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Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator

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Explore the childhood of legendary US President Abraham Lincoln, whose legacy as a Civil War leader and lover of freedom makes him an unforgettable all-star in American history.

Abraham Lincoln received less than two years of formal education, but he had a passion for he would walk for miles to borrow a book and eventually taught himself to become a lawyer. His legal career lead to a term in the US House of Representatives, and he was later selected as the Republican presidential candidate in 1860 and elected president. Shortly after his inauguration, the Civil War broke out, and for the rest of his life, Lincoln served as a wartime president, achieving the hugely challenging task of keeping the Union together until the Confederate surrender in April of 1865. Weeks later Lincoln was assassinated, but his legacy lives on.

From his humble beginnings in a Kentucky log cabin to his stepmother’s encouragement of education, the details of Abraham Lincoln’s childhood are revealed in this narrative biography about the events and influences that made him into the exceptional American leader he became.

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1932

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176 people want to read

About the author

Augusta Stevenson

111 books12 followers

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5 stars
69 (29%)
4 stars
75 (31%)
3 stars
73 (30%)
2 stars
15 (6%)
1 star
4 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
Profile Image for Joey.
568 reviews23 followers
April 27, 2023
That ending was blah. Very choppy and all over the palce. Extremely bias and not equitable for the classroom.
Profile Image for Shelli.
5,173 reviews56 followers
February 20, 2019
I was excited to read this historical fiction small chapter book for young readers, but was left disappointed. The story didn't have a good flow, and there were just enough facts to make it confusing as to what was true, based on fact, or just a tall tale. Lincoln's father seemed especially different than anything I have ever read about him. Yeah I just didn't like it at all. There were a couple semi-interesting parts so I gave it an extra star though.
15 reviews
November 8, 2015
Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth president of the United States. He was born on a farm by this creek called Little Knob Creek. He was born in the state of Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He lived with his mother, father, and his sister Sarah. He also had a lot of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Then, the Lincoln's moved to Indiana once Abe was 12. When he was 15, the Lincoln's moved to Illinois. In November when Abe was 51, he has been elected to become the next president of the United States. Once he was president, he moved to the White House in Washington DC from Springfield, Illinois. When Abe was 55, he was re-elected for president of the United States. I give this a great rating.
Profile Image for Sara.
552 reviews7 followers
February 8, 2013

I used this book for my Noble Knights and Ladies of Liberty class. I thought that the book was interesting enough to hold the children's attention. The stories in it were uplifting and had a good moral. It didn't go into Mr. Lincoln's presidency or the Civil War very much at all. Which was okay with me. It really just focused on his childhood and what influenced him as a boy. It provided many questions that could be asked in a colloquium.
986 reviews
December 11, 2014
I liked it. He moved twice when he was a child. Once when there was a little pig stuck in mud and he had his best suit on he saved it. Another time he saved a turtle from the mud. He was really strong for his age and tall. He was very kind.
238 reviews
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June 30, 2010
We read this book during Morning Group time this summer and learned more about the childhood of one of our favorite heroes.
Profile Image for Britt.
9 reviews
May 8, 2011
abraham lincoln is my favorite president. so any book about him is amazing!!
Profile Image for Carolyn.
215 reviews
May 28, 2011
I read this to the kids. It was okay - but not great. It showed how rural Abraham Lincoln's childhood was but in an outdated sort of way.
1,393 reviews14 followers
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December 15, 2013
AR Quiz No. 815 EN Nonfiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: MG - BL: 3.5 - AR Pts: 3.0
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP
Profile Image for Sarah.
130 reviews9 followers
March 22, 2015
Every book I have read in this series has been a delight. Honest Abe was no exception.
1 review
February 27, 2015
It was boss. Abe dies in the end. Also you realize that here mom also dies and one of her step sisters
24 reviews1 follower
October 22, 2013
I liked it ! he moved about three times!
Profile Image for Erin.
484 reviews
November 11, 2022
I was looking at this for my 7-year-old nephew, who is interested in Lincoln. I didn’t have time to read the whole thing, but the part I was most interested in was how the book handled discussing Lincoln’s conflicted feelings about slavery, and the Emancipation Proclamation, so I skimmed the two final chapters.
As far as I can see, neither uses the words “slavery,” “black,” “African-American,” or “Emancipation Proclamation.” Considering that the book’s title is “Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator,” that’s pretty disappointing. Offensive, actually. I can’t, in good conscience, recommend to anyone a book about Abraham Lincoln without the word “slavery” in it.
Profile Image for Kelli Cessna.
24 reviews
October 26, 2016
My 8 year old loved this book and was so excited to read it together daily. It was easy for him to follow.

I understand the book was intended to cover Abe Lincoln's childhood but the last chapter covering his presidency was very "rose colored" and there was no hint or mention that he was assassinated. He just wanted the union to stay together. In the end of this book, he and Mary Todd go for a ride after the war was ended and discuss the work that must be done to heal the country. I wish that how he died was at least mentioned.
Profile Image for Terry.
3,789 reviews53 followers
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December 15, 2020
Reader Enjoyment Factors: Readers interested in history, but who don't want the "same old, same old," will enjoy this look at the boyhood of Abraham Lincoln. Short chapters that are akin to short stories make it easy to read the book in small doses and will keep you coming back for more.

See the full reviewhere.
Profile Image for Shinae Wyckoff.
250 reviews
August 16, 2025
We really liked this one. My 9 year-old and I read a half a chapter every night at bed time. We really admired Abe’s hunger for learning and affability and conscientiousness, not to mention his humor and his strength! The highlighted character attributes delivered by way of relatable stories of Abe’s life were *chef’s kiss*. I’m so glad we have so many more of these books to choose from.
Profile Image for Becky.
358 reviews
July 22, 2019
This is another great book in the "Childhood of Famous Americans" series. EJP really enjoyed it. I thought the author did a good job of showing through Lincoln's childhood how he developed into the humble, hardworking, selfless president that he became.
Profile Image for Jeff Pavlick.
Author 1 book
March 31, 2023
This book has some unique qualities that I think would be redeeming enough to recommend this book.... but only if you are immediately hooked and drawn to this book
Profile Image for Rachel.
597 reviews1 follower
May 30, 2023
The book focuses mainly on Lincoln's childhood. Contains interesting stories, but the ending is very quick.
15 reviews
February 25, 2016
The book Abraham Lincoln by Augusta Stevenson tells the story about The famous American president.Which is a story about his life.Overall, I thought the book was pretty cool because i wanted to learn more about him.Ok so He was born in Kentucky in 1809 which was 207 years ago!Honestly, at some points in the book it got boring that's why i rated it a 4 star.Anyways he married a lady named mary todd speaking of which i actually read about her this quarter.But yea i liked this book still.
Profile Image for Diane.
338 reviews15 followers
March 7, 2018
Another delightful book that showed my children a book doesn't have be fast-paced to be worth reading. They all asked for more when I finished reading for the day, and reminded me to read before I got to it :)
179 reviews
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August 14, 2017
Excellent history young reader. Well explains history in a well worded narrative.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews

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