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Our Country's Presidents: All You Need to Know about the Presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama
Forty-four men have taken up the responsibilities of the Presidency as the nation has grown from its colonial infancy into a modern superpower. They've faithfully executed the duties of the President--waged war, signed treaties, addressed Congress, and established government offices. But their impact goes far beyond the bounds of their job description.
Each President has left his mark on the history of the United States and on the lives of the American people.
"Our Country's Presidents" is packed with information about America's leaders. Find out why George Washington gave up his life as a Virginia planter to lead a nation, and why John Tyler was nicknamed "His Accidency." Walk with the Presidents through wars, depressions, civil rights movements, and the race for space. Romp with the Garfield kids in a White House pillow fight and mourn with the nation over John F. Kennedy's assassination.
Eight all-new pages will contain exciting information and new images, and, of course, Election 2012, and a brand-new profile and photographic portrait of the new President (if applicable). In-depth text and historic images combine to make this volume the definitive family reference guide to the fascinating lives of the Presidents of the United States.
Each President has left his mark on the history of the United States and on the lives of the American people.
"Our Country's Presidents" is packed with information about America's leaders. Find out why George Washington gave up his life as a Virginia planter to lead a nation, and why John Tyler was nicknamed "His Accidency." Walk with the Presidents through wars, depressions, civil rights movements, and the race for space. Romp with the Garfield kids in a White House pillow fight and mourn with the nation over John F. Kennedy's assassination.
Eight all-new pages will contain exciting information and new images, and, of course, Election 2012, and a brand-new profile and photographic portrait of the new President (if applicable). In-depth text and historic images combine to make this volume the definitive family reference guide to the fascinating lives of the Presidents of the United States.
223 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2001
14 people are currently reading
171 people want to read
About the author
Ann Bausum
28 books99 followersAnn Bausum writes about history for readers of all ages from her home in southern Wisconsin. Her works often focus on under-told stories from the past, and she frequently explores issues of social justice.
Her newest title, The March Against Fear (National Geographic: 2017), is her third work to examine the civil rights movement in the American South. In the case of these and other books, Bausum strives to bring the nation’s social justice history to life in ways that empower and inspire readers young and old alike. Her previous title, Stonewall (Viking: 2015), is among the first nonfiction books to introduce teens to gay rights history. Previous works have explored voting rights, immigration, and free speech, among other topics.
The almost-forgotten story of Stubby lured Bausum away from social justice history temporarily. She wrote twin titles about the stray dog smuggled to Europe during World War I who returned to a hero’s welcome. Both books were published in 2014 by National Geographic: Sergeant Stubby (for adult readers) and Stubby the War Dog (for children).
In the spring of 2017, the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, D.C., will honor the body of Bausum’s work by presenting her with its venerable Nonfiction Award. This award recognizes the consistent commendation earned by her individual titles through the years. Bausum’s books have appeared consistently on lists of recommended and notable titles and have earned numerous literary awards including a Sibert Honor Award, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, the Carter G. Woodson Award (on two occasions), and the SCBWI Golden Kite Award. In 2015, she was named the year’s Notable Wisconsin Children’s Author by the Wisconsin Library Association.
You may follow Bausum on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AnnBausum) and Twitter (@AnnBausum) or visit her online at www.AnnBausum.com
Her newest title, The March Against Fear (National Geographic: 2017), is her third work to examine the civil rights movement in the American South. In the case of these and other books, Bausum strives to bring the nation’s social justice history to life in ways that empower and inspire readers young and old alike. Her previous title, Stonewall (Viking: 2015), is among the first nonfiction books to introduce teens to gay rights history. Previous works have explored voting rights, immigration, and free speech, among other topics.
The almost-forgotten story of Stubby lured Bausum away from social justice history temporarily. She wrote twin titles about the stray dog smuggled to Europe during World War I who returned to a hero’s welcome. Both books were published in 2014 by National Geographic: Sergeant Stubby (for adult readers) and Stubby the War Dog (for children).
In the spring of 2017, the Children’s Book Guild of Washington, D.C., will honor the body of Bausum’s work by presenting her with its venerable Nonfiction Award. This award recognizes the consistent commendation earned by her individual titles through the years. Bausum’s books have appeared consistently on lists of recommended and notable titles and have earned numerous literary awards including a Sibert Honor Award, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, the Carter G. Woodson Award (on two occasions), and the SCBWI Golden Kite Award. In 2015, she was named the year’s Notable Wisconsin Children’s Author by the Wisconsin Library Association.
You may follow Bausum on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AnnBausum) and Twitter (@AnnBausum) or visit her online at www.AnnBausum.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 6, 2020
This over-sized, colorful book is a perfect read if you want to get a short summary of each U.S. president from Washington through Obama. It offers a great format and also adds in several 2-page summaries on various subjects, such as the electoral college, landmarks, political parties, etc. Each president has a block containing common facts on their personal and presidential stats along with their official portrait and 2-4 pages about their life before, during and after time in office. I read interesting facts that I knew, that I knew but had forgotten, and that I did not know. The back of the book contains a chart of each presidential election result, which can serve as a great reference. I LOVED THIS BOOK!
