Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman is the latest book I’ve finished. I read it because I assigned it as an independent read for my girls, and I’m really trying to keep up with them so we can discuss what they read. Also, it’s the 1988 Newbery Medal winner, and Newbery winning books are of special interest to me. In fact, I read Freedman’s The Wright Brothers , a 1992 Newbery honor book, for my Newbery Through the Decades challenge, so I was already familiar with Freedman’s straightforward style. I was also already fairly familiar with Lincoln’s life story, having read numerous picture books about him already, as well as just being a student of U.S. History myself. This was still a worthwhile read for me because it really gave me a sense of who Lincoln was as a person: quiet at times; morose, even; and yet aware of his own frailty and determined to see a job through to the end. With seven chapters, most of which are 20-30 pages long, this book provides an excellent overview of Lincoln’s life. Of course, this book is “a photobiography,” so each chapter is punctuated with numerous pictures–some half-page and some full-page. This definitely enhances the text and makes it all the more memorable. Backmatter for the book includes selected Lincoln quotations, an annotated listing of historical sites associated with Lincoln, a summary-style bibliography, and picture credits. This is a fabulous introduction for upper elementary aged students and up. Highly Recommended. (Scholastic, 1987)
