The Lincolns a Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary
3,146 reviews 127 followers
Abraham Lincoln was arguably the most popular subject of juvenile biographies during the era of Candace Fleming's writing career. It seems that every author of historical nonfiction for kids wrote at least once about the sixteenth president of the United States, trying to approach his life from a new angle and unearth fresh information to put Mr. Lincoln in perspective for generations who weren't born until hundreds of years after he first saw the light of day in that Kentucky log cabin in 1809. There's no scarcity of meticulously researched, emotionally delivered biographies of Abraham Lincoln for younger readers, yet I find it fitting that Candace Fleming contributed one of her own rather than focusing her superb talents instead on a subject less ubiquitously covered. Candace Fleming had close ties with the Lincoln legacy starting from her childhood, visiting the Lincoln tomb in Springfield annually on a class trip, and living near enough the farm where Lincoln moved with his family that she could take regular bike trips there. Young Candace was friends with a girl who was a distant cousin of Mr. Lincoln's, and Ms. Fleming continued living in Illinois after becoming a successful author, her connection to the Lincolns always intact. But the main reason I'm glad she wrote a Lincoln biography is that The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary is unlike other volumes about the man often regarded as the greatest president in U.S. history. The Lincolns is perhaps the definitive juvenile work on the subject in no small part because it's the story of Abraham and Mary Lincoln, traced through childhood and adolescence until they met and fell in love. I can't imagine any reader finishing The Lincolns without profound understanding of the ideal match Abraham and Mary were, how necessary their mutual support was to everything they accomplished. They were inseparable even in death, their legacies inextricably linked, and a joint biography is the only way to comprehensively convey their story. A book as broad in scope as The Lincolns is a dauntingly ambitious undertaking, but Candace Fleming took on the challenge and produced a beautiful, wise book, an unglamorized tribute to a magnificent president and first lady who weren't without flaws, self-doubt, and more sadness than any couple should have to endure. The Lincolns is one of the finest nonfiction works I've read. Who would have guessed the funny baby boy from backwoods Kentucky could grow up to be president? No one, at least not until he gained a few years and began demonstrating his intelligence. Young Abraham learned to read in a region where almost no one did, and progressed to devouring books with big ideas and page counts. His childhood wasn't without bereavements like the ones that plagued him later, but he found refuge in school when there was one within a few miles' walking distance for him to occasionally attend. Like Mary, Abraham grew up with a deep-seated contempt for slavery, and always had an eye toward abolishing this blight on the mostly clean American record. Abraham moved up in the world, passing the bar exam and becoming a moderately successful attorney, then turning to politics after settling in Illinois. Born nine years after Abraham, Mary had a different childhood experience, raised with a silver spoon in her mouth as a daughter of the prestigious Todd family. Her youth, too, wasn't without tragedies, and the count would eclipse Abraham's by the end of their lives. Unlike Abraham, when Mary's mother died she ended up with a stepmother she didn't get along with well at all, and she often felt unloved. But Mary was as prodigious an academic as Abraham, a first-class student at a time when girls were typically afforded little or no formal education, and her studies informed her opinion on a diversity of issues throughout her life. Growing up in the company of suave, sophisticated political bigwigs such as Henry Clay, Mary developed a taste for high society and impatience with those who looked down on her because she was female. The moment when Abraham and Mary met in December 1839 must have held a special magic, and the author does her best to recreate it for us. Mary's friends ridiculed her courtship with the tall, gangly oaf from the boondocks, one calling him "a rough diamond of a man," but Mary had an adroit answer. "Imagine what joy it would bring to see his beauty and brilliance shine out more clearly each day. After all, the important thing is the diamond itself, clear and flawless under its film." If ever a matchless diamond existed under a rough exterior it was Abraham, whose wisdom, cunning, intellect, empathy, and ability to achieve the unthinkable would prove peerless over his life of public service. Abraham and Mary hemmed and hawed when the time came to convert their engagement into a wedding, most of the doubts coming from Abraham, but a brief series of breakups couldn't halt their romantic momentum. By 1842 the two were hitched, off to start the adventure of married life. Abraham wasn't able to provide much of an income at first, but they persevered. Mary learned the domestic chores she'd never had to do growing up in a household managed by slave labor. As Abraham ran for and was elected to the Seventh Congressional District of Illinois, Mary bore their first child, Eddie. The boy lived less than four years before dying from illness, a tragedy that would repeat later in the Lincolns' lives. While Abraham flourished in Washington, D.C., Mary grew restless and moved back to Kentucky with Eddie and their second son, Robert, but correspondence indicates the separation wasn't easy for husband or wife. Abraham, writing to Mary: "In this troublesome world we are never quite satisfied. When you were here, I thought you hindered me some in attending to business; but now, having nothing but business—no variety—it has grown exceedingly tasteless to me...I hate to stay in this old room by myself." Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln quarreled at times, but they needed each other in order to weather life's storms and fully enjoy its blessings. By the early 1850s, Abraham and Mary were blessed with two more sons, Willie and Tad, and The Lincolns takes care to present us with plenty of photos and anecdotes about them. No biography of Abraham or Mary would be complete without premium space devoted to Willie and Tad. The Lincolns were more permissive than some politicians liked when the boys burst into important meetings and wanted to play with their father, but Abraham had already known so much heartache, and didn't wish to take any more stern a position with his boys than absolutely necessary. "Abraham believed children should be hugged instead of spanked, praised instead of criticized, cherished instead of endured. 