Of Thee I Sing: A Letter To My Daughters

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Of Thee I Sing: A Letter To My Daughters

by Barack Obama, Loren Long (Illustrator)

4.13 of 5 stars 4.13 · rating details · 1,183 ratings · 315 reviews

In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation. From the artistry of Georgia O'Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, President Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children, and...more

Hardcover, 40 pages

Published November 16th 2010 by Knopf Books for Young Readers (first published January 18th 2010)

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Dec 07, 2010 Lisa Vegan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: children & parents; for those interested in many aspects of history & historical figures

Recommended to Lisa by: Kathryn

Shelves: childrens, biography, history, non-fiction, picture-books, reviewed, altta

Full disclosure: I admire Barack Obama and am particularly smitten with him as a father, with his family. I think that he has a lovely family and that he and Michelle are marvelous parents, and the girls seem like truly nice people.

The concept of this book is that Obama is writing a letter to his daughters about how he feels love for them and his hopes for them, all the time educating them about people who have made a difference.

It might be thanks to the illustrator, Loren Long, that this book i...more Full disclosure: I admire Barack Obama and am particularly smitten with him as a father, with his family. I think that he has a lovely family and that he and Michelle are marvelous parents, and the girls seem like truly nice people.

The concept of this book is that Obama is writing a letter to his daughters about how he feels love for them and his hopes for them, all the time educating them about people who have made a difference.

It might be thanks to the illustrator, Loren Long, that this book is ingenious in its execution.

For every attribute Obama mentions (creative, smart, brave, a healer, have your own song, being strong, honoring others’ sacrifices, being kind, not giving up, an explorer, are inspiring, are part of a family, are proud to be an American) he tells a little about various people in history who exemplify those things. The people he introduces are Georgia O’Keeffe, Albert Einstein, Jackie Robinson, Sitting Bull, Billie Holiday, Helen Keller, Maya Lin, Jane Addams, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Neil Armstrong, Cesar Chavez, Abraham Lincoln, and George Washington. (At the back of the book, there is a short biographical paragraph on each of them.)

But what’s brilliant about this, aside from introducing some inspiring people, is that the illustrations show Obama’s two girls and then each of the famous people as children. As each person’s contributions are discussed, they appear with Obama’s daughters on the next page. So, the two girls are joined by more and more people, until there are many children going forward together, as each one joins the group. I found it inspiring, especially since the focus is on the diversity of people that make the country great. It’s children who are shown here, even if the accomplishments being talked about weren’t brought to fruition until their adulthoods.

Some pictures of Bo, their dog, make it into the book, and I can never resist a cute dog.

I am far from a raving patriot, and I often don’t like “patriotic” books, but I am fond of this book. I appreciate that the people featured made contributions in all sorts of different ways, and I admire most of them, so that probably influenced how I feel about this book. For some readers this book will be an unappealing celebrity book or too didactic or political, but I enjoyed it.

The illustrations are great, showing the featured people as kids and having them come from all sort of backgrounds making all sorts of contributions will help make history come alive even for kids not normally interested in the subject. There is something here to interest almost everyone.(less)

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Apr 04, 2011 Ashley Wampler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: self-confidence, ece-3602-social-studies-book-shelf

I loved this book! It is a letter written by Barack Obama to his little girls. On each page, he begins "Do you know you are _____?" He fills in the blank with a characteristic, such as brave, strong, etc. He then talks about a famous American that also embodies this trait. It is educational, but also very sweet and heartwarming. It definitely could be used to boost children's self esteem and self confidence. This book also pertains to various social studies topics due to the use of the famous Am...more

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Jun 18, 2013 Stephanie Croaning rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: summer-book-a-day-2013, yhba-2013-2014

The subtitle of this book is "a letter to my daughters." Without reading the book, this description makes you think it is more an intimate statement that is from President Obama to his two girls. While it may have started out as that, the illustrations of Loren Long make it an open letter of hope and pursuing your dreams that apply to every young American.

A famous person is identified for each characteristic that the author identifies in his two young girls. Georgia O'Keefe stands for creativity...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a beautiful, short book would be great for parents to share with their children. Obama wrote a love letter about the many possibilities he hopes his daughters will aspire to, but also it is a letter to all children and the country.

