Wolfner :: Recommended Readings :: Youth Bibliographies :: Presidential Facts

Presidential Facts

January 2016

 

To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail, or phone. You may also request these titles online through WolfPAC. Identification numbers for braille books begin with BR, large print books begin with LP and audiobooks begin with DB or DBC. All audio books and some braille books listed are linked to the Braille and Audio Reading Download site (BARD) for downloading.

Happy Reading!

 

Kindergarten to Grade 3

Abe Lincoln and the Muddy Pig by Stephen Krensky

BR 53755

Young Abe Lincoln stumbles across a pig in trouble and decides he must help, even though it will mean arriving late and muddy for the important speech he is scheduled to make. Print and braille without pictures. 2002.

 

Abe Lincoln's Hat by Martha Brenner

BR 11230

When Abe Lincoln first became a lawyer he wanted to look good, so he bought a long black coat and a tall black hat. As a lawyer, Abe had to carry lots of important papers, and the hat soon proved to be useful in many ways. Uncontracted braille. 1994.

 

George Washington: Our First President by Garnet Jackson

BR 51923

A simple biography of George Washington, the first president of the United States. 2000.

 

Mr. Lincoln's Boys: Being the Mostly True Adventures of Abraham Lincoln's Trouble-Making Sons, Tad and Willie by Staton Rabin

BR 18050

Describes the mischief caused by President Lincoln's two young sons in the White House during the Civil War--playing pranks on the servants and interrupting their father for horseplay or to request a pardon for their soldier doll. Includes historical notes. PRINT/BRAILLE. 2008.

 

Yes We Can! by Barack Obama

BR 51581

Download Yes We Can!, DBC06035

Read by Dan Deidrich. Reading time: 5 minutes.

Presents full-color photographs along with excerpts from President Barack Obama's victory speech on November 5, 2008. Print/braille. 2008.

Grades 2 to 4

Abraham Lincoln by Ingri D’Aulaire

BR 5871

A new edition of a classic biography. The story of Abraham Lincoln from his birth in the Kentucky wilderness to his term as the president who led his country through the Civil War. Caldecott Medal 1940. 1957.

 

Abraham Lincoln: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House, Book 47; Abe Lincoln at Last! By Mary Pope Osborne

Download Abraham Lincoln: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House, Book 47; Abe Lincoln at Last! BR 19830

Download Abraham Lincoln: A Nonfiction Companion to Magic Tree House, Book 47; Abe Lincoln at Last! DB 76123

Read by Theresa Conkin. Reading time: 1 hour, 7 minutes.

In this companion to Abe Lincoln at Last! (DB 76124), Annie and Jack present biographical information on President Lincoln. They discuss what it was like to live in a log cabin and describe Abe's growing up poor, first in Kentucky and later in Indiana. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker book. 2011.

 

George Washington's Breakfast by Jean Fritz

Download George Washington's Breakfast, DB 50204

Read by Terence Aselford. Reading time: 21 minutes.

Young George W. Allen, who shares both the name and birthday of the first president, is determined to find out what his namesake ate for breakfast. His search takes him to the library, to the attic, and to Mount Vernon. 1969.

 

Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln by Judith St. George

Download Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln, BR 17603

Portrays the childhood of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), who was born in a log cabin in Kentucky. Describes Abe's chores, irregular schooling, and pet pig. Relates his mother's death and his father's remarriage to Sally, a widow with three children, who encouraged Abe to read and study. 2008.

 

Wackiest White House Pets by Kathryn Gibbs Davis

Download Wackiest White House Pets, DB 60815

Read by Sharon Murray. Reading time: 1 hour, 3 minutes.

Describes various kinds of pets, including grizzly bears and alligators, kept at the White House by several presidents. Claims that Theodore Roosevelt had the biggest menagerie with more than forty animals, most belonging to his six children. 2004.

Grades 3 to 6

So You Want to be President? by Judith St. George

BR 13090

Download So You Want to be President? DB 75382

Read by Jason Griffith. Reading time: 37 minutes.

Unusual and interesting facts about the first forty-two presidents of the United States. Describes their different personality types and physical characteristics. Asserts that they had at least one thing in common, "their first priority has always been the people and the country they served." Print/braille. Caldecott Medal.  2000.

 

Three Presidents Died on the Fourth of July and Other Freaky Facts about the First 25 Presidents by Barbara Seuling

Download Three Presidents Died on the Fourth of July and Other Freaky Facts about the First 25 Presidents, BR 18319

Presents unusual facts about U.S. presidents, such as who gave the shortest inaugural speech, who had the first indoor plumbing at the White House, who was the last to have a beard, what Abraham Lincoln carried in his stovepipe hat, and much more. Uncontracted braille. 2008.

 

White House Q & A by Denise Rinaldo

Download White House Q & A, BR 17846

Download White House Q & A, DB 67780

Read by Faith Potts. Reading time: 55 minutes.

Facts about the history and functions of the presidential residence in Washington, D.C. Questions cover the famous rooms, the Rose Garden, first ladies' home decoration, family living and pets, holiday celebrations, and more. Includes a timeline for each president's stay in the White House. 2008.

Grades 4 to 7

America Votes: How Our President is Elected by Linda Granfield

Download America Votes, BR 15268

Download America Votes, DB 57698

Read by Ligaya Romero. Reading time: 1 hour, 58 minutes.