'Mr. Lincoln,' explained Mary, 'was the kindest and most loving...father in the world. He gave us all unbounded liberty. He always said, 'It is my pleasure that my children are free, happy and unrestrained by parental tyranny. Love is the chain whereby to bind a child to its parents.' " Abraham wasn't as close to Robert as he was to Willie and Tad, but the two boys who eventually occupied the White House with him never felt neglected by their father as Abraham had by his own. Willie and Tad's short lives were as happy as Abraham could make them. "One feels better after losing if one has had a brave, whole-hearted fight." —Mary Lincoln, The Lincolns, P. 64 A few losing campaigns for U.S. Senate couldn't extinguish Abraham's political ambition, and in 1860 he outlasted William Seward at the Republican convention to receive the relatively new party's nomination for U.S. president. Infighting among Democrats about slavery led to a schism within their party, all but ensuring victory for Abraham over his old Senate opponent Stephen Douglas, but the celebration was no less euphoric when the voting results came in and the tall Republican from Kentucky won. Abraham and his family were national celebrities, the public clamoring to see Mary and their two youngest sons as they all toured the U.S. on a purposely circuitous train route. "Overnight, Mary and the boys had become public property." Willie dealt affably with the demands of fame, but Tad wasn't always up for being gawked at by strangers like an animal in a cage. His mother later called the sudden attention "an awful and a wonderful prominence." Willie and Tad were more than just a politician's sons now; they were the adored children of a nation. By now several Southern states had seceded from the Union, taking Abraham's election as a sign that the North intended to muscle slave states into relinquishing their rights to labor for which they had legally paid. Set on preserving the Union, Abraham refused to recognize the Confederate states, but he was faced with extremely sensitive tactical decisions that could instigate or avert all-out war. Careful though he tried to be, Abraham eventually had no choice but to call in the troops to put down what he labeled "insurrection" in the South, and the Civil War was at hand. Even when Washington, D.C. itself was in peril of capture by General Robert E. Lee and his plucky troops, Abraham remained firm in his resolution not to capitulate to states intent on maintaining the institution of slavery. Northern generals came and went, unable or unwilling to act aggressively as the situation demanded, and death tolls in the North were staggering. Lee wasn't equipped to win so many battles against the Union, brilliant though he was, but Union generals consistently let Abraham down. The president grew old and frail from the stress of the interminable war, and death wasn't limited to the fields of combat: in 1862, eleven-year-old Willie died from typhoid fever, destabilizing Abraham and Mary's sanity that much more. Their beautiful, patient, kind, rambunctious son was gone, yet Abraham had to put on a brave, confident front for a nation expecting daily leadership from him in this age of war. The raw grief of Willie's parents makes for some of the most emotionally affecting reading in this book. How did they survive at such a stressful juncture in America's history when the loss of their dear son was consuming them from the inside out? "I live in fear that the deep waters through which I've passed will overwhelm me." —Mary, P. 115 As hundreds of thousands were slain on both sides of the conflict, Abraham secretly drafted his Emancipation Proclamation to free slaves nationwide, then waited for the tide of the war to turn so he could instate the order without it being dismissed as the desperate measure of a losing Commander in Chief. The Emancipation Proclamation's formal announcement enflamed national debate, but slaves down South would only actually be liberated if the North won the war. With the addition of Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman to the Northern roster, the army finally made progress against Lee's feisty brigade. While Grant used the sheer weight of superior numbers to bludgeon the opposition, Sherman embarked on his storied March to the Sea, wreaking destruction in the South and speeding the Civil War to its conclusion. General Lee surrendered and the Union was saved, but toxic aggression still festered in Dixie, and would soon infect the U.S. through a trauma it had never experienced: the president's assassination. President Lincoln is said during his years in the White House to have had two separate eerie premonitions of his own death, but with the war behind him he felt more optimistic than he had in years. On March 4, 1865, Abraham gave a noble and rousing inauguration speech, extending words of reconciliation to his geopolitical adversaries. "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations." But on April 14, vengeful stage actor John Wilkes Booth put his plot in motion to kill the president and his leading officials. Sneaking into the president's private seating area as Abraham and Mary relaxed while watching a comedy play, Booth put a bullet in the back of Abraham's head, and the president died in a matter of hours. "Now he belongs to the ages," a tearful Secretary of War Edwin Stanton said, words that became an indelible part of that day's memory. For a child who had already endured the death of his big brother, and a mother who had buried two sons, the loss of Abraham was devastating. Tad was a marvelous boy who could bounce back from any tragedy, a kid with a joyful, elastic spirit that didn't snap no matter how far it was stretched, but Mary wasn't the young girl she'd been when she began courting Abraham. Her husband's murder broke something inside her, and she lay abed for weeks, nearly blind from weeping. Mary had less of a budget to work with after vacating the White House with Tad, but she continued to spend lavishly, medicating the dark emotions that threatened to overtake her by purchasing items which reminded her of happy times with her husband and children. Mary and Tad frequently moved within the U.S. and abroad, but even Mary's youngest boy was taken from her in 1871, when Tad fell ill and passed away. He was eighteen. Her last surviving son, Robert, was as good as lost to her when he filed to have his mother declared insane and locked away so gossip about her eccentric behavior wouldn't handicap his political career. Mary was released from the asylum within a few weeks, but never regained her relationship with Robert. By the time she died on July 16, 1882, she was eager to pass into the great beyond, to be reunited with her husband and children whose presence she had pursued for years by use of seances and