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Social Studies
Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait / You Can’t Say That!

Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait / You Can’t Say That!

by | Feb 14, 2023 | ,

by Leonard S. Marcus, Farrar Straus Giroux, 2023; Candlewick Press, 2021 .
This month’s post brings you two books by acclaimed expert on children’s books and author of numerous award-winning biographies, Leonard S. Marcus. You Can’t Say That! delves into the timely topic of censorship of books for young people. Mr. Lincoln Sits for His Portrait, written for middle graders and up, is a fresh biography of Abraham Lincoln that examines his love of the technology of his time–especially photography–and the making of an iconic image of a beloved President and his 10-year-old son Tad.

Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero

Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero

by | May 25, 2021 | , , ,

by Megan Hoyt, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno; Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins, 2021.
Ideal for older elementary-grade students, Bartali’s Bicycle: The True Story of Gino Bartali, Italy’s Secret Hero introduces readers to an Italian cycling champion and unsung hero who secretly helped hundreds of Jews and others escape persecution during World War II. Witness Bartali’s acts of heroism that reached far beyond his celebrity to include selflessness, humility, courage, and deep compassion.

The Mystery of the Barking Branches and the Sunken Ship

The Mystery of the Barking Branches and the Sunken Ship

by | Feb 25, 2021 | , , , , ,

by Judy Bradbury, illustrated by Gabriella Vagnoli; City of Light Publishing, 2021.
In the first book in the Cayuga Island Kids chapter book series, readers meet five resourceful friends who live on a residential island. Though the story is fictional, The Mystery of the Barking Branches and the Sunken Ship is loosely based on one of the most intriguing unsolved mysteries of the Great Lakes: the sinking of the never-recovered sailing vessel, the Griffon, in the 1600s. Readers encounter history, science, mystery, research skills, social-emotional themes, humor, friendship, and a really cute dog.