Syndetic Solutions - [Book Review for 9780763620677]

Our White House: Looking In, Looking OUt

by National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance

Syndetic Solutions - [Book Review for 9780763620677]

Book Review

Publishers Weekly :

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Starred Review.Eight years in the making, this anthology of White House history convenes an all-star roster of 108 children's authors and illustrators, as well as a few scholars and former White House employees and residentsùand it is a blue-ribbon choice for family sharing during an election year. Chronologically ordered, the entries range from poems to presidential speeches, satirical cartoons to stately portraits; despite the talents of the literary contributors (Kate DiCamillo offers a poem about Lincoln's death, Patricia MacLachlan describes Eleanor Roosevelt's rescue of a cat belonging to a young girl), perhaps the most striking writings are those that most closely adhere to the historical record. Barbara Kerley details Thomas Jefferson's passion for paleontology, and M.T. Anderson describes White House ghosts (Churchill, visited by a spectral Lincoln, ôtapped the ash off the end of his cigar and said, 'Good evening, Mr. President. You seem to have me at a disadvantage' ö). But few of the writers create the same impact as the occasional document: Robert Kennedy addresses the nation after Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated, and Richard Nixon bids farewell to the White House staff. (That young readers will react to these documents is in no small part due to the writers' success in establishing the contexts for them.) Among the most provocative entries are works by artists who ôlook inö on the White House with a demonstrably personal vision: David Small shares color sketches of ôbackstairs at the White House,ö a study in contrasts; Bob Kolar arranges the presidents as if on a board game, with clever annotations (who knew President Arthur held a yard sale while in office?); Peter S?supplies 37 characteristically enigmatic portraits to illustrate freedom to worship. Although a few entries seem formulaic, the volume makes the invaluable point that history does not have to be remote or abstract, but a personal and ongoing engagement.

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School Library Journal :

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Starred Review. Gr 3–8—More than 100 authors and illustrators contributed to this wide-ranging collection of short pieces about the First Family residence. Most participants are creators of books for youth, along with a sprinkling of other figures, such as historian David McCullough, and actual White House occupants. Arranged in general chronological order, the chapters are delightfully varied in form, tone, and subject matter. They include straightforward history, brief essays, personal narratives, and even fantasy, as in Meg Cabot's lighthearted time-travel story. The handsome layout and excellent-quality illustrations provide strong appeal. The pairing of words and art is often inspired, as in Maybelle Mayer's paper doll cutouts from 1938 that accompany Nancy Willard's poem about White House dresses. There are powerful visual moments as well, such as the dazzling series of spreads featuring visual interpretations of Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms," each by a different artist. Many segments convey personal details that humanize the presidential families, such as Virginia Euwer Wolff's introduction to the musical sophistication of the Tafts and Anita Silvey's look at Jackie Kennedy's literary career. Humor plays a role too, as in Steven Kellogg's artistic rendering of an imagined "Best in Show" contest among White House pets. Some readers will progress straight through from Jane Yolen's imagined conversation between John and Abigail Adams to the first National Book Festival in 2001, while others may browse and jump about; either way, this entertaining introduction to the White House is full of fascinating information, challenging ideas, and appealing artwork.—Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR

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: BookList :

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The White House is the focus of this handsome, large-format compendium of writings, both factual and fictional, and illustrations. The book opens with historian David McCullough's introduction to the anthology and Gregory Maguire's invitation to look into the White House and out from it at the world. Poems and essays, stories and memoirs-all combine to create a mosaic of impressions of the house's residents and visitors and of the important events that occurred there. The arrangement of entries is chronological. Varied in tone, viewpoint, and purpose, the writings create a sense of many voices, young and old, and many visions. The often-spectacular artwork, beautifully reproduced on glossy paper, is particularly striking. With contributions from more than 100 notable contemporary children's writers and illustrators as well as former presidents, their family members, and others who wrote firsthand accounts of their experiences, this is a unique resource that will intrigue children about their country's history. Phelan, Carolyn.

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