mediums who claimed the power to keep her in touch with them. After a long life as filled with mourning as joy, Mary at last found a rest that would never be disturbed. "I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours". —Abraham Lincoln, The Lincolns, P. 126 The most potent emotional scenes in The Lincolns are brought to life by Abraham and Mary's own words as they went through tragedy. Abraham lost the early love of his life, Ann Rutledge, in his mid-twenties, and went nearly insane from grief. To bury such a bright, sweet girl as Ann in the cold ground was almost too much for Abraham, and he told a friend "that he could not bear the idea of its raining on her grave." Brief descriptions like that are what powers The Lincolns, haunting pieces of humanity the reader won't be able to forget. We again see Abraham's dangerous emotional capacity after Mary ended their engagement, expressed in this suicidal poem attributed to him: "Here, where the lonely hooting owl No fellow-man shall learn my fate, Yes! I've resolved the deed to do, Hell! What is hell to one like me To ease me of this power to think, Though devils yell, and burning chains Yes! I'm prepared, through endless night, Sweet steel! come forth from your sheath, I strike! It quivers in that heart Could a man who had such a tortured response to the cancelation of his engagement deal with the bereavements life had yet in store for him? Somehow, in spite of losses that would have emotionally crippled a lesser man, Abraham continued serving his country in its time of gravest discord. While Mary huddled in bed after Willie's untimely death and Tad was recovering from his own life-threatening bout with illness, Abraham walked alone with the funeral procession that bore the little body of his beloved child. "He was too good for this earth," Lincoln eulogized. "I know he is much better off in heaven, but then we loved him so. It is hard, hard to have him die." America felt the death of Willie for centuries, but how much worse to be the boy's father and feel it in that moment? Mary lived through even more than her husband, and by the time she moved to her final home in 1881, she was more than ready to go. "Mary was waiting to die. And, she complained to a friend, 'the waiting is so long.' " That's one of the most poignant lines of this book, for Mary and Abraham were, as a friend once put it, "like two pine trees that had grown so close their roots were forever intertwined." "When one was struck by lightning, the other wasted away." And, "With the one that lingered...it was only slow death from the same cause...When Abraham Lincoln died, she died." That is the message, above any other, conveyed by The Lincolns. Whether destined for each other or not, only together did Abraham and Mary find themselves and realize their potential. In each other's company, they could live a full life without ever looking back in regret. Their legacy is one and the same, and Abraham and Mary would both want it that way. "Time does not soften my grief, nor can I ever be reconciled to my loss until the grave closes over the remembrance and I am again with him." —Mary in 1882, quoted on P. 156 of The Lincolns Candace Fleming creates children's nonfiction of any kind with the best of them, but her historical writing shines brightest, and it is in peak form in The Lincolns. I've read numerous Abraham Lincoln books, from the lightly fictionalized Lincoln and His Boys by Rosemary Wells, to James L. Swanson's captivating and suspenseful Chasing Lincoln's Killer, to Russell Freedman's superlative Abraham Lincoln & Frederick Douglass: The Story Behind an American Friendship, and none are more powerful or informative than The Lincolns. Candace Fleming sets a sky-high standard for Lincoln biography, and serious readers are the beneficiary. I've never felt history come more alive than in these scrapbook pages. "Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it." —Abraham, P. 65
Sends forth his midnight moans,
Fierce wolves shall o'er my carcase growl,
Or buzzards pick my bones.
Or where my ashes lie;
Unless by beasts drawn round their bait,
Or by the ravens' cry.
And this the place to do it:
This heart I'll rush a dagger through,
Though I in hell should rue it!
Who pleasures never knew;
By friends consigned to misery,
By hope deserted too?
That through my bosom raves,
I'll headlong leap from hell's high brink,
And wallow in its waves.
May waken long regret;
Their frightful screams, and piercing pains,
Will help me to forget.
To take that fiery berth!
Think not with tales of hell to fright
Me, who am damn'd on earth!
And glist'ning, speak your powers;
Rip up the organs of my breath,
And draw my blood in showers!
Which drives me to this end;
I draw and kiss the bloody dart,
My last—my only friend!"
Author 6 books 282 followers
First of all, I admit that I've become friendly with the author. (She wrote me one of my very few fan letters for my book about teaching with primary sources: Seeking History.) But I'd known and admired her Ben Franklin's Almanac before she ever wrote me and some of her other picture books as well. (Her book, also in scrapbook style, about Eleanor Roosevelt, is also terrific.) But back to The Lincolns. This is a fantastic way to learn about this particular iconic First Couple. I love Candy's scrapbook method --- stuff to look at it, various stuff to read, to consider, all in any order. You can dip in here, there, now and then. Her research is impeccable, her writing lively and engaging. What's not to like? This book is definitely one (says prejudiced I) that is award-worthy!
- nonfiction
65 reviews
This book has won the Horn Book Award. This book would be great for a middle school student to use for a project on the Lincolns. As I was reading this book, I was amazed and learned a lot of new things that I didn't know before. One of Lincoln's favorite books as a child, was Aesop's Fables. It was also interesting to learn that Lincoln was raised in a household that despised slavery. Lincoln had always seen slavery as a horrible thing. I also didn't know that there were four other individuals that were hanged because of there involvement with John Wilkes Booth and the assassination of President Lincoln. This book is written in a scrap-book format. This is a great book for primary sources. There are copies of some letters and photographs. The book starts off with a look at a young Lincoln and goes all the way thru to the death of his wife, Mary in 1882. Since this book tells us about Lincoln's life in a scrap-book format, I think that it will interest a reluctant reader into picking this book up.
- rll-529-information-books
Author 4 books 169 followers
- biography middle-school u-s-presidents
Book Information: Fleming, C. (2008). The Lincolns: A scrapbook look at Abraham and Mary. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.