June 11, 2022
ReedIII Quick Review: Important historical information about US presidents and the US presidency for all ages. This is a balanced objective collection of interesting facts presented in an entertaining and organized fashion. Great to read or to use as reference.
June 27, 2021
I love this book so much i finally read every detail front to back lol ! it my fav i love it yass it is special to me 😜
January 17, 2017
This is an amazing book! Designed to present each of the 43 individuals who have been elected to serve as America's President, it far surpasses a book of mini-biographies of people. It is a compilation of factual information relating to the Office of President of the United States of America, how the Presidency came to be, how the Electoral College works, voting rights, etc.
Sequenced chronologically, the reader can follow through how the country developed under the leadership of each of these Presidents. From our Country's inception and formative leadership, through years of discovery and expansion and on into the atomic age, America has grown guided by our governing principals and leaders who strove for America's best
The January 2017 edition of Our Country's Presidents: A Complete Encyclopedia of the U.S. Presidency was designed for the inclusion of the most recently elected President, Donald Trump, and released just days prior to his inauguration.
Packed with lots of pictures that aid in understanding and focus on the points being addressed on each page, the book is a storehouse of information that children and adults alike will pour over for many hours returning to the book time and time again. Designed for ages 10 and up, I can actually see it being used also with younger children as one explains to them the election process and the inauguration of a new president.
What an educational treasure this book is with it's short biographies of each President and other facts relative to the presidency. I highly recommend this for every school and public library, home libraries, and homeschool libraries.
I received a complimentary copy from publicist to facilitate this review of my honest opinions.
Sequenced chronologically, the reader can follow through how the country developed under the leadership of each of these Presidents. From our Country's inception and formative leadership, through years of discovery and expansion and on into the atomic age, America has grown guided by our governing principals and leaders who strove for America's best
The January 2017 edition of Our Country's Presidents: A Complete Encyclopedia of the U.S. Presidency was designed for the inclusion of the most recently elected President, Donald Trump, and released just days prior to his inauguration.
Packed with lots of pictures that aid in understanding and focus on the points being addressed on each page, the book is a storehouse of information that children and adults alike will pour over for many hours returning to the book time and time again. Designed for ages 10 and up, I can actually see it being used also with younger children as one explains to them the election process and the inauguration of a new president.
What an educational treasure this book is with it's short biographies of each President and other facts relative to the presidency. I highly recommend this for every school and public library, home libraries, and homeschool libraries.
I received a complimentary copy from publicist to facilitate this review of my honest opinions.
January 11, 2009
A good, basic reference of the presidents. This isn't for history fans unless you're first starting out. It was enough for me, someone with only a basic knowledge of these guys when I first began researching them.
Want to read
March 19, 2016I really liked the format of this book. However, I feel like they skimped on some. Any man (except perhaps Harrison) who led our country deserved more than a 1 page writeup.
March 6, 2023
This is an easy to read review of our Presidents up to President Obama. Although it certainly simplifies their administrations, it lists a lot of pertinent facts about their lives.
February 17, 2017
One by one readers will be introduced to the many presidents that have had a chance to make our country what it is today. It all started when a group of men held a meeting and voted in George Washington, the very first president of the United States.
This guide shares timelines of the presidents in chronological order. Each profile is key to the history of each president including their family background, childhood, education, their careers before the presidency and election highlights. There are reproductions of portraits and photos. Fact boxes are on each page and provide quick reference and insight for nicknames, important dates and landmarks. There are a few dozen page spreads to help with the understanding of U.S. history and the operation of the federal government and also the working of the Electoral College. Reference aids provide summaries of the U.S. election history and information on other resources to help further educate readers about our countries presidents and the election processes.
Parents and teachers will value this guide as a tool for education and general learning. Readers who are intrigued about history and politics will be engaged with the photos and even learning about the children who have spent time in the White House.
This guide shares timelines of the presidents in chronological order. Each profile is key to the history of each president including their family background, childhood, education, their careers before the presidency and election highlights. There are reproductions of portraits and photos. Fact boxes are on each page and provide quick reference and insight for nicknames, important dates and landmarks. There are a few dozen page spreads to help with the understanding of U.S. history and the operation of the federal government and also the working of the Electoral College. Reference aids provide summaries of the U.S. election history and information on other resources to help further educate readers about our countries presidents and the election processes.
Parents and teachers will value this guide as a tool for education and general learning. Readers who are intrigued about history and politics will be engaged with the photos and even learning about the children who have spent time in the White House.
