The Great Little Madison [Hardcover]

Jean Fritz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 1989 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Skillfully placing events within the context of history, Fritz draws young readers behind the scenes, into James Madison's private life, his worries for his country, his friendship with Thomas Jefferson, and his happy partnership with his wife, Dolley. Illustrated with black-and-white paintings and engravings.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fritz ( Shh! We're Writing the Constitution! ) here presents a brisk, highly accessible biography of James Madison. Sickly as a child, Madison was a short, frail man with a wispy, small voice. His successes in incorporating personal freedoms into a reasonably strong centralized government and his enormous appetite for work earned him the sobriquet "great." Madison's shyness and difficulty with public speaking were drawbacks during the politician's early days in Virginia government--as was the enmity of a powerful Patrick Henry--but behind-the-scenes speaking effectiveness and voluminous, well-reasoned writings more than compensated. In her characteristic way of bringing history to life, Fritz writes in a highly engaging, entertaining manner, providing vivid descriptions of Madison's close friendship with Thomas Jefferson; his long and apparently happy marriage to Dolly; the infighting during the creation of the Constitution; the patience with which our fourth president dealt with an unreasonable England, leading to the war of 1812--and that war's defeats and victories. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

"The question I am most often asked," Jean Fritz says, "is how do I find my ideas? The answer is: I don't. Ideas find me. A character in history will suddenly step right out of the past and demand a book. Generally people don't bother to speak to me unless there's a good chance that I'll take them on." Throughout almost four decades of writing about history, Jean Fritz has taken on plenty of people, starting with George Washington in The Cabin Faced West (1958). Since then, her refreshingly informal historical biographies for children have been widely acclaimed as "unconventional," "good-humored," "witty," "irrepressible," and "extraordinary."

In her role as biographer, Jean Fritz attempts to uncover the adventures and personalities behind each character she researches. "Once my character and I have reached an understanding," she explains, "then I begin the detective work--reading old books, old letters, old newspapers, and visiting the places where my subject lived. Often I turn up surprises and of course I pass these on." It is her penchant for making distant historical figures seem real that brings the characters to life and makes the biographies entertaining, informative, and filled with natural child appeal.

An original and lively thinker, as well as an inspiration to children and adults, Jean Fritz is undeniably a master of her craft. She was awarded the Regina Medal by the Catholic Library Association, presented with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award by the American Library Association for her "substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature," and honored with the Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature, which was presented by the New York State Library Association for her body of work.

copyright ? 2000 by Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers. All rights reserved.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons; First Edition edition (November 10, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399217681
• ISBN-13: 978-0399217685
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #440,945 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"The question I am most often asked," Jean Fritz says, "is how do I find my ideas? The answer is: I don't. Ideas find me. A character in history will suddenly step right out of the past and demand a book. Generally people don't bother to speak to me unless there's a good chance that I'll take them on." Throughout almost four decades of writing about history, Jean Fritz has taken on plenty of people, starting with George Washington in The Cabin Faced West (1958). Since then, her refreshingly informal historical biographies for children have been widely acclaimed as "unconventional," "good-humored," "witty," "irrepressible," and "extraordinary."In her role as biographer, Jean Fritz attempts to uncover the adventures and personalities behind each character she researches. "Once my character and I have reached an understanding," she explains, "then I begin the detective work--reading old books, old letters, old newspapers, and visiting the places where my subject lived. Often I turn up surprises and of course I pass these on." It is her penchant for making distant historical figures seem real that brings the characters to life and makes the biographies entertaining, informative, and filled with natural child appeal.An original and lively thinker, as well as an inspiration to children and adults, Jean Fritz is undeniably a master of her craft. She was awarded the Regina Medal by the Catholic Library Association, presented with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award by the American Library Association for her "substantial and lasting contribution to children's literature," and honored with the Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature, which was presented by the New York State Library Association for her body of work.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book for Adults Too!, September 2, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Great Little Madison (Unforgetable Americans) (Paperback)

Yes, this is officially a "kids' book" (Ages 9 -14, I believe). However, I, an adult, read it and found it educating and very interesting. I got this book during a visit to James Madison's estate Montpelier. I thought I'd read it first, before getting into the more massive (and more intellectual) biography by Dr. Ketcham. If you're new to James Madison, I'd recommend doing that.

In any case, Jean Fritz' book is an excellent choice for adults as well as children.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worthy Introduction to this Founding Father, November 17, 2004

By 

Terry Nightingale (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Little Madison (Unforgetable Americans) (Paperback)

Jean Fritz has written a great book for both kids and adults, full of interesting facts about the man, his life, his wives (Dolly was his second), and his remarkable presidency. Throughout the book, the reader gets a real sense for how James Madison thought and felt about political issues, and how he overcame the challenges of being small in stature and small of voice to be one of our great presidents. Definitely worth a read to better understand this great man who lived in extraordinary times.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for Parents and Children Alike, February 20, 2003

By 

Mary K. "RFJ" (North Carolina, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Little Madison (Unforgetable Americans) (Paperback)

This has become our favorite read-aloud no pictures story with my toddler. She gets the benefit of hearing spoken language about a subject she likes, and I get to learn something new every time we read it.

I would reccomend this book for older primary, even lower-level High School students. The story is enlightening, and inspiring for all Americans, young and old.