The genre of this book is nonfiction and a biography. The reading level is seventh and eightieth grade.
Summary:
The book, The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary, tells a very in depth story of both Abraham Lincoln and Mary Lincoln before meeting, during their lives together, and their deaths. This biography goes into great detail about both of their lives prior to meeting one another and how their courtship was very bumpy. Even though both came from polar-opposite lives they both came together and loved each other for the differences they had.
This biography tells the story of Abraham and Mary in an accurate and appropriate way. Not only is there vary points of views but there is also no stereotypes made. The author includes excerpts from Abraham Lincoln's and Mary's own journals, but she also includes perspectives from others. The organization of this book has clear sequences also. Just by looking at the contents page you can see that the author organized this book in a way that flows from Abraham Lincoln to Mary, to their lives together, and the years that followed his assassination. It flows very well and the way that it is organized moves the biography forward. In addition to the organization, the book is also very well designed. The text that is used is similar to the printed text back in the 1800s. The book is also laid out in a way that looks like newspaper articles clipped and put together on a page. All illustrations are in black and white including photographs and drawings. The style of this book is also very interesting because of the text and the design that the author chose. I can tell that the author was enthusiastic about this biography because it is a very in depth piece of work and she incorporated many sources into her writing. This could be used in a classroom for using as a reference to primary sources if students were doing a project on Abraham Lincoln. Since there are many useful primary sources in this book, students would be able to go into the reference section and use those primary sources for their own project.
Instructional Information:
You could use this book in your classroom if students were doing a research project on Abraham Lincoln. Since this book is a biography it has useful information at students could use for their projects. Also, in the reference section of this book there are many citations that students could use to find other articles and books about Abraham Lincoln.
Contextual Information:
The themes of this book are life stories, war, and life. This book appeals to both genders and addresses many races and ethnicities. Since Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery, African-Americans are discussed in this book. Also, socioeconomic status is discussed since Abraham Lincoln came from a very poor family and Mary Lincoln was very rich.
- nonfiction t-l-307
3,321 reviews 79 followers
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The book is done in a scrapbook fashion. There are drawings, photographs, maps and cartoons all done in b & w, which would be appropriate for the time. There are stories that are 1/4, 1/2 or a page long and than other little snippets of info. scattered in between. Some info. that I really appreciated: "Man's Best Friend" (pg. 8) Abraham borrowed, read, and returned every book he could get his hands on. Over and over he told his neighbors: My best friend is the man who'll get me a book I ain't read. There is a column on page 58 that tells about the demise of the Whigs (and exactly why this party no longer exists) and the rise of the Republicans. I thought they were the same party -- not true! In May 1860, the Republican Party met in Chicago. There is info. about the delegation, who was running for the nomination and how the selection for Lincoln was made. On page 67, we learn that Hannibal Hamlin was nominated to run as the Vice Presidential candidate. The funny thing about this is Lincoln & Hamlin did not know each other and never even met until 3 days AFTER the election! Some famous firsts that occurred during Lincoln's presidency (pg. 129): Besides ending slavery and preserving the Union, To help pay for the war, Abraham signed a bill in 1862 establishing the nation's first income tax. The tax was repealed 10 years later, but in 1913 CONGRESS made the income tax a permanent part of American life with the passage of the 16th Amendment. The transcontinental message In God We Trust -- In April 1864, Lincoln signed an act that would put "In God We Trust" on federal coins. The phrase first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin. Today, these words still appear on all US coins. Lincoln Penny -- Abraham became the first president to be featured on a US coin. In 1909, his profile-taken from a photo made by Matthew Brady -- was placed on the penny in celebration of the 100th anniversary of his birth. The Price They Paid (Civil War): Union Confederate Total Cost of the War: $20 Billion (approximately $250 Billion in today's money), or five times the total expenditure of the federal government from its creation in 1788 to 1865. Taken from page 134. We will celebrate Lincoln's 200th birthday in February 2009. I look forward to seeing what other quality books come out in the next few months.
The Homestead Act
The Congressional Medal of Honor & the Army Medal
The Transcontinental Railroad
Number of Men Who Served: 2,500,000-2,750,000 750,000-1,250,000
Number of Men Wounded (survived): 275,175 102,703
Number of Men Who Lost Their Lives: 360,222 258,000
Civilians Who Lost Their Lives: None 50,000
- biography-presidents history-lincoln
Summary: Award winning author Candace Fleming tells the story of Abraham Lincoln our sixteenth president and his wife Mary. The biography of Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary is setup in a scrapbook format, which to me resembles pages of a newspaper. Each page includes different fonts and pictures assembled together to create the perfect scrapbook of Abraham and Mary's life. The lives of Abraham and Mary are presented chronically from birth to death. The author describes Abraham's childhood, his presidency, his personal life, the civil war and his assassination. It goes on to tell the pain and sorrow our country and his family (especially his wife, Mary) felt after his death. The biography goes into detail about Mary, Abraham's wife, who before this reading I knew nothing about. The book is filled with letters and photographs of Abraham's family, Mary's family, the United States, his presidency, basically every significant event photographed throughout their lives. Response: Information wise, the biography of Abraham and Mary is thoroughly written and very well presented in the book. The book would be extremely beneficial for an individual researching Abraham Lincoln for a school project or someone who wants to know all they can about Abraham Lincoln. In my opinion there is so much information the book can get boring at times, and is best when read a few sections at a time. I love the format of the book and the way that the pages resemble newspaper pages. The biography is not suitable for young student's some words are difficult and young readers would get very bored with the length of the book and all the information presented. I would give the biography four stars for all the great information presented and the illustrations. Classroom Connection: The biography would be a great resource for students learning about Abraham Lincoln and needed any additional information on his and his wife's life. In the classroom the biography can be used in history class when learning about the civil war, or slavery. Students can put together a timeline of Abraham's life. The biography includes so much information on Abraham's presidency and political career. Text Complexity: Interest Level: Grades 5 - 9
Grade level Equivalent: 8.1
Lexile Measure: Not Available
Guided Reading: Not Available
- historical-biography
This book is full of pictures and letters that accompany the text of the book. This book is about the lives of Mary and Abraham Lincoln. It discusses how hard it was for both of them to grow up, the Civil war and how hard it was for them to date. This book shows Lincoln was more than a president, it doesn't spit historical facts about what party he was or who his vice president was. This book tells that and much more; there is even a recipe for his favorite cake, which you can bake yourself!
