Presidential Inauguration

 

Pre-K and Early Elementary

Barack Obama: An American Story, by Roberta Edwards
A biographical work about Barack Obama’s struggle with race and identity
throughout his life.

Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope, by Nikki Grimes
A biographical picture book about Obama’s ability to find hope.

I Have a Dream, by Martin Luther King Jr., with foreword by Coretta Scott King
Martin Luther King’s speech illustrated by 15 Coretta Scott King award-winning artists.

Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., by Doreen Rappaport
A narrative that tells the story of the civil rights leader, using and expanding upon his words.

The Story of Abraham Lincoln, by Patricia A. Pingary and Stephanie McFetridge
A board book introducing young children to our 16th president.

 

Woodrow, the White House Mouse, by Cheryl Shaw Barnes and Peter W. Barnes
Learn about the White House and what the president does by reading about Woodrow G. Washingtail.

Late Elementary

Barack Obama: Voice of Unity, Hope, and Change, by Libby Hughes
A biography of Obama that paints vivid pictures of Hawaii, Indonesia, Kenya and Kansas as the scenery behind Obama’s life.
 

Bayard Rustin—Behind the Scenes of the Civil Rights Movement, by James Haskins
A biography of Rustin’s contribution to the March on Washington.

The Day Martin Luther King, Jr., Was Shot: A Photo History of the Civil Rights Movement, by
James Haskins
Recounts in photos the history of the civil rights movement.
 

Lincoln: A Photobiography, by Russell Freedman
This book includes quotes and photographs to help understand President Lincoln during the
Civil War.

The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary, by Candace Fleming
Relying on photos, letters, cartoons and more, readers can learn about our 16th president and the first lady.
 

RECOMMENDED READING

 

Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, by various authors
Featuring more than 100 award-winning children’s book authors and illustrators, this book includes short stories, essays, poetry, speeches and more about the White House, the presidency
and the first families.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963, by Christopher Paul Curtis
Fictional account of the summer of 1963 in Birmingham, Ala., from the perspective of a 9-year-old boy.
 

Who’s Haunting the White House?: The President’s Mansion and the Ghosts Who Live There, by
Jeff Belanger
Learn about the history and events of past presidencies, including a scary story or two.
 

Yes We Can: A Biography of Barack Obama, by Garen Thomas
A biography of Obama geared toward students ages 9-12.
 

Middle School

Barack Obama: We Are One People, by Michael Schuman
Written for teens, this biography provides information about Obama’s life, from childhood through his upstart political career.
 

Barack Obama: Working to Make a Difference, by Marlene Targ Bril
Personal portrait of Obama bolstered by interviews with Obama’s colleagues.
 

First Kids, by Noah McCullough
Learn about the 43 children who lived in the White House while their fathers were president.
 

Freedom’s Children: Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories, by Ellen Levine
Firsthand accounts from African-Americans who were children during the 1950s and 1960s.
 

Just Like Martin, by Ossie Davis
Novel about a 14-year-old boy who wants to participate in the March on Washington but his father who won’t allow him to attend.
 

Picturing Lincoln: Famous Photographs That Popularized the President, by George Sullivan
Review five famous images of President Lincoln and how they have been used throughout history.
 

Witnesses to Freedom: Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights, by Belinda Rochelle
Describes the roles of young African-Americans in the civil rights movement, chronicling the children who participated in nine events such as the integration of Little Rock High School and the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
 

High School

Barack Obama: The Politics of Hope, by William Michael Davis
A biography of Obama by a former congressional staffer.
 

Bombingham: A Novel, by Anthony Grooms
A young soldier in Vietnam writes a letter home recalling his years growing up in Birmingham during the civil rights movement.
 

2Carry Me Home—Birmingham, Alabama: The Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution, by
Diane McWhorter
Personal narrative of the civil rights movement in Birmingham, Ala., in 1963.
 

The Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Speech That Inspired a Nation, by Drew D. Hansen
Recount the great “I Have a Dream” speech and its continued effect on people today.
 

Hopes and Dreams: The Story of Barack Obama, by Steve Dougherty
An up-to-the-moment biography of Obama.
 

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Abraham Lincoln filled his cabinet with his political rivals to help him lead the country during
the Civil War.