Don't Know Much About the Presidents

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Ready for some quirky facts about the presidents of the United States? Andrew Jackson had to sneak out of his own inauguration party and sleep in a hotel because his fans got so wild. Poker-playing Warren G. Harding once gambled away a set of White House china. Lyndon B. Johnson was an auto mechanic, a grape picker, and a high-school teacher before becoming president.

Kenneth C. Davis's tremendously popular Don't Know Much About... series takes on America's commanders in chief in this entertaining, often enlightening guide to the 43 presidents. Each president is allotted a page or three, which includes years in office, highlights of his time in power, and weird bits of trivia, including George Washington's propensity for brushing his horse's teeth every morning (although he himself didn't believe much in bathing) and spiffy dresser Chester Arthur's habit of changing his pants many times a day. A timeline runs along the bottom of most pages, describing major milestones in American history. It's fun and educational, how about that? (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie Coulter


From Publishers Weekly
Kenneth C. Davis once again uses a Q&A format, this time detailing the lives of the 43 men who have led the nation, in Don't Know Much About the Presidents, illus. by Pedro Martin. Alongside amusing stories (e.g., "By the time Washington became president, he had only one tooth of his own"), each section also includes each president's term, a timeline of major events and opens with a presidential quote. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From School Library Journal
Gr 4-6-A lighthearted look at the presidency and the men who have held the office. Using a question-and-answer format, Davis profiles each president in chronological order accompanied by a portrait and a memorable quote to introduce the entry. The text and colorful cartoons show the idiosyncrasies of the man and aspects of his administration. The pictures add a note of whimsy; e.g., George Washington is shown trying to decide whether to use the title "Super-dude" or "High-muck-a-muck." A time line enumerates remarkable events that took place during each presidency. The book is similar to Kathleen Krull's Lives of the Presidents (Harcourt, 1998) and Judith St. George's So You Want to Be President (Philomel, 2000). Useful where presidential trivia is in demand.Elizabeth Stumpf, Clearfield Middle School, PACopyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


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Gr 4-6-A lighthearted look at the presidency and the men who have held the office. Using a question-and-answer format, Davis profiles each president in chronological order accompanied by a portrait and a memorable quote to introduce the entry. The text and colorful cartoons show the idiosyncrasies of the man and aspects of his administration. The pictures add a note of whimsy; e.g., George Washington is shown trying to decide whether to use the title "Super-dude" or "High-muck-a-muck." A time line enumerates remarkable events that took place during each presidency. The book is similar to Kathleen Krull's Lives of the Presidents (Harcourt, 1998) and Judith St. George's So You Want to Be President (Philomel, 2000). Useful where presidential trivia is in demand.-Elizabeth Stumpf, Clearfield Middle School, PA Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.


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