February 1, 2017
No doubt we are facing some life changing events in history and National Geographic has, once again, put together a book that not only engages the brain, but teaches so much to readers about the presidents of the United States. What I love about this book is that it is stunning, filled with facts and photos that help kids learn about the history of the presidents and so much more. I love that my boys will be fully informed with up-to-date information and well researched facts, while being fully engrossed and engaged in the reading process. The book is laid out in a way where a reader can read bits and pieces or binge on the whole book. The quotes, facts and photos are interesting to kids and adults alike. I have learned so much myself by reading this book. A must for your school, classroom or home library.
February 19, 2018
Beginning from 1789 through the 2016 presidential election, this book is a chronological, historical reference book perfect for all educational environments. Written for kids 10 years old & up, this book gives readers a comprehensive look into the history of our countries individual presidencies from it's very beginning through the our most recent elections. Great for teachers too, this book also includes an introduction About The Presidency of the USA, and a How To when using this book for classroom settings.
FULL REVIEW https://mundiekids.blogspot.com/2018/...
FULL REVIEW https://mundiekids.blogspot.com/2018/...
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April 2, 2020This book was informative and had really great pictures. I don't think this would sustain the interest of younger children. It also has higher level vocabulary and concepts which would cause elementary age children to have difficulty comprehending. I would recommend this for 7th grade and up. As an adult it was very informative and gave a great overview of the historical events, presidential reactions, presidential policies, and the lives that lead up to each presidency.
April 15, 2019
This is the best book about our presidents that we found at our library. It is not opinionated, just factual. I love all the basic info and signatures on the first page of each.
April 4, 2024
This is a great introduction to our presidents. Well done.
June 23, 2012
Name: Brandi Plumlee, LME 508
Bausum, A. (2012). Our country's presidents: All you need to know about the presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. Washington, DC: National Geographic.
Cost: $21.33 (Barnes and Noble)
Dewey Call Number: E176.1 .B28 2009 (Library of Congress)
Reading Level: Teen
Category: Secondary level Non-fiction Reference-Biography
Review Citation: (Could not find enough for a citation, review is below)
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8
This update of the 2005 edition includes a large cover photo of Barack Obama, a foreword by him, revised coverage of George W. Bush's tenure, and a brief overview of Obama's political career and election. Four new two-page essays about topics related to the presidency-White House traditions, the relationship between presidents and the Supreme Court, the use of pollsters and polling in elections and governance, and campaigning-have been added. Two previous essays about campaigns and elections have been removed, leaving a total of 18 essays with subjects ranging from a history of the White House to the elder-statesman role played by former presidents. The remainder of the book is unchanged. The profiles range from one to six pages in length and are divided into six groups based upon broad historical eras. Each entry includes information and anecdotes about the man's family, education, political career and administration, and post-presidency. They all include a full-page reproduction of the president's official portrait and high-quality photos and illustrations. This book is attractive and readable and is a good choice for libraries that do not hold earlier editions and need material on the presidents. However, despite the inclusion of information about Obama, the revisions are not significant enough to warrant replacement by libraries that own the previous edition.-Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Description: The book puts the presidents in chronological order. It gives a full color photo of each president. It then provides a lot of in depth information on each president. It also shows a replica of their signature, tells about their marriages, their opponents, and many other interesting facts.
Relevance and Relationship: The library I visited did not have a book on the presidents that I could find that was completely up to date. This book was chosen to add to the collection to give information over all the presidents. In the biography section, they had individual books over each president. This book will have all of them in one place for the library patrons to use to learn about the presidents.
Purpose: The book will give a lot of information over all of the US presidents. It gives a lot of information that can be used for reports and other types of assignments.
Validity: The book was published by National Geographic. It is completely up to date with all of the presidents that we have had so far.
Format: Print Reference- Biography
Arrangement and Presentation: This book has 216 pages. The book has pages in the front that tell the reader how to use the book. The presidents are in chronological order. Each president has a full color picture followed by a lot of information about each president.
Diversity: The book can be used for any age, but the text is simple enough to use in elementary and middle school. This book will show how the presidency has changed throughout time and that how our society has changed over time as well.
Bausum, A. (2012). Our country's presidents: All you need to know about the presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. Washington, DC: National Geographic.
