The University of Illinois is commemorating the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth throughout the year of 2009. Activities honoring President Lincoln that are suitable for the whole family include interpretive dance recitals, exhibition openings, and a reenactment of a presidential press conference. All of the events honor our 16th president’s commitment to preserving the union, educating the public, and ending slavery, and the S-Collection would like to present a variety of our newer acquisitions of fictional and nonfictional accounts of the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. A guide to Lincoln resources in the S Collection can be accessed here, as well.
BIOGRAPHIES
Burchard, Peter.
Lincoln and Slavery. 1999.
A biography of the sixteenth president which focuses on the issue of slavery and the importance it had throughout Lincoln’s life from his early days as a lawyer through his presidency.
[Education S Collection SB. L736bur]
Dunn, Joeming W.
Abraham Lincoln. 2008.
Includes a timeline of Lincoln’s life, websites for further reference, and biographical source information written in the format of a graphic novel.
[Education S Collection SB. L736duf]
Magoon, Kekla.
Abraham Lincoln. 2008.
Includes timeline, places to visit when organizing a Lincoln road trip, websites for additional resources, and glossary.
[Education S Collection SB. L736mag]
Phillips, E. B.
Abraham Lincoln: From Pioneer to President. 2007.
Honest Abe, The Great Emancipator, The Martyr: Abraham Lincoln was perhaps America’s greatest President. He is also deeply beloved by many, who are inspired by Lincoln’s unwavering sense of justice and willingness to fight for his beliefs. Young readers will marvel at Lincoln’s path to greatness from his humble beginnings as a poor Illinois rail splitter up through his election as America’s 16th President, and into the dark days of the Civil War leading to his tragic assassination. In addition to background on his childhood and his marriage to Mary Todd, numerous sidebars provide simple explanations to relevant historical events such as the Dred Scott Decision and the Mexican Wars.
[Education S Collection SB. L736ph]
FICTIONAL ACCOUNTS OF OUR 16TH PRESIDENT
Burleigh, Robert.
Abraham Lincoln Comes Home. 2008.
Told through the eyes of a young boy, the sober mood of the country after the Lincoln assassination is presented as he and many other mourners wait to pay their respects to their fallen president as Lincoln’s funeral train travels from Washington, D.C., to Springfield, Illinois, in 1865.
[Education S Collection Q. SB. L736burl]
Hines, Gary.
Thanksgiving in the White House. 2003.
Young Tad Lincoln is excited about the new national holiday until he learns that the cook plans to serve Jack the turkey as the main course for Thanksgiving dinner.
[Education Q. S.H589t]
Hopkinson, Deborah.
Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: a Tall, Thin Tale (Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend). 2008.
In Knob Creek, Kentucky, in 1816, seven-year-old Abe Lincoln falls into a creek and is rescued by his best friend, Austin Gollaher.
[Education S Collection Q. SE. H77a]
Osborne, Mary Pope.
After the Rain. 2002.
In her diary, a ten-year-old girl writes about her family’s experiences living in Washington, D.C., in 1864-65, during which time the Civil War comes to an end and President Lincoln is assassinated. Includes historical notes.
[Education Storage S.Os1af]
Pinkney, Andrea Davis.
Abraham Lincoln: Letters From a Slave Girl. 2001.
A fictional correspondence between President Abraham Lincoln and a twelve-year-old slave girl that discusses his decision to write the Emancipation Proclamation.
[Education Storage S.P6562a]
Rabin, Statin.
Mr. Lincoln’s Boys: Being the Mostly True Adventures of Abraham Lincoln’s Trouble-Making Sons, Tad and Willie. 2008.
Tad and Willie Lincoln are the sons of Abraham Lincoln who treat the White House like a playground, aggravating everyone except their indulgent father.
[Education S Collection Q. SB. L736ra]
St. George, Judith.
Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln. 2008.
Growing up poor in the backwoods of Kentucky and Indiana, Abraham Lincoln lost his mother before he was ten. But Sally Johnston, who married Abe’s father a year later, brought a library of books to their log cabin home and turned young Abe’s life around.
[Education S Collection Q. SB. L736st]
LINCOLN ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH
Herbert, Janis.
Abraham Lincoln for Kids: His Life and Times With 21 Activities. 2007.
Providing a fresh perspective on one of the most beloved presidents of all time, this illuminating activity book tells the rich story of Abraham Lincoln’s life and details the events of his era. Highlighting Lincoln’s warm, generous spirit and impressive intellect, the guide teaches children about his fascinating life story, his struggles at the onset of the Civil War, and his relevance in today’s world. Activities include delivering a speech, holding a debate, drawing political cartoons, and making a stovepipe hat or miniature Mississippi River flatboat. Lively sidebars, abundant photographs and illustrations, and fun projects help to kick the dust off old Honest Abe. Also included are selections from some of Lincoln’s most famous speeches and documents, as well as a resource section of Web sites to explore and sites to visit, making this a comprehensive Lincoln biography for young readers.
[Illinois History and Lincoln Collection Q. 973.7 L63BH415a]
NONFICTION
Carey, Charles W.
The Emancipation Proclamation. 1999.
Discusses the reasons for Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and its impact on the institution of slavery and on the course of the Civil War.
[Education Storage S.973.714 C188e]
Denenberg, Barry.
Lincoln Shot!: A President’s Life Remembered. 2008.
Researched, Written, Illustrated, and Designed the National News Staff.
Conceived as a one-year anniversary newspaper edition of Lincoln’s assassination, this brilliant, beautiful, and bold biographical portrait of Abraham Lincoln mimics 19th-century newsprint, combining pen and ink drawings with archival photography, and period typography with articles surveying Lincoln’s life.
[Education S Collection F.SB. L736den]
Harness, Cheryl.
Young Abe Lincoln: The Frontier Days, 1809-1837. 1996.
Briefly presents the life of this famous president from his birth until the age of twenty-eight.
[Education Storage Q. SB. L736har]
Fleming, Candace.
The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. 2008.
Though Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln’s backgrounds differed considerably, both were intellectuals who shared interests in literature and politics, as well as a great love for each other.
[Education S Collection Q. SB. L736fl]
Rappaport, Doreen.
Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln. 2009.
Told in accessible, absorbing prose, and brought to life in powerful illustrations, this powerful portrait of a great American president shines a light on the passion for humanity that defined Lincoln’s life.
[Education S Collection SB. L736r]
Sullivan, George.
Picturing Lincoln: Famous Photographs That Popularized the President. 2000.
Examines some of the famous photographs taken of President Abraham Lincoln, discussing the circumstances under which they were taken and how these images were used.
[Education Storage SB. L736sul]