The Buck Stops Here

The Buck Stops Here

Alice Provensen 2013

Alice Provensen's biographical collection of U.S. presidents.  Oversized and tucked with tidbits of information, it's a handy companion when learning United States history.

First Mothers

First Mothers

Beverly Gherman

illustrated by Julie Dowing 2012 

I have never seen a book with this subject before.  A biography not of all the American presidents, or of their wives, but rather their mothers, perhaps the most invisible, forgotten and yet instrumental women behind such men.  As a whole, the book is fascinating.  Each president’s mother was as different and varied as the presidents themselves.  Some came from poverty, others from high class, some had fierce tempers, and some were fiercely religious.  Few were educated (a result of the eras they lived in) and many didn’t live long enough to see their sons become president .  Gherman gives them titles like "the brave mother", "the working mother", "the striving mother".  I love that the biographies are about them as women- their dreams, their plans, their background, and really treats them as worthwhile to learn about, not just in the context of their presidential sons.

George Washington's Teeth

George Washington's Teeth

Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora

pictures by Brock Cole 2007

A little late for Presidents day, but a good one at anytime.  We all have heard the story of George Washington’s wooden teeth, but Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora tell the real history of our first president’s dental woes.  Plagued by tooth loss and decay, Washington gradually lost all of his teeth even in the midst of leading our country to independence.  Aided by a trusted dentist, he gradually fashioned pairs of dentures.  Although remarkably ingenious with springs and tiny screws, they were limited by the technology of the time and often caused him great pain and humiliation.  The book conveniently provides a timeline of Washington’s life (and tooth loss) and includes some pictures.  I was left with an even greater respect for the man who accomplished so much while enduring such suffering.  And it made us want to be more vigilant with our dental hygiene!