Cost: $21.33 (Barnes and Noble)
Dewey Call Number: E176.1 .B28 2009 (Library of Congress)
Reading Level: Teen
Category: Secondary level Non-fiction Reference-Biography
Review Citation: (Could not find enough for a citation, review is below)
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8
This update of the 2005 edition includes a large cover photo of Barack Obama, a foreword by him, revised coverage of George W. Bush's tenure, and a brief overview of Obama's political career and election. Four new two-page essays about topics related to the presidency-White House traditions, the relationship between presidents and the Supreme Court, the use of pollsters and polling in elections and governance, and campaigning-have been added. Two previous essays about campaigns and elections have been removed, leaving a total of 18 essays with subjects ranging from a history of the White House to the elder-statesman role played by former presidents. The remainder of the book is unchanged. The profiles range from one to six pages in length and are divided into six groups based upon broad historical eras. Each entry includes information and anecdotes about the man's family, education, political career and administration, and post-presidency. They all include a full-page reproduction of the president's official portrait and high-quality photos and illustrations. This book is attractive and readable and is a good choice for libraries that do not hold earlier editions and need material on the presidents. However, despite the inclusion of information about Obama, the revisions are not significant enough to warrant replacement by libraries that own the previous edition.-Mary Mueller, Rolla Junior High School, MO
Description: The book puts the presidents in chronological order. It gives a full color photo of each president. It then provides a lot of in depth information on each president. It also shows a replica of their signature, tells about their marriages, their opponents, and many other interesting facts.
Relevance and Relationship: The library I visited did not have a book on the presidents that I could find that was completely up to date. This book was chosen to add to the collection to give information over all the presidents. In the biography section, they had individual books over each president. This book will have all of them in one place for the library patrons to use to learn about the presidents.
Purpose: The book will give a lot of information over all of the US presidents. It gives a lot of information that can be used for reports and other types of assignments.
Validity: The book was published by National Geographic. It is completely up to date with all of the presidents that we have had so far.
Format: Print Reference- Biography
Arrangement and Presentation: This book has 216 pages. The book has pages in the front that tell the reader how to use the book. The presidents are in chronological order. Each president has a full color picture followed by a lot of information about each president.
Diversity: The book can be used for any age, but the text is simple enough to use in elementary and middle school. This book will show how the presidency has changed throughout time and that how our society has changed over time as well.
February 20, 2017
This is a must for any home, school, city or county library!
In addition to beautifully illustrated information concerning our country presidents, there is a full size (8.9 x11 inch) photograph of each president, including our 45th President Donald Trump! Each President has many "tidbits" of information of their lives and accomplishments in a short bio. In between bios is additional information of interest, such as, the development of the presidency, ideals of America, First Ladies, landmarks, atomic energy, and much more additional information related to the Presidency.
This book written for older children and YA, will be enjoyed by people of all ages!
The Book's attractive, eye-catching Cover and Title is only a hint of what is inside! This will be a hardbound, quality reference, for all ages, for years to come! What a great gift for a family!
This is deserving of a Five Stars Review.
This book was gifted me but in no way was I asked to give a positive review. This is my honest review.
In addition to beautifully illustrated information concerning our country presidents, there is a full size (8.9 x11 inch) photograph of each president, including our 45th President Donald Trump! Each President has many "tidbits" of information of their lives and accomplishments in a short bio. In between bios is additional information of interest, such as, the development of the presidency, ideals of America, First Ladies, landmarks, atomic energy, and much more additional information related to the Presidency.
This book written for older children and YA, will be enjoyed by people of all ages!
The Book's attractive, eye-catching Cover and Title is only a hint of what is inside! This will be a hardbound, quality reference, for all ages, for years to come! What a great gift for a family!
This is deserving of a Five Stars Review.
This book was gifted me but in no way was I asked to give a positive review. This is my honest review.
February 10, 2017
What I noticed right away when I first flipped through the pages of this book is the attention to detail. This book features full pages of the official portraits of each President, including President Donald Trump. This book is large, a little bigger than computer paper and thick. It's more of a coffee table book. The very first page of the book includes a photo of the oval office and President Donald Trump's victory speech. After an overview of the history of the presidency, it takes you right into the story of each President.
My favorite thing on each President's page was their official signature. I think my favorites were Theodore Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter....neat, readable, and unique. Sprinkled throughout the pages of the Presidents there is also notable historical information including the history of the white house, children who grew up in the white house, the Supreme Court, the First Ladies, Presidents who died in office, and much more.
I found the President Facts and Comparison section to be fascinating. There is a table that charts each President and the level of education, military service, political service, and careers before becoming President. Seven out of our 45 Presidents did not have a college education. Fifteen of them did not serve in our military. Only eight of them were former educators. These are all facts I wasn't aware of and found to be quite interesting.
This book covers it all and between the photos and pages of information on each President, your child will be filled with knowledge to cover any future report they may have to give on any President. This is comprehensive and detailed. But, due to its size, you'll want to just look at it in your home. Middle elementary through middle school students could definitely benefit from this book, but older students and parents will enjoy it too.
My favorite thing on each President's page was their official signature. I think my favorites were Theodore Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter....neat, readable, and unique. Sprinkled throughout the pages of the Presidents there is also notable historical information including the history of the white house, children who grew up in the white house, the Supreme Court, the First Ladies, Presidents who died in office, and much more.
