Who Was George Washington: By Roberta Edwards

       Just about everyone knows who the man with the crazy looking white hair on the dollar bill is, but do you know what else he did besides serves as the first US President? Who Was George Washington? by Roberta Edwards seeks to tell readers who George Washington was, and anything else you could possibly want to know about him. The biography flows in a linear fashion, beginning with a brief introduction to tell readers who he was (incase they really have no idea), then begins with his childhood in Virginia, his life as a young soldier, his rise through the ranks to General, and so on. The book ends by telling us how we commemorate George Washington today, through a national holiday, several monuments in his honor, and on the one dollar bill you use to buy your ice cream. The last three pages provide readers with a timeline summarizing George Washington's life, and a short bibliography where readers can find more information on the nation's first President.
     What makes this book a successful children's nonfiction piece is the use of simple language to make the factual information accessible. Edwards was also very selective with the information she chose to include, paying close attention to include only information that was extremely significant or that would be of great interest to the target population of young readers, such as the fact that George Washington had a mother who was very bossy and he was a great athlete (very relatable details). The linear format of the biography makes the biography easy following, allowing readers to learn information in a logical and familiar way.
         Cartoon-style, sketched illustrations by True Kelley help to bring visual interest to the story as well. Close to every page contains a sketch that seeks to enhance the text and gives the reader a physical depiction of what is being read. The cartoon-style of the pictures make them accessible and engaging, giving the book a very child appropriate vibe.
          This biography about George Washington, accurately provides readers with important information about a key figure in American history. The linear format, simple language, and cartoon-style illustrations weave together to create a nonfiction piece that is both engaging and brimming with information. This book, written for students in grades 3-5, would be a strong addition to a study of bibliographies, a study of presidents, or a study about our nation's forefathers.

To learn more about George's Washington home, Mount Vernon, check out this webpage!

Picture Source:http://www.amazon.com/Who-George-Washington-Roberta-Edwards/dp/0448448920

Who Was Sacagawea?: By Dennis Brindell Fradin & Judith Bloom Fradin

      No study of Lewis and Clark and the idea of Westward Expansion in the United States would be complete without knowing: who was Sacagawea? The children's biography by Dennis Brindell Fradlin and his wife, Judith Bloom Fradlin seeks to tell you just what the title suggest, Who Was Sacagawea? In this biography children will lean about Native American, Sacagawea, who was only sixteen-years-old when she made one of the most impressive journeys in American history, traveling 4,500 miles across the US. Without her contributions, Lewis and Clark's westward expedition might have been impossible. While reading this book, students will learn about how and why Sacagawea helped Lewis and Clark, and understand the reasons that we still remember her and celebrate her today.
      What makes this biography successful as a book for children is the way the Fradlins use simple language and basic vocabulary that conveys the factual information in an accessible and engaging way. The book is almost a narrative told in a linear format, following the timeline of Sacagawea's life. It is the simple language elements and linear flow that help to make this book an engaging work of nonfiction that children will actually enjoy reading, and not a textbook-information-packed-snoozefest.
       This book is made further kid-friendly through the use of black and white, sketch style illustrations by Val Paul Taylor. The simple sketches that occur on just about every page help to give the content visual appeal, and to allow young readers to get a sense of what they are reading, through having it shown to them in a physical scene. While the sketches are fairly minimalistic, they provide enough detail to enhance the meaning of the text and help show the setting and characters more fully.
      The combination of narrative, nonfiction language and simple illustration brings to Sacagawea to life for the reader. Teaching us details about her as a person and about her extensive contributions to American history and Westward Expansion. This biography would be a great addition to a study of important Native Americans in history, a study of the biographic form/genre, or to a study of Lewis and Clark and the idea of Westward Expansion. This nonfiction, biographical, chapter book is geared towards students in grades 3-5.

Extension for the classroom:
Teachers could have students draw their own pictures in the unique cover art style of this book. Then ask students to write a brief autobiography about their own lives, using a narrative style to give information.

Picture Source: http://www.amazon.com/Who-Sacagawea-Judith-Bloom-Fradin/dp/0448424851