Great Presidents’ Day Reads!

It’s Presidents’ Day! While getting an extra long weekend is good enough reason to celebrate, we can also take a little time to remember the many great presidents of our country and what they accomplished. Here is a book list of the best Presidents’ Day books on the shelf!

For the youngest readers (preschool age):

• My Little Golden Book About Abraham Lincoln – A fun and simple, yet still informative story coupled with bright pictures preschoolers will enjoy make this a great first look at one of our most popular and beloved presidents.  Readers will like that this not only tells about what Honest Abe did as president but also shares little stories from when he was a kid. 
• This Little President by Joan Holub and Daniel Roode – the perfect board book for the youngest presidents-in-training!  This gives a basic introduction into what a president does and who our most famous presidents were.                                                                

For elementary school readers:

• President Taft is Stuck in The Bath by Mac Barnett and Chris Van Dusen- Based on a true mishap where President Taft literally couldn’t get out of his bathtub, this hilarious story will definitely be a favorite to read over and over.  Now, how did President Taft get unstuck? 
• Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America’s Presidents by David Stabler – Grown-up historical figures usually seem pretty uninteresting to kids, but kids love hearing stories about other kids their age!  This collection of stories contains tons of anecdotes about presidents as kids.  It is hilarious!                                                                                                      
• Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel – Bad Kitty is a character that we go to again and again for her spunky, humorous adventures.  This time Bad Kitty is running for office, and things don’t go quite as planned.  This story is a great way to introduce what an election is and how one works.  
• Dolly Madison Saves George Washington by Don Brown – Dolley Madison was a popular first lady, but most people dismissed her as just a “socialite.” It was Dolley, however, that stepped up when the soldiers fled the White House during the War of 1812. She rescued valuable state papers from the mansion and the now-famous portrait of George Washington. Goes to show that women can do it all!                                                                                               

For middle grades:

• Master George’s People: George Washington, His Slaves, and His Revolutionary Transformation by  Marfe Ferguson Delano – Without demonizing or over-praising the first president, this book looks at George Washington’s relationship to slave ownership. There is a lot of information about his slaves, how he treated them, and what led him to free his slaves in his will. It’s an interesting perspective on American history.                                                        
• Kennedy Through the Lens: How Photography and Television Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Leader by Martin W. Sandler – This book jumpstarts a great discussion about the role visual media plays in modern presidencies. Sandler also has another book, Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Ordinary Life.                                                        
• Yo! Millard Fillmore!: (And all those other Presidents you don’t know) by Will Cleveland – This book has lots of facts about this other Presidents as well as fun ways of remembering who they all are.