President’s Day is a National Holiday that celebrates both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The official day is celebrated on the third Monday of February. From where he was born to how much education he had, read on for a few more fun facts about George Washington.

1. He was born on Feb. 22, 1732, at Pope’s Creek, Virginia

2. His family arrived in America in 1657 on a ship called the Sea Horse of London.

3. He was an excellent dancer.

4. He did throw a silver dollar across the Potomac River. The Potomac is over a mile wide, and silver dollars did not exist then. His grandson once said that George threw a piece of slate across the Rappahannock River in Fredericksburg, which is narrower.

5. He had no middle name.

6. The cherry tree story is just that: a story. The tale is that as a little boy, Washington chopped down a cherry tree in his family’s yard and told his father the truth even though it meant punishment. This story was fabricated by Mason Locke Weems, a bookseller who wrote the first biography about Washington (after George died in 1799).

7. George Washington had bad teeth and was afflicted with many dental diseases and pain, but his teeth weren’t wooden.

8. Washington’s white hair was not a wig, although he did powder his hair for the white appearance. Click here for a tutorial on how to rock the style.

9. He only had a grade-school level education.

10. George Washington never had any biological children.

11. A fun fact about George Washington is that he was the United States’ first mule breeder.

12. He was the first person to sign the Constitution of the United States of America.

13. His signature hairstyle was real hair. It looked white because he powdered it.

 

 

You already love Betty White, the sweetest of the ladies on The Golden Girls who left us at the end of last year. Now watch your child fall in love with her too, thanks to this Little Golden Book about her life.!

This kid-friendly biography covers White’s 90-plus years in show business, including her celebrated work as a TV star, comedian and game show competitor. It also shares her lifelong devotion to animals, along with dreams she has made come true in her 99 years.

You can order this one now for $5.99 from Penguin Random House, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Need a few more inspiring tales for your kid’s bookshelf? Check out other Little Golden Book biographies on notable folks including George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Frida Kahlo, Dolly Parton and more.

—Eva Ingvarson Cerise

Featured image courtesy of Penguin Random House

 

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Photo: U.S Library of Congress

Black History Month is in full swing and if you’re looking for resources to help your child learn about Black History you’ll want to bookmark this post. Whether your school Black History curriculum is lacking or you have a kid who just can’t get enough, here is a list of vetted and reliable websites for lessons, activities, reading and videos for Black History Month.

1. Middle and High School lesson plans from PBS are powerful tools.

2. The Smithsonian has a wide variety of resources for Black History Month.

3. This page has links to multiple resources for integrating Math with Black History Month, including lesson plans linked to the movie Hidden Figures.

4. Scholastic has lesson plans for grades 1 through 8.

5. Education World has lesson ideas for Black History Month.

6. KQED offers links to several resources.

7. The Center for Civic Education has a page dedicated to resources

8. The American Chemical Society has resources on African-American science pioneers.

9. Information on Brown v. Board of Education can be seen here.

10. The National Endowment for the Humanities has a highly detailed and robust site with resources.

11. Biography has information about African-American scientists.

12. Biography also has a similar page for African-American inventors.

13. For younger students, National Geographic for Kids has short biographies on African-American scientists.

14. Scholastic also has information for younger students about African-American inventors.

15. Additionally, Scholastic has an interactive page for younger students about Black History Month.

16. Here is an interactive website that is a virtual tour of The National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

17. History.com offer Black History Month videos.

18. Common Sense Media recommends several movies to spark conversations around Black History Month (parental discretion advised).

19. Teachervision offers links to resources for elementary students.

20. Education.com has activity, crafts and recipe suggestions for young students.

21. Education.com also has elementary level printables for coloring and crosswords.

22. Biography has information on famous African-American athletes.

23. The American Library Association recommends books that have won the Coretta Scott King Book award.  (These awards are presented each year to notable African American authors and illustrators of children’s books and young adult books that show an appreciation of African-American culture.)

24.This collection of poems celebrates Black History Month.

25. WEB Guides has digital materials on a variety of related topics.

26. The government site for African-American History Month has plenty of resources.

27. WEB Guides has digital materials on a variety of related topics.

28. This PBS Learning Media video shares the origin of Black History Month, including key events in history that led to today’s observance in February. PBS Kids also offers a lineup of inspiring books about African-American culture, and this video to share more about why Martin Luther King Jr.’s values and ideas are important to live by each day.

