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The People’s House

Booklist: The People's House

U.S. Presidents have lived at a mansion at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. since it was rebuilt after it was burned by the British during the War of 1812. It is important to remember that it is voters who elect the President and their congressional representatives. Even before women could vote, they had a positive impact on the new nation. Find out a bit about the White House, voting, and some of the people who helped grow this country.

Curious About the White House

Curious About the White House

By: Kate Waters
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

What house has 35 bathrooms and 28 fireplaces plus 8 staircases? Its residents don’t own it or buy it and usually live there for a maximum of 8 years. It is the White House in Washington DC! Take a quick visit to it and meet some of the First Pets and First Children who have lived in it for over 200 years through brief text and well-placed photographs.

Fly Guy Presents the White House

Fly Guy Presents the White House

By: Tedd Arnold
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Buzz and his pet fly, Fly Guy, share what they learn when they visit the White House in Washington, DC. Photographs and comic cartoon illustrations combine for an informative, informal, and lighthearted introduction to the Presidential mansion.

If the Walls Could Talk: Family Life at the White House

If the Walls Could Talk: Family Life at the White House

By: Jane O'Connor
Illustrated by: Gary Hovland
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

The "beautiful 200-year-old mansion on 18 acres of land right in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C.," is better known as the White House. It's where most, though not all, U.S. presidents have lived. Fun and fast, this lighthearted look at the residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is presented in sound bites and illustrations reminiscent of political cartoons.

Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America's Presidents

Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America's Presidents

By: David Stabler
Illustrated by: Doogie Horner
Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Growing up is never easy, not even when one is on a path to the White House. Though each of these guys grew up to become a U.S. President, each had regular kid problems like dealing with bullies and being a klutz. Humorously illustrated, each vignette reminds readers that those who became Presidents are not unlike themselves.

Ladies of Liberty: The Women Who Shaped Our Nation

By: Cokie Roberts
Illustrated by: Diane Goode
Genre: Biography, Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

Journals, letters and other primary sources were used to introduce "a few of the women who helped… make [the United States] a nation where everyone could pursue the happiness promised when America declared independence…" Line and wash illustrations enhance the brief entries of these intriguing but largely unknown women.

Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Lillian’s Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

By: Jonah Winter
Illustrated by: Shane Evans
Genre: Biography, Historical Fiction, Fiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

As the older woman, Ms Lillian, walks a steep hill to vote. While walking, she remembers the precipitous climb that those who preceded her made so that she could cast her ballot. The storyteller’s tone of the text and dramatic illustrations tell a powerful story.

One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote

One Vote, Two Votes, I Vote, You Vote

By: Bonnie Worth
Illustrated by: Aristides Ruiz, Joe Mathieu
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 3-6
Reading Level: Beginning Reader

The Cat in the Hat is back with Things 1 & 2 for a rhyming introduction to the steps in voting. The easy-to-read text with cartoon illustrations demonstrates the process of voting from start to finish.

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out

By: National Children's Book & Literacy Alliance, Mary Brigid Barrett
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 9-12
Reading Level: Independent Reader

The large format of this collection of stories both factual and fictionalized has been created by about 100 notable authors and illustrators with an introduction by historian David McCullough. Ideal for sharing aloud at home or in the classroom, activities and additional resources are up-to-date at a companion website.

Presidential Pets: The Weird, Wacky, Little, Big, Scary, Strange Animals That Have Lived in the White House

Presidential Pets: The Weird, Wacky, Little, Big, Scary, Strange Animals That Have Lived in the White House

By: Julia Moberg
Illustrated by: Jeff Albrecht
Genre: Nonfiction
Age Level: 6-9
Reading Level: Independent Reader

The White House has hosted U.S. Presidents and their families which have often included First Pets. These have ranged from alligators to dogs with lots of other species in-between, all revealed here in lively language and humorous illustrations.

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