George Washington: Our First Leader

I remember reading this book back in 1975 when I was in elementary school. I absolutely loved this series by Augusta Stevenson on famous Americans. This George Washington book was actually written in 1942 and has had several printings including this 90s version repackaged and newly illustrated for todays elementary reader. I really question the historical facts and details in this series but I will encourage my 3 children to read it simply because it is very entertaining and it helps develop vocabulary.

Note that this book is a fictionalized-biography about the childhood of George Washington. Only about the last 20 (of 192) pages is about Washington becoming an officer and president. What this story does is show children what it was like to be a child during this time period. I think it does a fine job of that. My six-year-old son enjoyed having this book read aloud to him. Children 8-10 could easily read it on their own. My son and I had to discuss parts of the book that he didn't have any knowledge of: trades (what is a ferryman, surveyor, tailor, blacksmith, cooper, tanner?), the language used in reference to slavery (Negro is not a word we use anymore), the injustice of slavery, the cruelty of a ship captain to his sailors, why the Indians didn't want to sell their land, and a brief mention of scalping. I don't think I will read it to my daughter at age six since she is more tender-hearted. My son particularly enjoyed the boys at play: the pole-rafting contest, pretending to be soldiers, and hiding the school master's wig. This book accomplished what it set out to do- to give kids a brief look at what is was like to be a child in the eighteenth century. This book is not what you're looking for if you want historical facts on the adult life of George Washington.