Things to Read - Kids' Books on Colonial Life and George Washington

In sticking with the Colonial theme of this summer, I decided to check out some books from the library on life in the 1700s and our founding fathers. Most of the books I found on daily life were a bit lengthy for my kids, but we found A LOT of children's books on George Washington. Here's what we thought:

BOOKS ON GEORGE:



George Washington's Teeth - This book is funny and it rhymes (a win win in my world). Plus (sadly) it's somewhat historically accurate (poor George was toothless). And it makes my kids want to brush their teeth, over and over again. So, in summary, I'd call this book a "sure thing."



Take the Lead George Washington - My kids really like this book, probably because learning about George's childhood makes him seem more relatable. And the illustrations are quite good. It is somewhat lengthy though, so I often start skipping words/sentences/pages while reading it to them. The author paints a nice portrait of George's younger years without going into his presidency (the book ends when George is still establishing himself as a surveyor).



Farmer George Plants a Nation - This is one of my favorites, as it ties in nicely with our trips to Mt. Vernon, where all the guides like to tell you about George's innovation as a farmer. But it too is somewhat wordy, we tend to skip over a lot.



George Did It - Apparently George Washington DID NOT want to be president, but the people pretty much demanded it of him. So this whole story deals with him accepting his fate. I think the point is to explain to kids how everyone needs to face their fears in order to succeed. A decent message. It also explains how pivotal a role George played in shaping how we view the president's position (even in modern day), such as how to address a president and how a president should dress.

BOOKS ON COLONIAL LIFE:



Colonial Voices: Hear Them Speak - This book - which describes the jobs of various townspeople, while debating whether or not America should go to war with England - uses old fashioned words and dialogue, making it tricky for younger kids. But, oddly, my kids seemed to really like it, even if they had problems understanding it (they asked a ton of questions), I think they particularly enjoyed learning about all of the different jobs (like midwives and tavern owners).



How to Be a Revolutionary War Solider - T loves this book, though most of it goes over his head. Tons of interesting (somewhat depressing) facts presented in short paragraphs with lots of illustrations make this book readable for kids of all ages.