He uses wonderful examples Georgia O'Keeffe (creative), Albert Einstein (smart), Jackie Robinson (brave), Sitting Bull (healer), Billie Holiday (you have your own song), Helen Keller (strong), Maya Lin (honor others' sacrifices - Lin designed the Vietnam Veter...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Carly rated it 5 of 5 stars

In this heartwarming book, Barack Obama compares the qualities of his daughters to other famous people from our countries history. This book sounds like an average letter that any loving father would write about his daughter. It helps to make President Obama seem like every other father, which makes him more down to Earth. The book is also interesting as it helps the reader to learn about important figures in our history and how they can relate to almost every person’s qualities such as strength...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Ariana Thomas added it

Reading Level: 830 Lexile
Genre: Biographies, Non-fiction
Main Characters: Various American historical heros such as Jackie Robinson, Amelia Earhart, George Washington, and Rosa Parks

This beautifully illustrated book written by the President pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of influential Americans throughout history. Composed as a letter to his daughters, President Obama discusses attributes of various heroes to relay the important message that every individual has the potentia...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Nida Iftekaruddin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Grade/interest level: 2-3
Reading level: 830L
Genre: Non-Fiction

Main Characters: Barack Obama
Setting: America
POV: Second person

Summary:

Barack Obama writes a letter to his daughters, in this beautifully illustrated, moving story that takes you through thirteen of American’s most inspirational people. He pays a tribute to these amazing people whose unique characteristics have helped American become what it is today. He outlines the artistic abilities of Georiga O’Kieffe, the patriotism of George Wa...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Lakis Fourouklas rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wasn’t planning on reading this book, but since it found its way into my hands, I thought I could just as well take a look. Besides, it’s but a short read and it took me no more than a few minutes to go through it.
So, what is it that the American president speaks or rather sings about, in this slim volume that he’s written for his daughters? Well, for the USA, of course. He starts by asking “Have I ever told you…?” and then goes on and answers the questions he poses himself, and thus teaches...more I wasn’t planning on reading this book, but since it found its way into my hands, I thought I could just as well take a look. Besides, it’s but a short read and it took me no more than a few minutes to go through it.
So, what is it that the American president speaks or rather sings about, in this slim volume that he’s written for his daughters? Well, for the USA, of course. He starts by asking “Have I ever told you…?” and then goes on and answers the questions he poses himself, and thus teaches his girls and the reader, in a simple and straightforward way, about the history of the land. He talks about all there is to know about the American nation and the people who helped build it in one way or another and about the creation of the multicultural society of today: about Georgia O’ Keefe, the painter, who “helped us see big beauty in what is small”, about Albert Einstein, who gave the world a wealth of knowledge, about Jackie Robinson, the first black baseball player, about the revolutionary and healer Sitting Bull, about Billie Holiday, the singer, about Helen Keller, who managed, even deaf and blind, to give the people lessons in strength and in courage, about Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, about the social reformer and Nobel Prize winner Jane Addams, who did everything within her powers to change this world of ours for the better, about the man who said to the people never to give up and changed forever the way of life of people in America, Martin Luther King, about Neil Armstrong, the explorer, and about Cezar Chavez, who fought for the rights of the farmers, about Abraham Lincoln, who said that all Americans are part of a big family and about George Washington, who declared that: “America is made up of people of every kind… They are all part of you…”
Is this a book that intends to teach the reader? Yes it is. Is it patriotic? That’s for sure. But it is not nationalistic. And it is well-written. Loren Long’s beautiful illustrations seem to bring the words to life in their own special way, while sentiment is not at all absent from the text as it opens with the line: “Have I told you lately how wonderful you are?” and closes with the following: “And have I told you that I love you?”
I guess Barack Obama’s daughters will be proud of him, while for my part I can simply say: Not bad for a politician. Maybe, if not elected, he should take writing books as a full-time job. At least that way he’ll finally be able to get rid of the various lobbyists; or not…
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Nov 08, 2011 Jasmine Howard rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book called "Of Thee I Sing:A Letter To My Daughter by Barack Obama and Lauren Long the illustrator was about a letter the President wrote for his daughters about the historic nation of the United States and the motivational leaders whom contributed to our society by their wonderful significance to this nation but also the characteristics he sees in his chidren and future American children today. He starts the book with an introduction of questions that he sees within his children and tells...more The book called "Of Thee I Sing:A Letter To My Daughter by Barack Obama and Lauren Long the illustrator was about a letter the President wrote for his daughters about the historic nation of the United States and the motivational leaders whom contributed to our society by their wonderful significance to this nation but also the characteristics he sees in his chidren and future American children today. He starts the book with an introduction of questions that he sees within his children and tells them how they make him feel and inside. He asks the question,"Have I told you that you are creative?"and then he first introduces us to George O Keefee,Albert Einstein,Jackie Robinson,Sitting Bull,Billie Holiday,Helen Keller,Maya Lin,Jane Adams,Martin Luther King,Neil Armstrong,Cesar Chavez,Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. At the end of the book all the future children are holding hands and objects showing us what they want to be in the future with big smiles on their faces that race and religion doesnt matter and that you can be anything you want to be because they are the future and its up to them to make a difference and give to your nation what the other pioneers have done.
The age range that goes with this book would be primary because this book would be for the audience of elementary, middle school and highschool students but also history teachers,educators and parents. This book helps us understand what we are made up of,who the greatest world leaders are and give the futire kids of America a better opportunity and chance to make a difference and leave a legacy behind themselves but also that we are a diverse culture made up of several different characteristic traits but we are all one big family in so many different ways.
The artistic elements that are present in this novel is color,shape,texture,design,media and technique,style,and repetition because in the novel Barack uses the same question over again and fills it with a adjective word with a powerful meaning to describe the girls and the future chidren of the United States but he uses color and media and technique to create pictures made of acrylic on board giving all these portraits a realistic and creative visual outlook. I definately would reccomend this book to a student or educator because it teaches the children about the important individuals of the world,has alot of diversity and very inspirational and encouraging for the children in todays society and the future children who want to leave a legacy or just make a huge difference in their life and have a huge amount of guidance and appreciation from their parents and love ones or even just self accomplishment they have made. It's a book that every child doesnt want to put down and would gain alot from it. I really enjoyed this book because of the powerful message President Barack Obama had in mind when he wrote this novel to influence the children of America and his daughters.(less)

