The One Bad Thing about Father: F.N. Monjo

"Being President can practically ruin your whole life." Who can't love it? Monjo portrays one of Americas most distinguished families as ordinary people trying to find time to be together. They just happen to live in the White House. The story is warm and reasonably accurate. This was one of the first books I read where I got the jokes - and they are still funny. Reading this will inspire you to learn more about a fascinating family. Definitely worth cuddling up with a little one.

No, the illustrations are not gorgeous, but my five-year old and I adored the witty, engaging text. He had already heard of Teddy Roosevelt from watching "Arsenic and Old Lace" ("Chaaarge!") but even if he hadn't, I'm sure he would have enjoyed the book just the same. I wish more history books for young readers were presented in the form of personal narrative. It really helps to convey to children a sense of immediacy about history that standard third-person accounts lack.