Happy Black History Month, everyone!

 

Pinterest image created with a photo from the United States Library of Congress‘s Prints and Photographs division.

I’m Courtney! A 30-something-year-old travel, food, lifest‌yle and family blogger for The World In Four Days. In addition to being a jet-setter, I’m also a wound care nurse and mommy to the cutest little eight-year-old on earth.

Photo: Stratford School

Our first book list for 2021 is intentionally eclectic: poetry and prose, fantasy and biography, a graphic novel, a suspenseful account of a Navy Seal rescue operation, and a classic “summer friendship and self-discovery” story. Several choices representing multiple voices—something for every reader.

We curated this diverse set of books to reinforce and support what we know to be true:

  • The more children read, the more they will enjoy reading
  • The way to get kids hooked on reading is to give them books they enjoy!

Among our aspirations for our children are a high degree of literacy and a love of learning. Those aspirational paths are lined with books, for it is only by reading—and more reading—that children build their reading “muscle” to a degree that scanning the pages becomes nearly effortless, and they can lose themselves in the narrative.

Neil Gaiman, prolific author of books for children and adults, loves libraries and seizes every opportunity to promote reading, literacy, and this value of “reading choice” for children.

“The simplest way to make sure that we raise literate children is to teach them to read, and to show them that reading is a pleasurable activity. And that means, at its simplest, finding books that they enjoy, giving them access to those books, and letting them read them.”

“…We need our children to get onto the reading ladder: anything that they enjoy reading will move them up, rung by rung, into literacy.”

Our list of recommended books for your children comes with a recommendation for you—encourage your children to read by helping them find books they like—fiction or nonfiction, traditional or graphic novels, books that seem too easy, or repeated selections from a single genre. Let their choices be based on their taste and let them lead the way, after all, reading should be pleasurable. As children become better, faster readers, the universe of books they enjoy will naturally expand.

Our New Year’s resolution will be to populate our monthly lists with a variety of readings, with hopes of introducing the young readers in your house to books they will love. 

Here are our favorite books to begin your challenge:

Grades Kinder to Second:

Just Ask Written by Sonia Sotomayor, Illustrated by Rafael Lopez
United States Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor celebrates the different abilities kids have in this book set in a lovely garden. In the same way that different types of plants and flowers make a garden more beautiful and enjoyable, different types of people make our world more vibrant and wonderful. When we come across someone who is different from us but we’re not sure why, all we have to do is Just Ask.

The Seed of Compassion: Lessons from the Life and Teachings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama Written by Dalai Lama XIV, Illustrated by Bao Luu This child-friendly introduction to Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, is part life instruction, and part auto-biography. Through examples, he reminds children that compassion is something that must be nurtured, that you may not have all the answers of how to act compassionately in a certain situation, but that “you can build compassion day by day. It takes practice. And even when you slip and don’t make a compassionate choice, tomorrow presents the opportunity for you to try again.”

Grades 3-4

A Hatful of Dragons: And More Than 13.8 Billion Other Funny Poems Written by Vikram Madan
This is a quirky collection of poems are designed to be read aloud, with rhyme, meter, alliteration, and page turns all used quite effectively. The illustrations are also funny, as repeated characters create a bit of a search and find feel. The subtitle comes from a “Mad Libs” st‌yle page with 7 options for each of 12 blanks. What a great discussion piece as children are introduced to some fantastic language.

Max & the Midknights Written & Illustrated by Lincoln Peirce
In this lighthearted graphic novel hybrid, Max wants nothing more than to be a knight!  He soon gets his chance when his uncle Budrick is kidnapped by the cruel King Gastley. Joined by a band of brave adventurers—the Midknights—Max sets out on a thrilling quest to save Uncle Budrick and restore the realm of Byjovia to its former high spirits! If you love this one, check out the sequel, Battle of the Bodkins.

Grades 5-8

The Line Tender Written by Kate Allen
Summer in her hometown of Rockport, MA, changes drastically for Lucy when a local fisherman accidentally catches a great white shark. Suddenly, Lucy is confronted by images of her late mother, a marine biologist who specialized in sharks. This sends her on a journey of science and self-discovery. Since her father is always working, Lucy must navigate these strange waters with just her best friend Fred by her side. Lucy’s story is one of redemption, not just for her, but for those around her, especially the people whom she cares about the most. 

