With a NEW Poem by Nikki Grimes About President Obama's Inauguration!The award-winning art and literature anthology, Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, will be available in paperback at a bookstore near you September 14, 2010.
Conceived and co-created by The National Children’s Book and Literary Alliance, this outstanding collection of essays, personal accounts, historical fiction, and poetry melds with an equally stunning array of original art to offer a look at America’s history through the prism of the White House. Starting with a 1792 call for designers and continuing through the present day, these highly engaging writings and illustrations, expressing varied viewpoints and interwoven with key historical events, are a vital resource for family and classroom sharing -- and a stirring reminder that the story of the White House is the story of every American.
Building on the logical links between literacy, historical literacy, and civic engagement, the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance created Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out to encourage young people to read more about America’s rich history and culture; to think more about America’s future; to talk more about our nation’s leadership; and to act on their own beliefs and convictions, ensuring this great democratic experiment will survive and thrive.
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David McCullough introduces this creative tour de force, in which 108 renowned authors and illustrators have donated their poetry, prose, and art to help advance the cause of young people’s literacy and historical literacy. The illustrations, essays, short stories, presidential letters, personal reflections, and historical accounts in Our White House inform and entertain, offering a window on more than 200 years of American history.
Our White House has been making headlines since it was published in September 2008!
"If books were measured like elections, this would win in a landslide." -USA Today
"This entertaining introduction to the White House is full of fascinating information, challenging ideas, and appealing artwork." - School Library Journal (starred review)
"This blue-ribbon choice for family sharing . . . makes the point that history does not have to be abstract, but a personal and ongoing engagement." -Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A unique resource that will inform children about their country's history." -Booklist
"A remarkable mixture of contributions . . . a quirky household treasury." -Chicago Tribune
AWARDS for Our White House
Amazon.com Best Book of the Year
Horn Book Fanfare Selection
American Library Association Notable Children’s Book for All Ages
International Reading Association Teachers’ Choice
National Council for Social Studies and the Children’s Book Council Notable
Social Studies Trade Book for Young People
Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year for Children's Nonfiction
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Companion Educational WebsiteTeachers, librarians, parents, and guardians, be sure to check out the NCBLA's companion educational website, www.ourwhitehouse.org, which expands the book content for Our White House and presents additional ideas, activities, and discussion questions related to book topics. Also included is an American history resource and literacy center, a guide to presidential field trip destinations, an extensive young people’s bibliography, and information on civic education.
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out continues to be available in hardcover at libraries and bookstores.