I found the President Facts and Comparison section to be fascinating. There is a table that charts each President and the level of education, military service, political service, and careers before becoming President. Seven out of our 45 Presidents did not have a college education. Fifteen of them did not serve in our military. Only eight of them were former educators. These are all facts I wasn't aware of and found to be quite interesting.
This book covers it all and between the photos and pages of information on each President, your child will be filled with knowledge to cover any future report they may have to give on any President. This is comprehensive and detailed. But, due to its size, you'll want to just look at it in your home. Middle elementary through middle school students could definitely benefit from this book, but older students and parents will enjoy it too.
Read
November 22, 2015Bausum, A. (2013). Our Country’s Presidents: All you need to know about the Presidents from George Washington to Barack Obama. Washington, DC: National Geographic.
Citation by: Kelly Bowles
Type of Reference: Encyclopedia
Call Number: Ref 973.09
Content/Scope: This encyclopedia is designed for grades 4-7. This title is absolutely stuffed full of information, presented in an inviting manner. It gives an overview of the Presidents, including personal lives, humorous stories, political backgrounds, records, struggles, battles, successes, famous events, and even memorable quotes. Full of interesting tidbits as well as solid information. Great supplemental encyclopedia for elementary schools.
Accuracy/Authority/Bias: President Obama wrote the foreword to this volume (George Bush wrote the foreword to the previous edition), and Ann Bausam is a veteran writer who paid great attention to detail. A detailed index, resource guide with website and book materials, as well as an extensive bibliography complete the volume.
Arrangement/Presentation: The book begins with an introduction to the presidency, with an initial time line, which is then continued throughout the book in intervals. The timeline explains what was happening in the U.S. during each of the presidencies. The presidents are covered chronologically. The spreads on each president range from one page to five pages.
Relation to other works: Most libraries will include biographies on each president, however many are too dense for elementary school, or too simple for the upper levels of elementary grades. This volume creates a good initial jumping off point for researchers to then travel online to further explore topics of interest, specifically because of the corresponding timeline which better enables students to correlate historical events to presidencies.
Accessibility/Diversity: The volume covers all presidencies in detail and the timeline includes smaller national movements and events, as well as major ones, such as riots, suffragettes, civil rights, abolition, even election results, as well as detail to wars and battles.
Cost: $35.90
Professional Review: Shaver, S. (2013). Our Country’s Presidents. School Library Journal. 59(5), p. 132.
Citation by: Kelly Bowles
Type of Reference: Encyclopedia
Call Number: Ref 973.09
Content/Scope: This encyclopedia is designed for grades 4-7. This title is absolutely stuffed full of information, presented in an inviting manner. It gives an overview of the Presidents, including personal lives, humorous stories, political backgrounds, records, struggles, battles, successes, famous events, and even memorable quotes. Full of interesting tidbits as well as solid information. Great supplemental encyclopedia for elementary schools.
Accuracy/Authority/Bias: President Obama wrote the foreword to this volume (George Bush wrote the foreword to the previous edition), and Ann Bausam is a veteran writer who paid great attention to detail. A detailed index, resource guide with website and book materials, as well as an extensive bibliography complete the volume.
Arrangement/Presentation: The book begins with an introduction to the presidency, with an initial time line, which is then continued throughout the book in intervals. The timeline explains what was happening in the U.S. during each of the presidencies. The presidents are covered chronologically. The spreads on each president range from one page to five pages.
Relation to other works: Most libraries will include biographies on each president, however many are too dense for elementary school, or too simple for the upper levels of elementary grades. This volume creates a good initial jumping off point for researchers to then travel online to further explore topics of interest, specifically because of the corresponding timeline which better enables students to correlate historical events to presidencies.
Accessibility/Diversity: The volume covers all presidencies in detail and the timeline includes smaller national movements and events, as well as major ones, such as riots, suffragettes, civil rights, abolition, even election results, as well as detail to wars and battles.
Cost: $35.90
Professional Review: Shaver, S. (2013). Our Country’s Presidents. School Library Journal. 59(5), p. 132.
Read
May 4, 2014Bausum, A. (2013). Our country's presidents: All you need to know about the presidents, from George
Washington to Barack Obama (4th ed.). National Geographic.
Citation By: Leah Clark
Type of Reference: Biographical Reference
Call Number: Ref 973 ; E176.1
Content/Scope: A biographical reference book that contains facts and interesting information about all of the United States Presidents. The content includes basic facts, important events during their administration, and other information targeted to the interest of upper elementary and middle school students.
Accuracy/Authority/Bias: The author, Ann Bausum has written many historical books, all published by National Geographic. The publisher is an internationally known company for educational/academic works.
Arrangement/Presentation: The book is arranged in chronological order, from the first president to the current president. Included are historical prints, portraits, illustrations, and even maps. The book is available in hardcover. There is an index and bibliographical references.
Relation to similar works: The library holds some individual biographies of the presidents, but not all of the presidents. Further, the biographies are written on a lower reading level, so this resource can be used for the older students, or students with a higher reading level.
