Customer Reviews

If You Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I really enjoyed reading this book with my 7 year old son. The perspective that it gives, that is looking at what the past was like in real everyday terms, helped him to get a grasp of what kinds of advances there have been in 200 years. The language was appropriate for the age and the illustrations supported the text. This book could be used in many ways in a classroom or homeschool situation. I recommend it for anyone trying to convey the difference between past and present to a child.

"In summer, everyone went barefoot most of the time. People carried their shoes to church. Then put them on to go inside"--from book.

You'll also find answers to questions like the following about Abe Lincoln's time: How would you send a letter? What were school teachers like? What could you buy in Springfield (Abe's hometown)? What was house furniture like?

This and much more interesting information about Lincoln's time await you. But a previous reviewer has a good point: Why is there nothing about blacks and slavery? The fact that it was mostly farther east may account for this omission, but still a mention would have been informative.

The Creative Teacher: Activities for Language Arts (Grades 4 through 8 and Up)

If You Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln is written by Ann McGovern. This book is about Abe Lincoln's life on the frontier, in town , and in the city of Springfield, IN. It also talks about his election to the Presidency. When Abe was a boy he slept in a loft. Later in a village called New Salem, he opened a store. Then he worked as a lawyer in Springfield. When the year 1860 came, Abe found out he had been elected President! My favorite part of this book is when McGovern mentions that Abe slept on the counter in his store in New Salem. I give this book five stupendous stars!

If you want your children to learn about the realities of living in the 1800s, do not buy this book. It leaves out one crucial factor. SLAVERY. There is no mention of African Americans anywhere in this book, nor are they pictured anywhere in the book. There are other books that you can find for your children that actually tell you what happened in American history.