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team Written by Christina Soontornvat

This fascinating account of the most ambitious cave rescue in history is great for kids who have graduated from the I Survived Series. Even though we know that the boys were rescued, the narrative is suspenseful and creates a book that is hard to put down. The attempts from international rescue teams, including US Navy Seals, are explained in great detail. There are photos, maps, sidebars, scientific explanations, and graphics to help understand what the boys were going through. Anyone who enjoys reading about how people can rise to heroism during times of crisis will find this book a good choice.

Keira Pride is the Head Librarian at Stratford School, the leading independent private school founded with a vision of creating a unique, multi-dimensional, educational foundation for children. As Stratford's Head Librarian, she manages the library services department across campuses throughout Northern and Southern California. 

Parents are searching for the perfect holiday gifts for the little ones on their list. Today, Amazon released the Best Books of the Year as chosen by Amazon’s Books Editors. After reading thousands of titles collectively over the last 12 months, Amazon’s Books Editors chose Brittany K. Barnett’s A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom as 2020’s top title.

Child reading

They also selected the following top picks for children’s and young adult titles.

Children’s

  1. All Because You Matter by Tami Charles
  2. Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia
  3. Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey
  4. What Will You Dream of Tonight? By Frances Stickley
  5. AntiRacist Baby by Ibram X. Kendi
  6. The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate
  7. I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes
  8. The Silver Arrow by Lev Grossman
  9. The Suitcase by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros
  10. Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake

 

Young Adult

  1. Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer
  2. Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi
  3. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
  4. The Cousins by Karen McManus
  5. Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
  6. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds
  7. Crave by Tracy Wolff
  8. We Are Not Free by Traci Chee
  9. The Enigma Game by Elizabeth Wein
  10. The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune

The Best Books of the Year is an annual list featuring the Top 100 books of the year, published between January and December 2020, as well as top picks across categories like literature & fiction, mystery and thrillers, science fiction & fantasy, biography, children’s, young adult, and more.

For more information on the books featured on the Best Books of the Year list, as well as insightful reviews on new books, author interviews, and hand-curated roundups in popular categories, visit the Amazon Book Review and subscribe to the Amazon Book Review Podcast on Amazon Music, Apple or TuneIn. You can also follow the Books Editors recommendations and conversations @amazonbooks on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

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Celebrate Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy with this new book aimed towards the preschool set. Ginsburg was an inspiration to generations of women and now a new generation of readers will learn her story. My Little Golden Book About Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be released on Dec. 1 and is available for preorder today.

 My Little Golden Book About Ruth Bader Ginsburg

My Little Golden Book About Ruth Bader Ginsburg written by Shana Corey and illustrated by Margeaux Lucas is a compelling biography which introduces your little one to the legendary life of the beloved feminist icon. 

From a young age, Ruth Bader Ginsburg knew that she wanted to fight for girls and women to have equal rights. She studied and worked very hard and became just the second woman—and the first Jewish woman—to be a United States Supreme Court Justice. With her recent passing shaking the nation, politicians and lawmakers from across the political divide, as well as athletes and entertainers all paid tributes to Justice Ginsburg.

Justice Ginsburg has become a pop culture icon with two popular movies about her life story released in recent years: On the Basis of Sex and the documentary RBG. She has inspired many bestselling books, including Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark. As the latest addition to My Little Golden Books’ series of biographies, My Little Golden Book About Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a terrific and educational read for little future trailblazers and their parents.

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Random House Children’s Books

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Lin-Manuel Miranda just announced an extension of the Hamilton Education Program, a classroom initiative that walks through Miranda’s Hamilton creation process and ends with students making and performing their own musical theatre pieces.  #EduHam at Home is an extension of the program. While schools are closed, the #EduHam allows students to be creative theater artists while adhering to social distancing guidelines.

Hamilton and The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History launched #EduHam,  a free digital program for students and their families to explore the world of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical and America’s founding era.

Upon registering, students receive a welcome video from Miranda as well as access to mentorships that will help them create their own performance in the form of a song, rap or monologue which they are then encouraged to submit for consideration. Ten performances will be selected to be shared on the Hamilton website with one selected by the Hamilton team to be tweeted out.

Additional resources include videos clips from Hamilton and interviews with Lin-Manuel Miranda, selected cast members, and Ron Chernow, whose biography of Alexander Hamilton inspired the musical. #EduHam at Home also provides an American history curriculum, introducing students to the people, events, and documents of the founding era. The program is recommended for students in 6th through 12th grades but open to all ages. 