This book also tells the story of his wife Mary, whom we almost never hear about. She is often thought of Abraham Lincoln's wife, this book shows that she has her own story that isn't tied to Abe's. This book is filled with so many pictures and documents that you have to focus on the words instead of just flipping through and looking at the pictures and reading the articles. This book was very interesting and it gives you a new view on the famous president we all love.
I gave this book a 5 star rating because it gives you another perspective on one of the most influential people in history. This book gives you an inside look on what it was like to grow up in his shoes. It shows how hard it was for Mary and Abe to go through their courtship and how hard it was for them when they went through the death of their children. I have always heard that after the death of their children they both went a little crazy, but if you think about it who wouldn't. It makes them seem like real people that you become empathetic towards. It makes me so sad to think that anyone had to go through that.
The classroom connection would obviously be a history lesson. I would but a twist on it by not making it the history lesson about Abe that I received. I would have my students make a skit up from Abe's life at any point or give extra credit to anyone who memorized the Gettysburg Address.
Lexile: 1050L Grade level: 5-9
- informational-biography print-format
40 reviews 4 followers
I selected this book, The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candace Fleming, as my informational biography. This particular book won the 2009 Honor NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children. I was intrigued by the book because I have always felt that Abraham Lincoln was a great president whom had an impacting effect on equality for all American citizens. I was excited to read more about him and especially educate myself on his personal life from childhood to adulthood. The author does a fantastic job describing Abraham's life from the time he was a toddler until his tragic death. I learned that the Lincolns had four children and three of them at considerably young ages. I was able to explore the relationship between Lincoln and Mary Todd, prior to marriage and after they were married. I found it interesting that Mary came from a wealthy family that owned several slaves and that she too had slaves in the Lincoln's home when they bought it in 1844. I felt that this biography was one of the best reviews of an individual's life that I have ever read. The author was strategic in her methods to discuss the Lincoln's life together as well as Abraham's political influences. The author approach and style to writing as well as pictures shared are beneficial in understanding the president's life and achievements as an individual. He was a family man who loved children but also a stern politician who could persuade others to get what he wanted. His wife was a complex woman who had a unique personality which played a role in their relationship. The author was careful to include vivid details that allows the reader to connect the settings to the information shared which aids in the creations of visualizations. I feel the work of Candace Fleming was beyond exceptional. Her writing was very informative and intriguing. I would highly recommend this biography!
- libs-642
657 reviews
I'm liking this book very much - lots of photos, personal information, i.e. Mary Lincoln's wedding ring was inscribed 'Love is Eternal', primary source documents and an old-fashioned typeface - but for kids, it may be TMI.
After three weeks, I've picked The Lincolns up again and read through to the end. It's not that I don't like the scrapbook style of the joint biography of Abraham and Mary Lincoln. It's just that it lends itself to browsing, rather than reading cover to cover. The book begins with first Abraham's family, his birth (including a photo of the iconic log cabin where he was born), and his childhood, then moves to the same for Mary. Once they've met (and you can view the invitation to that 'Cotillion Party', December 16th, 1839), their story continues in tandem, until Mr. Lincoln's assassination and Mary's subsequent decline and death in 1882.
I particularly like the way the author covers the Civil War - each battle is addressed on one page, with photos of the two generals at the top and what each was trying to accomplish just below, then a picture from the battle scene and a one paragraph description of the battle itself, then its outcome. The last sentence brings the story back to Lincoln, often quoting his reaction to the battle: After hearing of the Union's defeat at Chancellorsville, for example, Lincoln cried 'My God! My God! What will the country say?"
Students will be surprised, I think, at the tragedies of the Lincoln's lives. Three of their four beloved sons died in childhood or youth. Then Lincoln's death unhinged Mary, who was ultimately confined in an insane asylum at the request of her remaining son. The family album style helps to humanize these familiar faces from history, an accomplishment that I think will engage students as they learn.
- children-s-award-winner
Originally rated G+ by Marta Wilkin SLJ
This "scrapbook" biography consists more of vignettes than straight biographical narrative. The author uses many photographs, editorial cartoons, as well as other contemporary artifacts to make the times come alive. This book may keep the attention of students who would not read a straight biography. Extensive list of books and websites, as well as notes. Index.
