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“Students who do not develop reading fluency, regardless of how bright they are, are likely to remain poor readers thr... More
Summary: Grace Bedell wrote a letter to then-Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln. In her letter, she suggested that he grow a beard. She is thrilled when Mr. Lincoln actually responds. In the end Grace gets to meet this great man and sees how he took her advice and grew a beard. This book tells the true story of a young girl who wrote a letter to Abe Lincoln.
Type of Reading: bedtime story, anytime reading, family reading, read aloud book
Recommended Age: read together: 3 to 8; read yourself: 7 to 9
Interest Level: 4 to 8
Age of Child: Read with a 5-year-old girl.
Little Kid Reaction: My daughter loved the book; it was one she wanted to read again. She liked that the young girl not only writes a letter by herself, but she gets a letter back from Mr. Lincoln. Her favorite part was when the young girl gets to meet Mr. Lincoln and sees what he looks like. She talked over and over about how this was a true story and how exciting that was.
Big Kid Reaction: I enjoyed this book! The author did a great job making this real story come to life for the children of today. It was an adventure book filled with history. I knew she was enjoying it because she sat so quiet just waiting to hear what was going to happen next.
Pros: This picture book helps kids connect to history. The story makes history exciting and relevant.
Cons: The illustrations did not help out the story. If they had made the pictures more life like instead of like paper dolls on a stage the book would have sold better.
Borrow or Buy: Borrow. I might by it for a child who loves history. I would also buy it if I were a teacher or librarian.
Educational Themes: There is lots you can do with this book, beyond just history. You can teach about dreams and perseverance; letter writing, customs and etiquette; respect and offering ideas.
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