Archive for the ‘Books’ Category
I just finished reading a book called Bloody Times The Funeral of Abraham Lincoln and The Manhunt for Jefferson Davis by James L. Swanson. This book is written for a 3-6 grade child.
When I saw this book I thought, they didn’t teach us about Jefferson Davis in elementary school and Jr. High. I remember only learning about the Civil War in general and Abraham Lincoln. So this book was a very interesting read for me.
The stories of Abraham Lincoln’s death and funeral are told side by side with the stories of the end of the Civil War and Jefferson Davis on the run. Swanson describes the state of Lincoln’s body as it made the rounds on the funeral train ride back to Springfield, IL. He describes the elaborate funeral processions and services given in each city along the route. Swanson discusses Davis’s retreat from Virginia into the deep south where he tries to escape when Lee surrenders, yet continue the war.
This was a great book for any child interested in Lincoln and the very end of the Civil War. It is a quick read and you will learn a lot about history. After you read this book, try to link it to your family. Do you have any Civil War ancestors? Do you know their stories?
The Civil War is being discussed everywhere this year for the 150th anniversary. I just finished reading The Boys’ War by Jim Murphy. This book is about Confederate and Union boy soldiers and their war experiences. The book is a short read and probably best for kids in 3rd grade or older.
The book takes the reader on a journey through the Civil War from the boys’ points of view. It starts with the beginning of the Civil War and the frenzy to sign up and fight the opposition. The author describes the mood and willingness to join the armies. The author then moves to the training and fighting experiences of the boys to the changes the boys undergo over time. The boys notice that what once would have made them ill, like seeing a dead soldier, no longer does. The book ends discussing the prisoner of war camps and the treatment of the wounded. I felt out of all the chapters in the book this was the most graphic and I’m sure compared to adult reading it is very tame.
Throughout the book many examples and quotes are provided from actual diaries kept by boy soldiers and musicians. The book is filled with photographs of boy soldiers so the reader really gets an idea of just how young these boys were.
For those interested in Civil War history and how the younger generation participated, read The Boys’ War.
Something to Remember Me By A Story about Love & Legacies by Susan V. Bosak with Laurie McGaw is a book about a grandmother going through the early stages of Alzheimers.
The story begins with a little girl baking cookies with her grandmother. As the story progresses, the girl grows up and her grandmother ages. The grandmother promised the little girl her cedar chest when she grew up. The day came when the girl was grown up and married and heard from her grandmother that it was time to come get the chest. Her grandmother was going to move out of her house and into a nursing home.
The girl visits her grandmother and together they sort through the cedar chest. Together they finish cleaning out her house and prepare to move her to the nursing home. The grandmother says she is worried she will forget her granddaughter. The granddaughter gives her a photograph of the two of them together and writes on the back “Something to remember me by.”
The girl visits her grandmother at the end of her life and instead of seeing the woman she remembers, she sees a woman with a blank look on her face. After sitting with her grandmother and telling her how wonderful she is, the grandmother smiles and turns toward her nightstand. Inside is the photograph of the two of them.
Read the book to find out the ending.
Looking for another great book for kids about family history? Check out Grandpa Baxter and the Photographs by Caroline Castle and Peter Bowman.
Grandpa Baxter and grandson Benjamin are fuzzy bears. They are looking through a closet under the stairs one day and discover an old rusty tin of photographs. Together they spend the day looking at the photographs and talking about the family and their history. The little bear Benjamin learns a lot about his genealogy and has a special day with his grandpa.
This is a great story for grandparents to read with their grandchildren and create new memories.
Looking for a more fun way to create a family tree? Purchase my Ebook Family Tree Projects for Kids at my store.
The Ebook is $3.99 and contains two hands-on projects. In the first project kids will create a poster board-sized family tree with pictures. The second project features a more standard family tree that kids can create. This version contains photos to guide kids through the process.
If you are a kid, or you are a parent reading this blog, you may have heard of Fancy Nancy. Fancy Nancy is a series of children’s books written by Jane O’Connor. The books are Level 1 Readers, perfect for new readers.
I love Fancy Nancy because she is spectacular and uses big fancy words. After she uses a big fancy word, she will tell you what it means. For example, in the book Fancy Nancy My Family History, Nancy talks about her ancestors and says “All of mine are deceased. That’s fancy for dead.” I also love Fancy Nancy because I have all boys and she is such a girly girl with her cool colorful clothes, sparkly accessories, and fabulous attitude. She is so different from my boys. Sometimes I wish I was more like Fancy Nancy and was sparkly.
In this story, Fancy Nancy has to write a story about one of her ancestors (that’s fancy for family members who lived a long time ago) and then present it to her class. She talks to her grandpa over email about her family and he sends her a picture of his father, her great-grandfather. He tells her about him and Nancy decides to write her story about this man.
The book is short, sweet, and spectacular (that’s a fancy word for great). Check it out if you are looking for a younger kid-friendly book about explaining family history.