Timeliness and Permanence: This is the most current edition and includes coverage on the most recent election and president. It will remain current until the next election in 2016.
Accessibility/Diversity: The reading level is somewhat higher for elementary students, but the illustrations and pictures do make it more accessible to younger, or lower level readers.
Cost: According to the Children's Core Collection, the cost of the item is $24.95. This is a relatively inexpensive item in comparison to other reference books. Further, it's wide range of information will be viable for quite a while.
Book Review : Shaver, S. (2013). Our country's presidents: All you need to know about the presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. School Library Journal, 59(5), 132.
Washington to Barack Obama (4th ed.). National Geographic.
Citation By: Leah Clark
Type of Reference: Biographical Reference
Call Number: Ref 973 ; E176.1
Content/Scope: A biographical reference book that contains facts and interesting information about all of the United States Presidents. The content includes basic facts, important events during their administration, and other information targeted to the interest of upper elementary and middle school students.
Accuracy/Authority/Bias: The author, Ann Bausum has written many historical books, all published by National Geographic. The publisher is an internationally known company for educational/academic works.
Arrangement/Presentation: The book is arranged in chronological order, from the first president to the current president. Included are historical prints, portraits, illustrations, and even maps. The book is available in hardcover. There is an index and bibliographical references.
Relation to similar works: The library holds some individual biographies of the presidents, but not all of the presidents. Further, the biographies are written on a lower reading level, so this resource can be used for the older students, or students with a higher reading level.
Timeliness and Permanence: This is the most current edition and includes coverage on the most recent election and president. It will remain current until the next election in 2016.
Accessibility/Diversity: The reading level is somewhat higher for elementary students, but the illustrations and pictures do make it more accessible to younger, or lower level readers.
Cost: According to the Children's Core Collection, the cost of the item is $24.95. This is a relatively inexpensive item in comparison to other reference books. Further, it's wide range of information will be viable for quite a while.
Book Review : Shaver, S. (2013). Our country's presidents: All you need to know about the presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. School Library Journal, 59(5), 132.
Read
April 24, 2016Bausam, A. (2013). Our country's presidents: All you need to know about the presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. Washington, DC: National Geographic Children's Books.
Citation by: Lena White
Type of Reference: Biographical Reference
Call Number: j973.099 baus
Content/Scope: This encyclopedia of presidents of the United States contains information on all the presidents from George Washington to Obama. It is 224 pages in length. It contains a bibliography, charts, and lists further reading sources for information. There are illustrations, an index, photographs, reproductions of materials, and aligned websites. It is great for reports or personal interest, and gives ample opportunity to study more indepth with the bibliography, index, and resource guide.
Authority/Accuracy/Bias: The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world. They publish a vast array of science, social, and political works in magazines, books, and videos.
Arrangement/Presentation: Listed in chronological order, each of the presidential stories contain full-page replicas of official portraits, a fact box of important historical details during the presidency, additional prints-both color and black and white, diagrams, etc. The conversational text is clearly written and full of interesting facts about the men's personal lives, humorous incidents, political backgrounds, records, struggles, battles, successes, and what they are most famous for. Interesting and important events that happened during their terms are also included.
Relation to other works: Many references are available for detailing the presidents; this is the most up-to-date.
Accessibility/Diversity: This reference is good for grades 5-9. The illustrations are visually appealing to keep students' interest and the text is clear so that many readers can understand.
Cost: $24.95
Professional Review: Shaver, S. (2013). Our country's presidents: all you need to know from George Washington to Barack Obama. School Library Journal, 59(5), p. 132.
Citation by: Lena White
Type of Reference: Biographical Reference
Call Number: j973.099 baus
Content/Scope: This encyclopedia of presidents of the United States contains information on all the presidents from George Washington to Obama. It is 224 pages in length. It contains a bibliography, charts, and lists further reading sources for information. There are illustrations, an index, photographs, reproductions of materials, and aligned websites. It is great for reports or personal interest, and gives ample opportunity to study more indepth with the bibliography, index, and resource guide.
Authority/Accuracy/Bias: The National Geographic Society, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest nonprofit scientific and educational institutions in the world. They publish a vast array of science, social, and political works in magazines, books, and videos.
Arrangement/Presentation: Listed in chronological order, each of the presidential stories contain full-page replicas of official portraits, a fact box of important historical details during the presidency, additional prints-both color and black and white, diagrams, etc. The conversational text is clearly written and full of interesting facts about the men's personal lives, humorous incidents, political backgrounds, records, struggles, battles, successes, and what they are most famous for. Interesting and important events that happened during their terms are also included.
Relation to other works: Many references are available for detailing the presidents; this is the most up-to-date.
Accessibility/Diversity: This reference is good for grades 5-9. The illustrations are visually appealing to keep students' interest and the text is clear so that many readers can understand.
