Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln

by Judith St. George

Book Overview

A spirited biography of the early years of Abraham Lincoln, one of history's greatest and most important U.S. presidents Abraham Lincoln grew up poor and without schooling in a Kentucky wilderness and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 0545129796
• ISBN13: 9780545129794
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Scholastic
• Length: 48 Pages
• Weight: 0.28 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great read for children

I recently read the book Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln, written by Judith St. George, illustrated by Matt Faulkner, to my elementary class. The children really enjoyed the information about Lincoln and the illustrations. We had a great discussion about Lincoln and his wonderful relationship with his step-mother. The children learned that presidents REALLY were once children and had some interesting life experiences that shaped who they would become as adults. I highly recommend this book.

Happy birthday, Abey Baby

I had lunch with an author the other day and the subject happened to turn to the topic of biographies for children. Sometimes it seems like publishers are afraid of doing anyone new these days. It's all Einstein and Martin Luther King Jr. There are a whole lot of Helen Kellers and more Anne Franks than a kid could ever really need. Unusual subjects sometimes seem to get the shaft, and this is a real pity. You'd think people would want to learn more about the obscure heroes out there. So when I find myself with yet another Abe Lincoln book in my hands, I am not impressed. I am particularly unimpressed when I realize that 2009 is going to be the year when Lincoln celebrates his 200th birthday. Do you know what that means? It means that we're going to get swamped in even MORE children's biographies of Abraham Lincoln. Bearing all this in mind, I decided to read Judith St. George's newest title, "Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln" with an eye to the "hook". Every bio of a much over-examined subject needs a hook. The D'Aulaires' hook was that in spite of being truly terrible (oh yeah, I said it!) it won the Caldecott. The hook of Russell Freedman's Lincoln : A Photobiography was that it was beautiful to look at, exquisitely written, and collected all known photographs of Lincoln in a single source. And the hook of "Stand Tall, Abe Lincoln"? The fact that the turning point that made Abe into a future statesman had much to do with his stepmother. It was his stepmom Sally Johnston who encouraged him to become a great man. And while I would have liked the title or cover of the book to emphasis this point a bit more, the book's respect for both its subjects is touching and it presents an important story for kids of all ages to hear. He was born February 12, 1809 to Thomas and Nancy Lincoln in the state of Kentucky. A bright kid, Abe was good in school and lively at home. He talked a blue streak and loved his books. The family moved around a lot and when Abe's mother died of milk poisoning it was a terrible time. With two kids to support, Thomas went to get a new wife for his family, leaving his kids at home. He returned with Sally, a big loud woman with a lot of energy and a great understanding about what made Abe tick. She gave him books, encouraged him to go to school, and told his father to let him study rather than engage in chores all the time. She was one of his greatest influences and her care for Abe may have helped him to become one of our country's greatest presidents. This is apparently the fourth "Turning Point" picture book biography Ms. St. George has created though it is the first that I've ever read, and what I liked about it was how much of the tale gives props to Sally Johnston's influence on her new kids. Essentially the book hits all the high points of young Abe's youth that these biographies are prone to cover. The day Abe fell in Knob Creek and almost drowned. The time when he got kicked in the head by a mare. The story arc is consistent, tho