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bookgirl4ever's review against another edition
5.0
Fleming does a remarkable job showing the reader in scrapbook format the lives of President Abraham Lincoln and his spunky wife, Mary Lincoln. She uses photographs and images of primary documents with short accounts of the events surrounding them. A great resource for teachers to use while teaching about the Lincolns (if anyone ever gets this far in U.S. History - none of my U.S. History classes ever did). A great way to present history to all ages
6th grade -9th grade.
6th grade -9th grade.
pagesofpins's review against another edition
3.0
The depth of this biography really makes it more ideal for middle schoolers, but those younger than 6th grade who want to flip through a comprehensive "scrapbook" of stories and photos detailing the lives of the Lincolns will find this book interesting. I knew very little about them, and this collection of stories, articles and pictures shows us what the wealthy Mary and backwoods Lincoln had in common, what they were like behind the scenes as they survived mourning, war and presidency together. Many facts I didn't know and details I never thought about, and definitely a lot of colorful stories. My favorite was their rambunctious son riding a chair turned sled pulled by a goat through a roomful of proper ladies in the White House, screeching at them to move it. While many readers won't read all of this book, it is a great candidate for berry-picking. Let the secondary classes flip through it and find bits of the Lincolns' lives that interest that student.
book_nut's review against another edition
4.0
Very thorough look at the Lincolns. Especially liked the bits about Mary.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
Looking through this book is like looking through old family photos and letters - only with excellent research, stories, anecdotes, and ephemera. Oh, and if your ancestors happened to be the Lincolns. While Abraham often takes the spotlight, especially during the chapters dealing with the Civil War, Fleming never neglects Mary and we get an excellent sense of both her early life, before marriage and as a young wife, and her life after the assassination. The format allows Fleming to both tell a story - the chunks of text don't feel choppy when read through in order - and to include so many tidbits and digressions that wouldn't necessarily flow smoothly in a traditional biography. It's a big book, both in terms of format and length, but the scrapbook effect makes it easy to just keep turning the pages. This is biography enough to work for a school project, as well as chock-full of details that would engross anyone interested in the Lincolns or the period. An example of solid, fascinating non-fiction. Detailed references and notes finish it off.
quietjenn's review against another edition
4.0
really fantastic look at the lives of the lincolns. so much great illustrative material and full of terribly interesting facts. goes a long way in humanizing the historical figures and reminding us why lincoln was so remarkable.
librarybrods's review against another edition
5.0
An absolutely fascinating look into the lives of Abraham and Mary Lincoln. Alternately intriguing and heartbreaking, the words and images combine to sometimes leave you startled, annoyed, or even devastated for this well known pair. Though, after reading this, I feel like I had never really known anything about them. Several pictures (of people on gallows) also left me feeling sick. It's been awhile since I've had such a strong reaction to a book. I am all about reading more fiction in the civil war time period now!
jillybean77's review against another edition
5.0
Full of photos, clippings, letters, political cartoons, and more, this book offers a comprehensive look at the lives of Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln in an impressive and thoroughly researched scrapbook-style format.
It tells the story of both Abraham and Mary's very different upbringings, their courtship and marriage, Abraham's ascent into politics and his presidency, and much much more. Along the way, Candace Fleming presents many interesting and captivating stories about the Lincolns including Mary's spending habits, Lincoln's love interests before he met Mary, and the tragic deaths of three of their children.
What's most impressive is that the writing is not dry. I found myself wanting to read more and enjoyed the fact that the information was presented in chunks and not long, boring, chapters. While some readers may initially be put off by the book's size, they can control how much they want to read, whether it be just browsing or reading the book from cover to cover.
While the reading level is for a young audience, it would definitely make a great choice for older history buffs, especially Civil War enthusiasts. I also think it would make an excellent addition to a social studies classroom.
Fleming has given us a book that puts a human touch to the lives of the legendary couple in an approachable, entertaining manner.
It tells the story of both Abraham and Mary's very different upbringings, their courtship and marriage, Abraham's ascent into politics and his presidency, and much much more. Along the way, Candace Fleming presents many interesting and captivating stories about the Lincolns including Mary's spending habits, Lincoln's love interests before he met Mary, and the tragic deaths of three of their children.
What's most impressive is that the writing is not dry. I found myself wanting to read more and enjoyed the fact that the information was presented in chunks and not long, boring, chapters. While some readers may initially be put off by the book's size, they can control how much they want to read, whether it be just browsing or reading the book from cover to cover.
While the reading level is for a young audience, it would definitely make a great choice for older history buffs, especially Civil War enthusiasts. I also think it would make an excellent addition to a social studies classroom.
Fleming has given us a book that puts a human touch to the lives of the legendary couple in an approachable, entertaining manner.
blossom717's review against another edition
5.0
This book is almost an encyclopedia on the Lincolns. Students would be able to find almost anything about the president and first lady in this book. My students are usually drawn to books like this because they can ask a question and find it easily using the index. This book would be great for research.
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