Cost: $24.95
Professional Review: Shaver, S. (2013). Our country's presidents: all you need to know from George Washington to Barack Obama. School Library Journal, 59(5), p. 132.
February 9, 2013
Public library copy.
I take my children every week to the library and I'm pleased to have discovered a book about all the of the U.S. President's that gets down to the bare necessities. The book was not as in-depth or dry as a Wikipedia page, but I learned a lot about past President's that I wasn't taught in school. Much of my public education was established with rinse-and-repeat for tests rather than soak-it-in-and-let-it-sit so unfortunately I never bothered to memorize the order of all 43 President's nor the Capital's of every State.
The usual suspects get covered in several pages: Washington and Lincoln, while other less favorable President's have their 4-year career wrapped up in manner of 4 paragraphs or less. I'd recommend this book to all ages and I think non-Political Science major readers may learn something new. There's no mention of Washington being the first master spy or how (as my Humanities professor taught) no mention of Washington's extra martial affairs whereby his horse carriage would pull up to a married couple's home and Washington could bed the wife of any person he chose.
Reading the book was a bit of an eye opener because I've always wondered how elected officials felt about slavery before (and after) Abe Lincoln. In stark contrast to my free education it was interesting to read how not every white man was in support of slavery. I was mightily surprised to read how one former President bought slaves from slave owners only so he'd enable slaves to be set free. Unfortunately, those poor souls probably got rounded up and became the slave of someone else because of the broken system and prejudice of the day.
This book was not as thorough as, say, a text book, but it does provide insight for those like myself seeking greater knowledge of history.
I take my children every week to the library and I'm pleased to have discovered a book about all the of the U.S. President's that gets down to the bare necessities. The book was not as in-depth or dry as a Wikipedia page, but I learned a lot about past President's that I wasn't taught in school. Much of my public education was established with rinse-and-repeat for tests rather than soak-it-in-and-let-it-sit so unfortunately I never bothered to memorize the order of all 43 President's nor the Capital's of every State.
The usual suspects get covered in several pages: Washington and Lincoln, while other less favorable President's have their 4-year career wrapped up in manner of 4 paragraphs or less. I'd recommend this book to all ages and I think non-Political Science major readers may learn something new. There's no mention of Washington being the first master spy or how (as my Humanities professor taught) no mention of Washington's extra martial affairs whereby his horse carriage would pull up to a married couple's home and Washington could bed the wife of any person he chose.
Reading the book was a bit of an eye opener because I've always wondered how elected officials felt about slavery before (and after) Abe Lincoln. In stark contrast to my free education it was interesting to read how not every white man was in support of slavery. I was mightily surprised to read how one former President bought slaves from slave owners only so he'd enable slaves to be set free. Unfortunately, those poor souls probably got rounded up and became the slave of someone else because of the broken system and prejudice of the day.
This book was not as thorough as, say, a text book, but it does provide insight for those like myself seeking greater knowledge of history.
April 8, 2013
I'm on a big U.S Presidents kick right now and found this book to be jam-packed full of great information.
The presidents are listed in order from 1 to 44 and each layout follows the same pattern. A full page color painting of the president appears on the left side mirroring a page of text that includes the president's signature, nickname, birth/death, political party, chief opponents, term of office, number of terms, vice president, first lady, children, number of states and number added during term, date and place of death, and selected landmarks.
Regardless of how short their term served was each president gets at least a one page write up while notable presidents such as Lincoln and Kennedy receive a several page spread. The text is informative and written without bias and is, dare I say, exciting to read. This isn't your history textbook here. Enough information is included for a basic biography report, but for late elementary/middle school the is a good introduction to some of the important issues that each president faced during their term and should be used as a jumping off point into further, in depth research.
Brief articles are found between entries on the presidents and cover topics such as the electoral college, pollsters, first ladies, the 20-year curse, presidential landmarks and White House traditions to name a few.
Great photos, tons of facts, and short entries make this a good introduction to U.S presidents for grades 4 and up.
The presidents are listed in order from 1 to 44 and each layout follows the same pattern. A full page color painting of the president appears on the left side mirroring a page of text that includes the president's signature, nickname, birth/death, political party, chief opponents, term of office, number of terms, vice president, first lady, children, number of states and number added during term, date and place of death, and selected landmarks.
Regardless of how short their term served was each president gets at least a one page write up while notable presidents such as Lincoln and Kennedy receive a several page spread. The text is informative and written without bias and is, dare I say, exciting to read. This isn't your history textbook here. Enough information is included for a basic biography report, but for late elementary/middle school the is a good introduction to some of the important issues that each president faced during their term and should be used as a jumping off point into further, in depth research.
Brief articles are found between entries on the presidents and cover topics such as the electoral college, pollsters, first ladies, the 20-year curse, presidential landmarks and White House traditions to name a few.