School Library Journal
Gr 6 Up
What did this backwoods boy and this bluegrass girl have in common? Using her signature scrapbook approach, Fleming lays out the answer in a biography that gives equal emphasis to Abraham and Mary Lincoln for an insightful portrait of their lives. Her scholarship over five years pays off with a rich account that is personal and concrete. She recounts Mary's early life as a privileged-but motherless-child, her ambitions for her husband, and her role as "first lady" (a term originally coined for her). Large and small details are juxtaposed with specifics about Lincoln and broadened by Mary's significance. For example, a political decision was made regarding her attendance at the debates; Lincoln wanted to preserve his "common man" image rather than show off his refined and educated wife. Unlike most biographies, which conclude with Lincoln's death, this one follows Mary's story to the end, detailing Robert Todd's role in her commitment to an insane asylum, Tad's death, and her own demise. Presented in period typefaces, the boxed bits of text, sidebars, and numerous running heads and subheads add detail. From portraits to pets, the book contains a wide variety of graphics, including written and visual primary documents that enrich every spread. Notes, resources, and source notes are exemplary. It's hard to imagine a more engaging or well-told biography of the Lincolns.-Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library
This biography of Abraham and Mary Lincoln was extremely in-depth and filled with information that I had never learned when I studied the Lincolns in school. The author, Candace Fleming, does an amazing job going over all aspects of the Lincolns' lives. This includes their childhood, before and after they were married, Abraham's legal and political career, the Civil War, and their children. This book had so much pertinent information in it that I was not left with any unanswered questions. As a female reader, I especially enjoyed Fleming's description of women's fashion, education, and housekeeping duties during this time period. The information about Mary's life after Abraham's death I found both fascinating and heartbreaking. I especially cannot believe the way her son Robert treated her! In the end, I believe Fleming should be extremely proud of this amazing book! From an education standpoint, I believe that all young adults should read this biography when they are studying the Lincolns and the Civil War. Fleming's book is written so well that teens will not become bored when reading it. However, there is a lot of information in this biography, and I recommend that reading exercises should be broken up so that teens will not become overwhelmed when reading this work. This book is a valuable resource when teens are studying gender roles during this time period. Fleming notes that men and women had defined roles during the Civil War era, and teens could study if these notions are still applicable during modern times. Young adults could also compare Mary Lincoln to another First Lady and see if their duties were similar or different while they lived in the White House.
- young-adult-literature
33 reviews
Genre- historical non-fiction A fascinating book- "The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary" is a large volume of short segments of Abraham Lincoln's life from his childhood through his presidency and assassination. The short segments are set up as old newspaper clippings, with the old type writer font, edge-plate photographs, subtitles and captions. Though the text is daunting to read cover to cover, it is easily set up to peruse in segments. Each chapter is set up like an old poster from the 1800's ("The Happiest Stages of Life" set in bold letters of old western font for chapter 3). It is a great text to introduce non-narrative text features to students such as titles, subtitles, sidebars, pictures and captions as well as these text features' purposes Because of its massive size, I would not recommend this text for younger students. Middle school kids (especially kids in American history) and high school students would greatly benefit from this text as the authors have done their homework in investigating all aspects of the Lincoln's lives. For instance, Mary Lincoln's theory about her husband's assassination are included in a sidebar towards the end of the text. Reference notes, websites for more information and the author's note about the research are included at the end of the text to reassure the audience of the book's validity. Basically, the book reads like a fun lecture or interactive textbook. It might be too much hard factual information for a pleasure read, but very helpful for research purposes.
- 544
Candace Fleming used period photographs, letters, engravings, cartoons and more to create The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary. This is a biography of Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln. This book details about both Abraham's and Mary's early years separately, how they met, what their marriage was like, the kinds of burdens that they held and the outcomes of their decisions both politically and personally. The end of the book focuses on Mary's Life after Abraham's assignation. This book is in a scrapbook like format and contains varying viewpoints and aspects of the Lincolns life. I do not think that I could really use this book in the classroom. It is too long and has too much information that is not all that easy to individually find. As I said for the last book, Lincoln through the Lens, it would be great for the classroom library during the unit. This book sparks interest and has in depth information but it is almost unnecessary to teach children this amount of information about one topic or person. Although it is a great biography and is owed credit, it just does not have a place in my classroom. I think that it looks to thick and almost boring for young readers. On the contrary though, if I were to use it, I could use it as an example for an assignment. I could have the children pick a president to do a biography or scrapbook on and this would be good, yet complex, example. Fleming, C. (2008) The Lincolns: A scrapbook look at abraham and mary. New York, New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.
- t-l-307
67 reviews
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Using the same innovative scrapbook format employed in Ben Franklin's Almanac (2003) and Our Eleanor (2005), Fleming offers another standout biographical title, this time twining accounts of two lives—Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln—into one fascinating whole. On spreads that combine well-chosen visuals with blocks of headlined text, Fleming gives a full, birth-to-death view of the "inextricably bound" Lincolns. Once again, Fleming humanizes her subjects and offers a broader perspective on their times with cleverly juxtaposed facts, anecdotes, and images. One page, for example, combines an 1861 map of the divided U.S. with detailed descriptions of what the new president and First Lady each tackled the day after Lincoln's inauguration (Fort Sumter and securing a dressmaker, respectively). Although the reproductions are often small and dark, the intriguing visual mix will easily draw readers and browsers alike. Included are paintings and etchings of heartrending historical events, church documents, handwritten notes, and political cartoons. Fleming's writing, filled with quotes and personal details, is just as lively as the assortment of images, and an extensive time line, suggested resources, and source notes round out the text. Starting with her personal introduction, this exemplary resource will prompt readers to consider how an individual's life story, and a country's history, are constructed. Grades 7-12. --Gillian Engberg
- informational-books-and-biographies
42 reviews 14 followers
Full of photos, clippings, letters, political cartoons, and more, this book offers a comprehensive look at the lives of Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln in an impressive and thoroughly researched scrapbook-style format. It tells the story of both Abraham and Mary's very different upbringings, their courtship and marriage, Abraham's ascent into politics and his presidency, and much much more. Along the way, Candace Fleming presents many interesting and captivating stories about the Lincolns including Mary's spending habits, Lincoln's love interests before he met Mary, and the tragic deaths of three of their children. What's most impressive is that the writing is not dry. I found myself wanting to read more and enjoyed the fact that the information was presented in chunks and not long, boring, chapters. While some readers may initially be put off by the book's size, they can control how much they want to read, whether it be just browsing or reading the book from cover to cover. While the reading level is for a young audience, it would definitely make a great choice for older history buffs, especially Civil War enthusiasts. I also think it would make an excellent addition to a social studies classroom. Fleming has given us a book that puts a human touch to the lives of the legendary couple in an approachable, entertaining manner.