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Jul 30, 2011 K.augustine added it · review of another edition

This letter to the Obama daughters is inspiring for children and adults alike. This children's book is uplifting and unexpectedly informational while paying homage to thirteen icons that helped change and shape this country. The introduction to each great American visionary starts with seemingly simple words, "Have I told you. . . ?". This book is beyond creative, full of love, and well rounded. Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters is diverse, promotes equality, and without a doubt has the p...more

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Jun 04, 2011 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-picture-books, history

I tried to approach this book as simply a picture book, ignoring the "celebrity author" and Presidential status of its author. I figured that would be the fairest approach, trying not to prejudge for better or for worse. And, I ended up really enjoying it! A few phrases got a bit overly poetical or did not flow or match as perfectly as they could, but most were pitch-perfect and very touching. I really appreciate the sentiments about how children can learn from those outstanding individuals who...more I tried to approach this book as simply a picture book, ignoring the "celebrity author" and Presidential status of its author. I figured that would be the fairest approach, trying not to prejudge for better or for worse. And, I ended up really enjoying it! A few phrases got a bit overly poetical or did not flow or match as perfectly as they could, but most were pitch-perfect and very touching. I really appreciate the sentiments about how children can learn from those outstanding individuals who went before them and how there are so many individual traits that make a strong American--and member of the human race. The illustrations are fabulous! I love how one page shows the child-versions of the great Americans, standing beside Obama's own daughters, and how the children begin to swap the "tools of their trade" with one another, sharing their gifts and showing that we can all try new things.

I feel I should point out that this book generated some controversy with the inclusion of Sitting Bull as one of the famous figures to look up to. This controversy comes from both sides as some consider the inclusion of a Native American who killed a US General to be anti-American (http://www.aolnews.com/2010/11/16/fox...) whereas Sitting Bull's great-grandson is upset that Obama misquoted his great-grandfather and further feels that Sitting Bull should not be included in a book about famous Americans in this way, "my great grandfather was never American. He was Lakota." (http://americanindiansinchildrenslite...) Some controversy also surrounds the fact that the illustration of Sitting Bull gives him the only non-human form in the book (his face is made up of mountains, trees, etc.). Personally, I am not sure I would have found anything to incite my feelings one way or the other when I read that particular segment of the book--taken in the context of the rest of the story, I think Obama was probably just trying to include a wide variety of people for children to look up to--it's blatantly obvious he is trying to be multicultural given the figures he has chosen for the book. However, I can certainly understand the perspective of Sitting Bull's grandson and do think that when the President of the United States publishes a book during his time in office, he or one of his secretaries or editors, ought to have done more thorough research to ensure that he did not offend the Lakota people.

