One of my new favorite series, the 'I Am' books make history fun and accessible for younger audiences.

Summary: This book begins with some basic facts about George Washington, like he is the 4th out of 9 siblings and that the cherry tree story is not true. The author describes a child George Washington as a good boy but a bad speller. George Washington did not go to high school or college. But at 16 he did have a job surveying. In his first military experience, he fought for the british. At 23 he ran to be in the Virginia legislature, and kept being reelected until the American Revolution. He was chosen to be the leader of the new military, and it was full of farmers and fisherman. The American Revolution was won by being smarter and sneaker. After the first president became president, he realized it was hard to be the first and a leader but it was worth it.

Personal: This book is good for learning about George Washington and the American Revolution. The book kind of has a comic book style with blurbs that the characters say.

Classroom Extension:
1. Have students make their own George Washington out of paper plates, construction paper and cotton balls.
2. Have students name 2 good things George Washington did for the country.

It's a very informative title with lots of Washington facts. The author manages to present it in a fun and accessible way. George's book begins with his early years, takes us through his military career, and includes the important events afterward when he voluntarily walked away from power to do his own thing. I liked that the author focused on the difficulty and pride of being the first person to do something. ( )

this book is about George Washington, it is written by a historian

I enjoyed reading this book. As part of a series, this 'I am' book tells the story of GW through a unique perspective than many other biographies. This very different point of view adds to the authenticity of the book while also allowing readers to connect to this young kiddish version of the first president. Off the bat, this young personification of GW connects to readers by sharing his interest, ups and downs with, "I liked swimming, fishing, and riding horses. In school, my favorite subject was math... but i was always a terrible speller." This point of view is tailored directly to students, and when paired with the illustrations that depict him as a child throughout his all his accomplishments, it helps to show how GW were like them and grew to be something great. Overall, I think this book does a great job at making the history of influential people interesting to young readers. ( )