page, there are actual pictures of Lincoln’s life. If you like history, read this book! (By the way, I marked this book as All Ages. It’s not really. But it isn’t Older Readers or Younger Readers either. I would say this book is suitable and enjoyable for ages eleven and up.)

George Washington’s World

Our rating: *****

This is a great book! It’s extremely hard to write a review for, so I’m just going to give you the highlights. It’s especially good for history. Listen to me on this, it makes reading about history fun! Yes, you heard that right! (Crowd gasps then applauds.) It doesn’t just follow George Washington; it follows famous people around the world at the same time. Including Catherine the Great of Russia, Voltaire, Daniel Boone, and Benjamin Franklin, to name just a few. Bet you didn’t know that Pompeii was discovered, Bach died, James Cook ran away to sea, the first air travel tests were being attempted, and Mozart was born during George Washington’s time! This is a really interesting book. I will give you a brief warning: Genevieve Foster treats all religions as equal and it shows up a little bit in her books. However, her books are really good. For you Charlotte Mason style home-schoolers out there, this is a very living book.

Meet George Washington

Our rating: ***

Read the story of America’s first president in this short book about George Washington. Also included are some of the legendary stories. (Anybody remember the cherry tree?)

This is more for younger readers. The print is large, and it’s easy to read. Not a bad history, but you really need something a little more in depth if you want to know the whole story.