Patriotic Books

If you’re looking for a moving account of the passing of two presidents, I recommend reading Pulitzer Prize winning John Adams, by David McCullough. It mostly covers the life of (duh) John Adams, but there’s enough in there about Thomas Jefferson and interactions with other founders that when I listened to the passing of these two great men on the same day-hanging on to life to reach the day considered to be the birth date of our nation, which they had tirelessly worked to bring about–I was moved to tears. (And I’m NOT a crier!)

David McCullough did a beautiful job bringing the character of John Adams to life. He uses mostly letters (John and Abigail Adams were both faithful letter writers) and other historical documents to weave together the life of John Adams in an engaging way–no boring textbook reading here! Adams is portrayed as a man overshadowed by others but nevertheless had integrity and put his soul into advancing the United States.

It’s 752 pages, and I don’t have as much time as I’d like to sit and read, so I borrowed the book-on-tape from the library and listened to it while fixing dinner at night. Worked great! My children were typically in the room with me and didn’t complain about listening to this book as much as they have about some of the others I’ve listened to.

Of course, there’s also 1776 by David McCullough which is another historical work which brings to life the miracle of the small rebel colonies defeating the greatest naval force of their day. It talks about blunders made, ways opened, and the assistance of Providence as a rag-tag army, led by George Washington, the year independence was declared. Very interesting book.

If you’re looking for something more at an elementary level, then try So, You Want to be President by Judith St. George. It’s a collection of fun facts: “You may have a better chance of being president if you’re from Virginia…” (and then of course, it answers how many presidents were born in Virginia) or “How many presidents shared the same first name?…” or “Which presidents were born and raised in log cabins? Which ones CLAIMED to have been…” It’s a very interesting way to put facts together about the men who have led our nation. My kids enjoyed it, and I did, too.