Also, the blurbs about Abraham Lincoln were quite typical with the whole "freeing the slaves" bit and not really going into the full story regarding his Emancipation Proclamation, etc.

Still, all in all, I think this is a very worthwhile book to share with young people--its heart seems to be in the right place and I very much enjoyed its inspirational message, poetic style and gorgeous illustrations. Hopefully it will interest children in looking deeper into the famous persons represented here and they will gain a more thorough understanding of each person in that regard.

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Jun 04, 2011 Eva Leger rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'm not an Obama fan. (I'm exactly whatever is the opposite of 'fan' when it comes to him.) I've seen this book in Wal-Mart for quite some time now and rolled my eyes each time. I assumed I'd know exactly what was inside. In short, a cheesy, for the media book written "for" his daughters. I expected to hate it. I expected to make fun of it. I expected that I'd never, ever, ever read it to my daughter.
But it's good. And it's not just 'good'. It's 'really good'. It's almost five stars good to be e...more

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Jan 15, 2011 Rana DiOrio rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens-books

The Story: This is exactly my kind of book. It provokes meaningful discussions between parents and children, teachers and students. Who was Jackie Robinson? Why was he important to history? Who is Maya Lin? What was the significance of the Civil War? the Vietnam War? The pivotal conversations that this book evokes are innumerable.

The Artwork: I had the privilege of listening to Loren Long [insert link to his site: http://www.lorenlong.com/] present at the scbwi 2010 Summer Conference. I was awe...more The Story: This is exactly my kind of book. It provokes meaningful discussions between parents and children, teachers and students. Who was Jackie Robinson? Why was he important to history? Who is Maya Lin? What was the significance of the Civil War? the Vietnam War? The pivotal conversations that this book evokes are innumerable.

The Artwork: I had the privilege of listening to Loren Long [insert link to his site: http://www.lorenlong.com/] present at the scbwi 2010 Summer Conference. I was awed by his creative genius, and this book takes my admiration of his talent to a whole new level. He depicts many layers of nuance and conveys so much meaning through the extraordinary illustrations in this book. I was especially moved by his portrayal of Sitting Bull.

The Passion: The love, respect, and admiration the author feels for his daughter is so palpable in this book that I cried as I read it to my own daughters. It is also clear how the author defines strong character and what he values most about our country by not only the heros he chooses to admire but also through his evocative word choices.

The Message: The underlying message is that all of these groundbreakers were once children, just like the readers, and they hatched the ideals that shaped our great nation. The take away message to children is that they can make a difference. Dream, and then make it so.

My Only Issues: My only suggestions for improvement are: (1) I wish the book was more environmentally-friendly, that is, printed on recycled paper and without a dust jacket; and (2) I wish that the author had reframed the question about being smart. Had he read Dr. Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The Psychology of Success [http://bit.ly/b78OaN], I’m sure he would have praised the amount of effort his children exude vs. how “smart” they are.

The Conclusion: Buy [http://amzn.com/037583527X] or borrow this book and read it to the little pickles in your life. I will be giving it as a gift for a long time to come, and I imagine that you may do the same.
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Dec 31, 2010 KIKA rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lovelies

This book is something special. I saw it on the rack at B&N and sat down to take a quick look. But as soon as I began reading, I knew it wasn't going to be just a quick look through.

President Obama writes the book as if it were a letter to his daughters. The story or letter, as it were is lovingly written and the illustrations beautiful.

Obama begins each page with

"Have I told you . . ."

Telling his girls how wonderful, strong, and kind they are. Subsequently highlighting a historic figure...more

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Dec 28, 2010 Beverly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads description:

In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped our nation. From the artistry of Georgia O'Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, President Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children, and within all of America’s children.

Breathtaking, evocative illustrations by award-winning artist Loren Lo...more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 24, 2010 Nicole rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: public-library-digital, nook-books, z-2010, non-fiction, historical

This book is adorable. It's definitely a children's book, but it's also worth reading if you're an adult. The illustrations are excellent; engaging and colorful.