“Out of everything that has come from Hamilton, I am most proud of #EduHam and of the students who have created their own incredible work from primary sources,” said Miranda. “I’m thrilled that we can make Hamilton learning a family experience, led by the students at home during this unprecedented time.”

—Jennifer Swartvagher

Featured photo: Hamilton via YouTube

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On Wednesday, the scientific community—and the world, too—woke up to some incredibly sad news: Stephen Hawking had died in the early hours of Wednesday morning at his home in Cambridge, England. Hawking was a noted physicist, Cambridge professor and was known as a man who lived against the odds throughout his entire life, especially after developing ALS at the age of 22. He was 76.

From his groundbreaking book, A Brief History of Time, to his empowering life story portrayed by Eddie Redmayne in the 2014 biopic, The Theory of Everything, to his much-loved cameo appearance on The Simpsons, Hawking has permeated much of our generation’s understanding of space, time, quantum physics—and even the power to overcome immense personal challenges with inspirational aplomb.

Despite such a loss, Hawking has left behind some remarkable gems for generations to come—and not just in the form of complex books on the physics of the space-time continuum, either. There are a number of kids books about Stephen Hawking, as well as a young adult science fiction series Hawking wrote with his daughter, Lucy.

Here’s our round-up of the best Stephen Hawking kids books to inspire your own pint-sized physicist at home.

All About Stephen Hawking

Part of the popular All About series of biographies for children, All About Stephen Hawking gives readers ages 8 to 12 years old a fantastic overview of not just Stephen Hawking's life, but of his contributions to science.

Get All About Stephen Hawking here on Amazon.

Stephen Hawking: Cosmologist Who Gets a Big Bang Out of the Universe

This Scholastic biography from 2009 is meant for slightly younger readers, aged 7 to 11. At just 32 pages, there are plenty of awesome illustrations to keep young readers engaged.

Get Stephen Hawking: Cosmologist Who Gets a Big Bang Out of the Universe at Amazon.

Stephen Hawking (Against the Odds Biography)

Yet another non-fiction book for readers in grades 3 through 6, this Against the Odds biography tells "the amazing stories of inspiring people who have made a difference and changed the world, despite the odds stacked against them," according to the publisher. 

Get Stephen Hawking (Against the Odds Biography) from Amazon.

The Living Einstein: The Stephen Hawking Story

One of the most recent kid's biographies about Stephen Hawking is The Living Einstein: The Stephen Hawking Story, published in September 2017 as part of the "Dissected Lives" series of biographies. The book description reads, "He experimented, studied and explored anything and everything from the physical world to the cosmos. Be inspired by his story. Learn from his discoveries." 

Get The Living Einstein: The Stephen Hawking Story on Amazon.

George's Secret Key to the Universe

Stephen Hawking, along with his daughter Lucy, wrote a series of young adult science fiction books. The first book in their series, George's Secret Key to the Universe, introducers readers aged 8 to 12 to the world of a scientist named George, his daughter, and a supercomputer named Cosmos.

Get George's Secret Key to the Universe here on Amazon.

George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt

In the second book of his series, Hawking takes young readers on an adventure through space that travels the expanse of a heartfelt friendship.

Get George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt here on Amazon.

George and the Big Bang

In the third installment of Stephen and Lucy Hawking's George's Secret Key series, the scientist and his pals take on enemies while getting to the most exciting moment in the universe—the very start of it all!

Get George and the Big Bang on Amazon.

George and the Unbreakable Code

The fourth George's Secret Key book has protagonists George and Annie "off on another cosmic adventure to figure out why strange things are happening on Earth," according to the publisher. You can read a free story, "George and the Cosmic Doorway," from the book at The Sun, courtesy of its Get Kids Reading campaign in 2014.

Get George and the Unbreakable Code here on Amazon.

George and the Blue Moon

The fifth George's Secret Key book was just published in November 2017, a mere four months before Hawking's death. No word yet if there are futureGeorge's Secret Key manuscripts from Stephen and Lucy Hawking that might be published posthumously. 

Get George and the Blue Moon here on Amazon.

R.I.P., Stephen Hawking. You will certainly be missed—and thank you for the incredible legacy you've left for our generation, our kids and their kids someday, too.

Is your kid hoping to travel to the moon, Mars—or even across time? Share your stories of science and discovery with your kids in the comments.

—Keiko Zoll

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