Title: The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary

Author: Candace Fleming

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books, a division of Random House Children's Books

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography

Awards and Recognition:

Booklist Starred 2008
Horn Book Starred 2008
Kirkus Reviews Starred 2008
School Library Journal Starred 2008

Plot Description:

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look At Abraham and Mary is both a complete biography and a historical reference resource publication. Its arrangement and content make it a suitable biography, additionally however it may be shelved in the Dewey 973.7 history area of a library. The book provides a chronological view of both Abraham and Mary from their childhood years, their marriage, the birth of their children, the presidency, the Civil War, and up to their eventual deaths. Uniquely the scrapbook style arrangement includes hundreds of artifacts such as photographs, drawings, writing excerpts, legal documentation, newspaper clippings and additional historic information regarding the couple and their legacy.

To accompany the historical facts, dates and major events in the Lincoln's lives, Candace Fleming includes an impressive array of reproduced primary source material in both written and visual form. Examples of photos included are of his boyhood school house, one showing the way each of them appeared when they first met, Mary and Abraham as small children, as well as a few from Civil War battlefields and of his funeral procession in Washington D.C. Written information includes an account of Abraham nearly drowning after falling into a creek as a boy, his early law writings, a quote about honesty and information regarding a patent he received for developing a system to assist vessels free themselves from shallow shoals.

The Horn Book Guide Online refers to the funny little stories that really bring Mary and Abraham to life as "anecdotes". A few examples of these "anecdotes" are that Abraham detested the name "Abe", thus the author always refers to him as "Abraham"; as a child Mary was more of a tomboy and a prankster than a little girl; and Abraham's rise in popularity was largely due to images of him that hung in homes across America often depicting him as a homely man rather than a stately presidential figure. An additional shocking detail was that Abraham had several premonitions throughout his presidency, the most chilling was the vision he had seen of his own death, just days before his assassination.

My Reaction:

I absolutely love to study and read history. I am particularly intrigued by Civil War and American,as well as local, history. I have been to Gettysburg several times and have tremendous respect for the soldiers who fought for principles in which they believed. I also have come to realize how dramatically different this country would be without men like Abraham and women like Mary Lincoln. By the way, Mary removed the "Todd" from her name after the two were married, and refused to let anyone refer to her as "Mary Todd Lincoln". Little historical facts like these, a fabulously detailed timeline of events in the Lincoln's lives, combined with the headlines of the the times, makes this book an awesome resource that every library should possess. It is a valuable reference book, an invaluable history book, and a fascinating book to just sit and read for fun and to be inspired by two American icons.

Reader Recommendation:

The reviews specify the book to be appropriate for seventh to eleventh grade readers. Depending on the student, the format including the timeline allows even a lower functioning reader to easily gain information. I also believe that most adults would be fascinated to read and learn of the rich history and little known fun facts that are treasures of American history and contained within this incredible book.

Book Talk Hook:

Have you ever thought of the United States of America as two or more countries?
Can you imagine going to Kentucky and having it be a seperate country? This was very nearly the case back in the 1860s. Predident Abraham Lincoln so loved this country that he and his wife Mary stood strong together. despite death threats, they stood for what they believed was right. Abraham united the Northern States "Union" army to fight in an effort to abolish slavery and restore the seperated territories as "The United States of America. As you probably know, Abraham Lincoln paid the ultimate price for his principles. However, his courage and principles have left his legacy as one of the greatest presidents and men in American history. Read The Lincolns, A Scrapbook Look At Abraham and Mary to learn more.