Explains the U.S. presidential election process including its history, the role of political parties, becoming a candidate, campaign finance, voting fraud, the electoral college, and casting ballots. Emphasizes the right and the responsibility of citizens to vote. 2003.

 

First Kids: The True Stories of All the Presidents' Children by Noah McCullough

BR 51974

First Kids are kids like any other. Discover likes and dislikes and learn about the games they played and the vegetables they hated. 2008.

 

Madam President by Catherine Thimmesh

Download Madam President, DB 59696

Read by Victoria Gordon. Reading time: 1 hour, 12 minutes.

Brief biographical sketches highlight the evolution of women in politics, both in the United States and abroad. Stresses the achievements and importance of twenty-three women and includes accompanying quotations. Profiles Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sandra Day O'Connor, and Margaret Thatcher, among others. 2004.

 

See How They Run: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House by Susan E. Goodman

Download See How They Run, DB 68327

Read by Margaret Strom. Reading time: 2 hours, 39 minutes.

Explains the process for electing the president of the United States. Discusses the electoral college system of voting, the role of political parties, candidates' campaigns and debates, and the reasons all citizens should vote. Presents historical facts about former presidents and past elections. 2008.

Grades 5 to 8

Air Force One by Andrew Santella

Download Air Force One, DB 60722

Read by Dan Bloom. Reading time: 1 hour, 1 minute.

History of presidential airplanes designated Air Force One, from propeller jets of the 1940s to modern jumbo jets. Identifies the first U.S. president to use a plane while in office and chronicles the development of chief executive air travel through George W. Bush. 2003.

 

In the Line of Fire: Presidents' Lives at Stake by Judith St. George

Download In the Line of Fire, DB 53198

Read by Miriam Wagner. Reading time: 2 hours, 38 minutes.

Discusses the assassinations of four American presidents: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy. Also describes seven unsuccessful attempts on other U.S. chief executives. Briefly explains each leader's life and times and the criminals' reasons for their attacks. 1999.

 

Our Country's First Ladies by Ann Bausum

Download Our Country's First Ladies, DB 65436

Read by Faith Potts. Reading time: 4 hours, 32 minutes.

Short biographies of forty-four wives and hostesses of United States presidents, from Martha Washington to Laura Bush. Discusses the public role of the first lady, an unpaid position. Presents anecdotes from the women's private lives. 2007.

 

Our White House: Looking in, Looking Out by The National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance.

Download Our White House: Looking in, Looking Out, BR 18197

Download Our White House: Looking in, Looking Out, DB 68017

Read by Faith Potts. Reading time: 6 hours, 19 minutes.

Anthology of poems, presidential speeches, memoirs, and stories about the White House in Washington, D.C., from the time of its construction in 1801 through the presidency of George W. Bush, 2001-2008. Introduction by historian David McCullough. 2008.

Grades 6 to 9

Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L. Swanson

Download Chasing Lincoln's Killer, DB 68728

Read by Butch Hoover. Examines the 1865 assassination of President Abraham Lincoln by the twenty-six-year-old actor John Wilkes Booth in Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C., and highlights the effect on those closest to Lincoln. Details the pursuit and capture of Booth and his accomplices. Some violence. 2009.

 

Mr. Lincoln's High-Tech War: How the North Used the Telegraph, Railroads, Surveillance Balloons, Ironclads, High-Powered Weapons, and More to Win the Civil War by Thomas B. Allen

Download Mr. Lincoln's High-Tech War, DB 68278

Read by Don Hagen. Reading time: 5 hours, 4 minutes.

Discusses President Lincoln's role as commander in chief during the Civil War. Describes his advocacy of controlling railroad and telegraph lines, conducting aerial surveillance, producing advanced weaponry, building ironclad ships, and blockading the South's ports. 2009.

Junior and Senior High

Are American Elections Fair? by Stuart A. Kallen

Download Are American Elections Fair? BR 17757

Download Are American Elections Fair? DB 66057

Read by Peter Johnson. Reading time: 3 hours, 12 minutes.

Ten essays debate the U.S. election process. Includes arguments for and against the electoral college, electronic voting machines, felons' and illegal aliens' voting rights, and campaign finance reform. Discusses the disputed presidential election of 2000 and provides a list of relevant organizations. 2006.

 

Bush v. Gore: Controversial Presidential Election Case by Diana K. Sergis

Download Bush v. Gore, BR 15216

Download Bush v. Gore, DB 57466

Read by Butch Hoover. Reading time: 2 hours, 29 minutes.

Discusses the 2000 Supreme Court landmark decision that resulted in Texas governor George W. Bush becoming the forty-third U.S. president. Describes the contested ballot recounts in Florida, battles in state and federal courts, and constitutional arguments presented to the nation's highest court by Bush and his challenger, Vice President Albert Gore. 2003.

 

The Presidential Election Process by Tom Lansford

Download The Presidential Election Process, DB 66944

Read by Kristin Allison. Reading time: 5 hours, 42 minutes.

Discusses the pros and cons of the American way of electing a political leader, including the roles of primaries and conventions, campaign financing, media coverage, and the electoral college. Describes the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. 2008.

 

The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History by Adam Selzer

Download The Smart Aleck's Guide to American History, DB 71330

Read by Julian Thompson. Reading time: 11 hours, 57 minutes.

Quirky guide to understanding key events, people, and places in U.S. history. Provides facts, from the horrific fates of the earliest settlers to presidential blunders. Includes end-of-chapter quizzes, essay questions, odd vocabulary words, and silly assignments. 2009.