4,985 reviews 58 followers
Many, many books have been written about Abraham Lincoln, but this one stands out for me. It's as much Mary's story as it is Abraham's and the author traces each of their lives from birth to death. The formatting is excellent! Each page resembles a period newspaper and presents information in chronological order with a focus on facts readers might not have read in other Lincoln books. The photos are used effectively to support text and include many images that haven't appeared elsewhere. The overall effect of this look into the lives of the Lincolns is deeply personal. Readers get a feel for who they were as individuals, how they related to one another, and what motivated their behavior. With the newpaper layout it is not essential that readers read each section, but it's all so well written and intriguing most people who pick this book up probably devour it the way I did. I really liked how the author presented Mary Lincoln's later years. There's a sense of deep sadness, desperation, and incredible unfairness. You get a vivid picture of how she was perceived in the years following Abraham's assassination, but you also get a present day look at her behavior and are free to develop your own judgments. This is a must read on the subject and a book that is both useful for research and pleasure reading. Recommended for grades 5-8+.
- abraham-lincoln
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Edited May 1, 2015The Author uses photographs, letters, engravings, cartoons and fascinating text to tell the story of President Lincoln and Mary's extraordinary lives. This book covers the childhoods of President Lincoln and Mary, along with their tumultuous courtship. The books covers the Civil War, and the loss of their children. Ending with their own tragic death. This book is full of things from photos of Lincoln's dogs to Mary's recipe for Abraham's favorite cake that readers can bake themselves. The book even includes the Emancipation Proclamation. In Lincoln's life he wanted to show just how humble he was and how close he was to the American people. In the part of the book where it is referring to his campaign for a seat in Congress it says that "after winning his seat…he returned $199.25 of the $200 received from his supporters" (Fleming 44). This book really shows readers who President Lincoln and Mary were as people even beyond their time in the white house. I found this book especially interesting because of how it is set up, for a classroom activity I would have students pic a president and in kinda the same sort of way make a timeline of the presidents life and then have them make it into their own "scrapbook".
- t-l-307
31 reviews
The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary by Candance Fleming, is the 2009 ALA Notable Book and a 2009 recipient of the Boston Globe Horn Book Award for Nonfiction. Living in Central Illinois where Lincoln spent much of his early life, including participating in the Lincoln-Douglas debates, I was excited to read this book and was not disappointed. Fleming gives an in-depth look at Abraham and Mary's life through a unique "scrapbook" format. She includes several primary documents, including newspaper clippings, political cartoons, photographs, paintings, quotes, and even recipes. Readers are able to journey through Abe and Mary's childhood separately and then their marriage, children, political involvement, and deaths. This book brings The Lincolns' story to life. There is so much to read, that one could spend days reading and analyzing all of the documents, that there would still be more to learn. While it is listed as a juvenile book, I think it is best suited for students grades 8-12 and of course adults, mostly because of the dense reading. However, it could be used with elementary and middle school students by reviewing snippets of the scrapbook. This is a must read for any Lincoln lover.
- info-bios
3,398 reviews 15 followers
Another marvelous book from Candace Fleming. I truly enjoy her "scrapbook" approach and started the book by dipping in and reading here and there. Within several pages though I was so engaged that I settled down to read it straight through. Fleming's writing is lively and immediate yet completely respectful of her audience. She always provides the essential historical background but I never felt that she was writing down to her audience. The pivotal information about the Civil War and the emancipation of the slaves is wonderfully integrated into the personal story of the Lincolns. The research and citations are meticulously done and there is a wonderful section on the research. Fleming says, "I uncovered new facts and discovered new truths. But best of all, I walked in their footsteps, I felt the Lincolns begin to take shape for me. They began to form in my heart and mind until they were no longer merely historical figures but human beings, solid and concrete. This wonderful book did this for me too. Abraham and Mary came alive for me as did their time and impact on history.
30 reviews
The Lincolns is an entire timeline of Abraham Lincoln and his family. This story begins where Abe's life begins and follows him through his tragic death. The amount of information within this scrapbook is perfect the 'history-buff' or historical enthusiast, but may be a little overwhelming for others. I was personally very overwhelmed by the shear amount of information that is provided within the pages of this text. This would be considered a complete biography, as it follows Lincoln's entire life, rather than just a small portion or a specific event. This text also touches on the history of Lincoln's family including his wife, and his children's lives, though it focuses more on the past president. This text would be great to use to teach about text features, and structure of nonfiction text. It could also be used in a way that would help students understand how to search through a wide mass of information to pinpoint specific information that would support any research being done.
- info-bios
306 reviews 64 followers
What I loved most about this book is that it was not just another book about Abraham Lincoln but as the title implies was about both Abraham and Mary. It was very interesting to get a look at Mary along side her husband.