The book starts out with two young girls, presumably Sasha and Malia. As each influential figure appears another child is added to the group, many carrying an object associated with the figure's work. Eventually, there's a whole crowd of children of all types. If you pay attention you'll notice that the kids pass around their props, whic...more

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Nov 20, 2010 Kurt rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, inspirational

I took interest in this book after seeing a headline from Fox "News" that said: Obama Praises Indian Chief Who Killed U.S. General. Since Fox is truthful and "fair and balanced" (they couldn't say that about themselves if it weren't true, could they?), I realized that all the books I had read about Native American history must be all wrong. So, Custer was not a Lieutenant Colonel like all the history books say, he was really a General; Sitting Bull didn't stay in camp during the Battle of Little...more

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Nov 18, 2011 Fran rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Both incredibly sweet and educational. It's a wonderful gift for his daughters, but it's also a lovely read for anyone (parent or not). The drawings are rich and detailed; I loved how they all interacted with each other when they're looking at the art and how little Helen Keller always has someone guiding her. It's those details in the art that took the book from being sweet to being special.

The only thing that would've pushed it over to 5 stars would've been if, instead of 'America', he'd writt...more

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Mar 28, 2011 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: informational

In this tender, beautiful letter to his daughters, President Barack Obama has written a moving tribute to thirteen groundbreaking Americans and the ideals that have shaped his nation. From the artistry of Georgia O'Keeffe, to the courage of Jackie Robinson, to the patriotism of George Washington, President Obama sees the traits of these heroes within his own children, and within all children. Breathtaking, evocative illustrations by award-winning artist Loren Long at once capture the personaliti...more

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Jan 31, 2013 L13_Allison Safran rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, info-bios, picture-books

I really love this book by Barack Obama. First of all, it is written by our current president but he does not take the stance of the authority figure that so many people know him as. He simply write as a father speaking to his children, so it is very interesting for students to read it.

Each page starts with "Did you know you are ______" and then he lists a character trait. These character traits such as bravery, kindness, strength, and courage. The book beautifully highlights important and influ...more

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Oct 23, 2012 Amy Fieldhouse rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-book, pk-5, history, biography, social-studies, future, daughters

Summary:
Of Thee I Sing is a children’s book written by President Barack Obama as a letter to his daughters. As you flip the pages of this inspiring story, President Obama discusses outstanding human qualities that have changed history and are still prevalent among America’s youth. Georgia O’Keefe, Jane Addams, and Cesar Chavez are among the thirteen revolutionary people discussed that have forever shaped Human history. Through the bright colorful pages the award-winning illustrator Loren Long br...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Angie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, picture-books, website, ebooks

This is a letter written from Pres. Obama to his daughters. In the letter he sees them as brave, strong, having their own song etc. Each attribute is accompanied by a description of someone who exemplified that attribute, such as Georgia O'Keefe, Abraham Lincoln, Billie Holiday and others. I love how at the beginning we see the Obama girls being introduced to these people and with each consecutive introduction they are joined by the characters as children. As they travel through the book, they a...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Kate May rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is so charming. And on top of that, the little texts are accompanied by wonderfully crafted illustrations by award-winning artist Loren Long. They are stunning!

A lovely read and a little treasure for young children and (young) adults, truly inspiring anyone to pursue their dreams.

1 like · like · see review

Mar 14, 2011 Lisa Carroll rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: module-2-booklist

I can't say enough good things about this book. This beautifully illustrated picture book was wonderful to look at and the story was charming. As a parent, I often think of letters or things that I want my children to know. This is exactly the type of thing that I would like to write to my son. Praising a child for attirbutes such as being kind and strong is so important in building their self-esteem. I also loved how some of America's most important pioneers were noted and discussed. At the end...more

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Aug 27, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, children-s, picture, nonfiction

A lovely and inspirational book! I definitely recommend it for elementary school libraries. In addition to being a great read aloud for students doing biography projects, it's a wonderful read aloud for students in K - 5. I loved that a wide variety of important Americans were included as inspirational examples. Beginning with Obama's daughters, each spread of pages includes additional children learning about these famous people. At the end, they come together to demonstate that "America is made...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Tasha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: picture-books

I was very leery of this book, because in my experience politicians and celebrities rank about equal for successful children’s book writing. In other words, odds are good that it will be bad. But I am so glad that I did eventually pick this one up and give it a try. President Obama has written a letter to his daughters that asks a question like “Have I told you that you are creative?” He then offers an example of a famous American who exemplifies that character trait, summing them up in a few li...more

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May 23, 2011 Mhm Storytelling rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: storytelling

This book written by President Obama features beautiful illustrations by Loren Long (born in Missouri!). It speaks about all of the wonderful qualities that children possess and connects those qualities to famous people in history (including Martin Luther King Jr., Helen Keller, Jackie Robinson, etc). It also talks about the importance of accepting differences and working together to make a better future.