Great photos, tons of facts, and short entries make this a good introduction to U.S presidents for grades 4 and up.
May 21, 2014
A fascinating look into the lives and presidencies of all of our presidents (including Barack Obama)!
Each entry provides the name of the president, a full-page picture, his rank, e.g. George Washington was the 1st and term(s) of office. There is also a fact box and an essay about each president.
The fact box provides details such as a copy of the president's signature, nickname, birthdate & place of birth, political party, chief opponents, term of office, age at innauguration, number of terms served, vice president(s), first lady, children, geographic scene, states added (if applicable), date & place of death, age at death and selected landmarks.
Presidential essays, themselves, range from 1-page to 5-6 pages, but there are also 2-3 page essays on topics such as the White House, Powers of the President, Vice Presidents, Presidential Landmarks, First Ladies, Kids in the White House and much much more!
At the end of the book is a chart of presidential election results, as well as a detailed index, resource guide and bibliography.
Each entry provides the name of the president, a full-page picture, his rank, e.g. George Washington was the 1st and term(s) of office. There is also a fact box and an essay about each president.
The fact box provides details such as a copy of the president's signature, nickname, birthdate & place of birth, political party, chief opponents, term of office, age at innauguration, number of terms served, vice president(s), first lady, children, geographic scene, states added (if applicable), date & place of death, age at death and selected landmarks.
Presidential essays, themselves, range from 1-page to 5-6 pages, but there are also 2-3 page essays on topics such as the White House, Powers of the President, Vice Presidents, Presidential Landmarks, First Ladies, Kids in the White House and much much more!
At the end of the book is a chart of presidential election results, as well as a detailed index, resource guide and bibliography.
November 29, 2012
I really enjoyed this book and think it would be extremely useful in a classroom. This book discusses every president’s term and different aspects of being the president and is organized under different eras. The book begins with the presidency and how it grew with different important dates and small pictures at the bottom of the pages. Each president has a biography that is included and the history of his life along with a self portraits and different drawings or artifacts from their presidency. This book does a good job depicting the history of the United States and all of the presidency’s terms. The pictures and artwork also added to each presidencies history. I did feel that many of the pages were too crowded with facts and pictures, this would make it hard to use to an elementary classroom.
December 5, 2012
This is one of my favorite books that I have read about presidents because it provides information about every single United States president, including President Obama. This information is given in the format of a full-page picture of a president, the rank of his presidency, a fact box, and an essay about him. This book would work great in an upper-level elementary classroom because it explains each president and what they accomplished during her term. I would use this book in a classroom during lessons about the history in the United States. However, the format of this book is more like a textbook, so it wouldn’t work to be read aloud to the class—it is strictly for reference and information. Overall, I think that this book is a very concise collection of presidential information and it would be great to have in any question.
December 2, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this book. It gave a concise description of each president’s term, including Obama. For each president there was a full-page picture, his rank, a fact box, and an essay about their presidency. I think this would be a great book to teach children about United State presidents and he wonderful things they accomplished in their terms. However, since this book reads somewhat like a textbook, it would be hard to read it aloud. It would be more suited for children looking at it on their own. Or it would be good to use when just focusing on one president at a time.
May 23, 2021
This book is a great book for those who wish to learn about each president. Some presidents have more pages than others because of certain historical actions that occurred during their presidency. I love the quick facts about the presidents on the side next to a large portrait of every president for his page. It's a great reference book and I believe everyone should have it in their own personal library. It's a great book for children as well to teach them about the presidents. I have the edition that is up to George W. Bush and maybe after a few more presidents I will get an updated version.
July 18, 2009
I thought this was a good, quick book to learn some interesting facts about each president. Of course, it was published several years ago, so there is a lot missing by way of the Bush administration, and of course the Obama presidency isn't mentioned at all. For the most part, I felt as though the authors were very objective and shared facts, pros and cons, and information without putting personal feelings into the book.
February 14, 2013
I thought this book was very informational. I didn't like that the book was just information though. It was very boring like that and I wished that it was a bit more exciting to read. I think it would be a good book for a paper, but it definitely isn't something that would be fun to read. However, I enjoyed the book the most when it talked about where the presidents lived and how their lifestyles were like.
April 12, 2016
This book was great, and a valuable resource to me. It had so much information I had never known from looking at other encyclopedias and online articles. The author does a good job of engaging the reader in the text, and even what I thought was "boring" wasn't boring at all. I recommend this for people of ages 11 and up, as this is a great guide, with a few difficult words, into the land of US presidency. Read this, and you will like this book-a lot!
November 1, 2010
Initially I made fun of my wife for getting this book but ended up reading it since there are questions about the presidents at a weekly trivia event. The book was interesting and informative and I definitely plan to re-read it sometime in the future to commit the order of presidents and their various facts to memory.
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