Children’s Book Review: Two Presidential Books from Time for Kids and National Geographic Kids

PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES

By: The Editors of Time for Kids

Published: January 10, 2017

Publisher: Time for Kids

Non-Fiction

This small 9×6 inch book is packed full of information perfect for your middle grade through middle school aged child. Heck, I learned things from this book. It’s the perfect size to keep in a purse or vehicle and your child can read about our former Presidents one-at-a-time.

The book begins with the history of how the presidency began. It then explains the three branches of government (I wish I would have had this book to study from in high school) and why we have political parties. Then it devotes one to two pages to each one of our 45 Presidents. For each President, there is a section on their basics: birth date and place of birth, date of death, family, years of presidency, political party and vice-president. It gives a brief biography of their time as President and key dates during their presidency. The information isn’t overwhelming and there are photos of the Presidents and other noted items.

This book is up-to-date featuring our 45th President, President Donald Trump. Obviously, it talks mostly about his campaign and his life before becoming the President rather than his time as President like the other ones featured in the book. There is also a section in the book that covers the whole 2016 campaign including bios of two kid reporters at the conventions.

The end of the book gives a glimpse into the White House and a couple pages on the famous First Ladies. For your history and political-loving children, this is a great book to keep on hand. It would also be a great reference for all those school projects on Presidents.

Time for Kids offers 20 years of classroom experience and is a trusted leader in education resources for teachers, students, and parents. For more information, visit timeforkids.com.

To purchase a copy of PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, click the photo below:

OUR COUNTRY’S PRESIDENTS
A Complete Encyclopedia of the U.S. Presidency

By: Ann Bausum

Published: January 10, 2017

Publisher: National Geographic

Non-Fiction

What I noticed right away when I first flipped through the pages of this book is the attention to detail. This book features full pages of the official portraits of each President, including President Donald Trump. This book is large, a little bigger than computer paper and thick. It’s more of a coffee table book. The very first page of the book includes a photo of the oval office and President Donald Trump’s victory speech. After an overview of the history of the presidency, it takes you right into the story of each President.

My favorite thing on each President’s page was their official signature. I think my favorites were Theodore Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter….neat, readable, and unique. Sprinkled throughout the pages of the Presidents there is also notable historical information including the history of the white house, children who grew up in the white house, the Supreme Court, the First Ladies, Presidents who died in office, and much more.

I found the President Facts and Comparison section to be fascinating. There is a table that charts each President and the level of education, military service, political service, and careers before becoming President. Seven out of our 45 Presidents did not have a college education. Fifteen of them did not serve in our military. Only eight of them were former educators. These are all facts I wasn’t aware of and found to be quite interesting.

This book covers it all and between the photos and pages of information on each President, your child will be filled with knowledge to cover any future report they may have to give on any President. This is comprehensive and detailed. But, due to its size, you’ll want to just look at it in your home. Middle elementary through middle school students could definitely benefit from this book, but older students and parents will enjoy it too.

Ann Bausum – source

Ann Bausum writes about history for readers of all ages from her home in southern Wisconsin. Her works often focus on under-told stories from the past, and she frequently explores issues of social justice. For more on Bausum, visit her website, HERE. 

To purchase a copy of OUR COUNTRY’S PRESIDENTS, click the photo below:

Both of these books are so wonderful and unique in their own way. I highly recommend them for your own reference library or to purchase as a gift for your child’s teacher. They are both a great resource and contain information that all our children should learn.

I will be linking up this review on Booking Mama’s regular Saturday feature, Kid Konnection. This is a place for bloggers to share posts related to children’s and YA books. You will find spotlights, reviews, and sometimes even giveaways by clicking HERE, every Saturday.

Thanks to the publishers for providing copies of these books for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to purchase these books through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com.