Themes: Historic figures, positive characteristics (creative, smart, kind, inspiring and pr...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Kathleen Creevy added it

Shelves: social-justice-text-set

President, Barack Obama shows his compassionate side through this book he wrote to his daughters. The book depicts the story of thirteen innovative Americans throughout history. The description of each person shows different traits they possessed to make changes that shaped America as a nation. The book illustrates how each child has these same traits within themselves. Through reading this story and seeing the beautiful illustrations, children can begin to learn about American history. And with...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Rahmadiyanti rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-book, inspirational

Tadinya saya pikir surat yang ditulis Obama untuk kedua putrinya adalah surat "biasa", penuh kalimat cinta dan kasih, berisi pesan-pesan yang normatif. Ternyata so sweet banget. Kelihatan sekali sisi Obama yang puitis, tapi puitis yang tak berlebihan.

Kalimat pembukanya buat saya berkesan romantis (jadi inget lagunya Rod Stewart soalnya): "Have I told you...". Obama memuji kedua anak gadisnya, kemudian memberi motivasi melalui tokoh-tokoh terkenal Amerika dengan beragam karakter dan perjuangan m...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s

A beautifully written story of empowerment for children. Barack Obama has written an amazing letter to his daughters and all the children fortunate enough to hear or read the book. He has chosen wonderful examples of the character traits he attaches to his daughters. For peace he, of course, chose Martin Luther King. For bravery he chose Jackie Robinson. For caring, he chose Jane Adams. His simplistic but carefully worded prose explains to even the youngest of my students what these American her...more

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About Barack Obama

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America. He is the first African-American President to be elected President of the United States, and was the first to be nominated for President by a major U.S. political party. He was the junior U.S. Senator from Illinois from 2005 until he resigned on November 16, 2008, following his election to the Presidency.

Barack Obama is the son of...more Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America. He is the first African-American President to be elected President of the United States, and was the first to be nominated for President by a major U.S. political party. He was the junior U.S. Senator from Illinois from 2005 until he resigned on November 16, 2008, following his election to the Presidency.

Barack Obama is the son of Barack Obama, Sr. and Ann Dunham. He graduated from Columbia University in 1983, and moved to Chicago in 1985 to work for a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment. In 1991, Obama graduated from Harvard Law School where he was the first African American president of the Harvard Law Review. In addition to his work as a community organizer, Obama practiced as a civil rights attorney before serving three terms in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004. He also taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992 to 2004.

During his eight years in the Illinois state Senate, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans to help working families get ahead by creating programs like the state Earned Income Tax Credit, which in three years provided over $100 million in tax cuts to families across the state. Obama also pushed through an expansion of early childhood education, and after a number of inmates on death row were found innocent, Senator Obama enlisted the support of law enforcement officials to draft legislation requiring the videotaping of interrogations and confessions in all capital cases.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, he helped create legislation to control conventional weapons and to promote greater public accountability in the use of federal funds. He also made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. During the 110th Congress, he helped create legislation regarding lobbying and electoral fraud, climate change, nuclear terrorism, and care for returned U.S. military personnel.

Obama is especially proud of being a husband and father of two daughters, Malia and Sasha. Obama and his wife, Michelle, married in 1992 and have a home in Chicago’s South Side.(less)

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Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

Change We Can Believe In: Barack Obama's Plan to Renew America's Promise

The Inaugural Address, 2009: Together with Abraham Lincoln's First and Second Inaugural Addresses and The Gettysburg Address and Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance

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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9473008-of-thee-i-sing?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320472798l/9473008.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9473008-of-thee-i-sing?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Of Thee I Sing: A Letter To My Daughters by Barack Obama[/url]

Of Thee I Sing: A Letter To My Daughters

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