I also loved the scrapbook format of this book. It is absolutely full of interesting photographs, paintings, newspaper clippings and images of documents. Have a gander at Grant's hand written terms of surrender from Appomattox Court House or a copy of a draft from the Gettysburg address in Lincoln's handwriting. Great stuff. And because the book is set up like a scrapbook there are lots of little sections and snippets of information grouped together that just made a unique and interesting reading experience.
Filled with great trivia and bits of personal information about the Lincoln's this book is not to be missed.
I really want to track down a copy of the author's scrapbook look at Eleanor Roosevelt. That should be really interesting.
- biography-memoir
After reading this book I feel as if I have spent some time with the Lincolns. Through photographs, articles, letters, etc. this book gives a more personal look at Abraham and Mary. For Mary especially I gained a deeper sense of compassion for all of the struggles that followed mulitple tragedies in her personal life. Rather than the way that she is frequently dismissed in popular history as a shallow, somewhat crazy consumer this portrayal helps to flesh out some of her complexities, her sharp intelligence, and the horrible despair of loss upon loss. There is also a deepening of how Abraham is usually portrayed. His wit, tenderness, and compassion come through loud and clear. This is such a great reminder of how history is often taught in a one dimensional manner. Putting the complex, human face on it makes it so much richer.
- biography non-fiction
This book allows teenagers to understand the Lincoln's in ways which most books can't for young readers. It follows both Abraham and Mary throughout their incredible journey to the White House and beyond, with all the little twists and turns that students usually don't hear about. One of the nicest things about it is that its broken into small excerpts rather than chapters, and there is almost always a picture that accompanies each section. Another great aspect of this book is that it reveals some of the mistakes both made, some of their minor flaws, and it truly reveals their feelings about issues - many of which I had never known about the Lincoln's. This type of book provides history teachers to take a different approach when teaching presidential history - it almost makes it fun, words which would be awesome to hear coming out of a student's mouth.
- info-bios
The other book I looked at is "The Lincolns" which is also about Abraham Lincoln and his life. However; with this book it does not focus on his four sons as much. The main focus is Abraham and Mary Lincoln. Starting with their childhood and going through to when they get married. This book talks about the hardship of them going through the Civil war and how they dealt with losing their three children, going until their death. The story has very specific random details such as the recipe for Abraham's favorite cake in case they want to make it themselves. It also has interesting photos such as one of Abraham's dog. I think it would be a good book for those students who do not like to read, it is also good for those who love history. This is a good book to teach children, for them to be able to learn more about the history Abraham's Life up until his death.
- history
616 reviews 7 followers
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Edited December 7, 2008 The stories of their lives before the presidency are fascinating, mostly new to me, and illustrated with homely historical details through Fleming's careful selection of images. The scrapbook style is great for browsing. Until I read this book I had no idea that Lincoln had so little political experience before he was elected president, nor that Mary had come down so far in society when she married him. (The book does include the full story through the presidency, Civil War, assassination, and afterward, but the earlier decades interested me more.) I do wish, though, that the cover had the images of Abraham and Mary at the ages when they met; they are beautiful and very different from the way we all picture the Lincolns (as seen on the cover).
- nonfiction
This book is a nice resource for anyone looking to learn about the full lives of Mary Todd and Abraham Lincoln. For the student who isn't interested in picking up a more subsentive biography this is a nice alternative that is rich with information, great primary sources, and pictures. The pages are sometimes hard to follow, as there is so much information packed onto one page that the eye tends to wander around. I think it is a lovely book for any Lincoln enthusiast and someone curious to learn more about the life of Mary Todd, which is richly told and deeply tragic. It is not the first book I would want to learn about Lincoln with, but it is one I would recommend to anyone with a curiosity of this famous couple.
This is an amazing collection of photographed artifacts interwoven in chronological order with concise, but interesting expository narrative. The layout attempts to honor the "old courthouse" style with the book being on legal size paper with thin margins. The font and clip art also emulates the graphics of the Lincoln era. The book is not only provides valuable historical documentation; it is also a work of achival art. Lincoln is always a subject of awe and seems to inspire neverending curiosity. This book delves into every corner of his life and finds the documentation. One would think that the curiosity would be satisfied after reading such voluminous work, but to the contrary, one is motivated to know even more about Old Abe and the southern belle that was Mary.
- informational
41 reviews
non-fiction - 2008 This is just an incredibly in depth (almost invasion of privacy deep) look at the life of both Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary. I even learned that Abe didn't like spanking his kids. He would rather hug than spank. I was also horrified to learn that Mary was declared insane in court because her own son paid off witnesses. (Although, now that I think of it, I think I learned that once upon a time.) This book is full of newspaper clippings, photos, paintings, official documents, letters, which is why it's called a scrapbook. That's exactly what it is, and incredibly organized and informational scrapbook. If you are a history buff and like Abe, then this would be great read.
- t-l-544
229 reviews
content dense, well-researched biography about Mary & Abraham Lincoln. author indicates it took her 5 years and extensive travel to research content. book explores both of their lives--separately and together. told in narrative, scrapbook style, portrays the complex (and tragic) lives of both. details of death, "insanity", etc. coupled with dense text make book more appropriate for upper middle school through high school (as an adult, i got a lot out of it). while broken into chapters, nature of the book is that a reader can jump in anywhere and read at length or short segments. primary source documents (including photos) add texture. additional contextual information (such as about certain battles in the Civil War) is interwoven seamlessly.
- biography
The Lincolns a Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary
Source: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/2970974
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