Besides being a great soldier, farmer, politician, and president, George Washington liked to write. Washington kept journals and diaries, wrote letters, and prepared speeches and official documents throughout his life. His writings fill volumes and number in the thousands. Here is a selection of Washington's writings that follow his life from an entry in his journal written as a teenager to his last diary entry written the day before he died. Some of the writings are personal, expressing love and concern for his family, friends, and home. Some of the writings are national in focus. Each Washington selection is accompanied by an introduction that provides historical background. By being introduced to Washington's words, readers will get to know a man who was not superhuman--only dedicated to family, friends, home, and the country he helped shape.

George Washington, the Writer: A Treasury of Letters, Diaries, and Public Documents

Teen & Young Adult

Biographies

Calkins Creek

Abraham Lincoln was not only one of America's greatest presidents, but one of America's most gifted writers. In the years before radio and television could bring our leaders into our living rooms, Lincoln communicated to citizens through powerful letters and brilliant speeches. He even wrote poetry! Noted Lincoln scholar and lecturer Harold Holzer gathers Abraham Lincoln's greatest writings--from his early rhymes composed when he was about sixteen to his speech to Indiana soldiers delivered less than a month before his death--and illustrates them with poignant archival black-and-white photographs and prints. Holzer divides the book into two parts--The Illinois Years: 1825-1860 and The White House Years: 1861-1865--and provides detailed backgrounds to these important stages of Lincoln's life. Each writing is also accompanied by an introduction that offers historical background. And the timeline of key events in Lincoln's life helps put this extraordinary figure in perspective. Holzer proves that there is no better way to get to know Lincoln than through the magic of his words.

Abraham Lincoln, the Writer

Children's Books

On Friday evening, April 14, 1865, less than a week after the surrender of Confederate forces, John Wilkes Booth crept into Ford's Theatre and murdered Abraham Lincoln. Though it happened nearly 150 years ago, no one has been sure why it happened. In this riveting book, Harold Holzer, one of the country's leading authorities on Lincoln, sweeps away the fog of history to answer the questions surrounding Lincoln's assassination. He shows the conditions of the time that led to the tragic event at Ford's Theatre, and why those who hated Lincoln, such as John Wilkes Booth, sought such horrifying revenge. Filled with dramatic detail and illustrated with archival photographs, this book is bound to be considered an essential work for young readers.

The President Is Shot!: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

Holzer, Harold

Boyds Mills Press publishes a wide range of high-quality fiction and nonfiction picture books, chapter books, novels, and nonfiction

Dog of Discovery

Pringle, Laurence

Animals

Buildings in Disguise

Arbogast, Joan Marie

Arts, Music & Photography

Grab a paperback and join Sandra Weber and her eleven-year-old daughter Marcy for a trek in the Adirondack wilderness. Feel the sensation of climbing mountains, sleeping in open lean-tos, eating wild blueberries, floating like lily pads, and laughing with loons. Add alpine flowers, a bear, and five days of rain, and the result is an appreciation of nature. By the end of the 60-mile trip, mother and daughter also learn to appreciate each other.

Two in the Wilderness

Sandra Weber

Literature & Fiction

Major events of the American Revolution are brought to life in this collection of historical fiction that shows young people caught up in the dangers, hardships, and conflicts of America's fight for independence. A young girl proves her courage in Concord on April 19, 1775, and a young boy and his dog catch a Tory spy after they cross the Delaware with Washington's men on Christmas night, 1776. Other stories show life during the siege of Charleston, a journey home in the middle of the battle of Saratoga, a young soldier's decision at Valley Forge, family conflicts in Savannah, an unlikely friendship at the surrender at Yorktown, and finally, a young boy witnessing the inauguration of President Washington. Brief introductions provide historical background for each of the fifteen stories. Sidebars, maps, and illustrations help make history alive and exciting. Also included are a timeline and suggestions for further reading.

Young Patriots: Inspiring Stories of the American Revolution

Marcella Fisher Anderson

Elizabeth Weiss Vollstadt

Layne Johnson (Illustrator)

John Adams, the first vice president and the second president of the United States, found that the best way to explore his ideas was to put pen to paper. Adams served as a Massachusetts delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses. His ideas on American liberty led the way to independence. In this rich and revealing collection, illustrated with photographs, prints, paintings, and artifacts, Carolyn Yoder has selected writings that chart the life and ideas of John Adams, from his years as a schoolteacher and lawyer to diplomat and president and to the period of his long retirement, a highlight of which was his correspondence with Thomas Jefferson. We see Adams the diplomat, maneuvering his way through Europe. We also find Adams the man, devoted husband of Abigail and father of John Quincy Adams, the sixth U.S. president. Entries from diaries and journals, along with excerpts from letters and speeches, form an intimate portrait of a man driven by ambition and plagued by self-doubt.

John Adams, the Writer: A Treasury of Letters, Diaries, and Public Documents

Biographies & Memoirs

Meet Seaman, the Newfoundland dog who joined the Lewis and Clark expedition into the uncharted western wilderness. Seaman was much more than the faithful companion of Captain Lewis. Seaman risked his life many times and served the Corps of Discovery as a hunter, retriever, and guard dog. This richly detailed account of the expedition includes its planning, its adventures and discoveries, and its aftermath. During the trek from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back, every member of the Corps of Discovery suffered from hunger, insect bites, injuries, and close calls with death. Noted children's author Laurence Pringle follows the expedition closely and highlights the adventures of Seaman as they appear in the journals of Lewis and Clark. Pringle also offers evidence, first revealed in 2000, about what happened to Seaman after the journey's end. With intriguing sidebars, historical illustrations, journal excerpts, and original art, this account of the Corps of Discovery features the remarkable dog that was the expedition's most unusual member.

Dog of Discovery: A Newfoundland's Adventures with Lewis and Clark

The little-known life of York, the African American slave owned by William Clark, and his contributions to the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition are examined in this carefully crafted Society of School Librarians International Honor Book. Award-winning author Laurence Pringle gives an accurate account of York's life—before, during, and after the expedition. Using quotations from the expedition's journals, he tells how York's skills, strength, and intelligence helped in the day-to-day challenges of the journey. Artists Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu consulted with a Lewis and Clark expert to create thoroughly researched and stunning watercolor paintings of York's life.

American Slave, American Hero: York of the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Laurence Pringle

History

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