George Washington for Kids: His Life and Times with 21 Activities (For Kids series)
Although most children's biographies of Washington convey the facts of his life as a youth, a military man, and a public servant, this book offers a well-written account of those topics, spiced with many details providing insight into his personality. Often this information appears in sidebars, which tackle topics as varied as slavery at Mount Vernon, and Washington's views on religion. There are even some lines from a poem he composed as a lovesick young man, with the authorial comment, "Luckily, George did not seek a career in poetry." Still another sidebar retells a family story in which one of his dogs made off with a ham from the dinner table (Martha was not amused, but George was). The 21 activities are varied, with choices such as "Play a Game of Whist," "Tie a Cravat," and "Cast a Plaster Life Mask." Illustrated mainly with reproductions of paintings and prints, the volume concludes with a glossary and lists of books and Web sites. Phelan, Carolyn