Book Review: The White House For Kids

Katie February 3, 2014 0 Comments

The White House For Kids is a history of Home, Office and the National Symbol.  It includes 21 activities for kids to help teach them about the White House. The book talks about the White House and why it is white and a little bit of the history of the building, it covers what it’s like to grow up in the white house, the job that the president does, people who work in the white house, entertaining in the white house, the holidays in the white house, playing at the white house and then a bunch of resources about presidents and where to go for further research.

I really liked how the book started with the history of the white house in a time line form.  I probably learned some of this in school but I don’t recall ever knowing when the first phones were installed or elevators, etc.  The time line is full of a TON of info.

I have a secret obsession with architecture and I also love when books are geared towards kids because they are WAY easier to understand, so I was all about this book.  The activities in the book also look like a lot of fun. I’m a very hands on learner and I think that these kinds of activities when I was a kid would have helped me learn a lot better than just reading the book.

There are also a TON of great photos in the book, of the White House itself as well as Presidents and their families in the White House.

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

About the Book

An intriguing, in-depth look at the most famous home in the United States, this kid-friendly activity book educates young readers on the White House. Blending facts from numerous primary sources with engaging anecdotes—from learning that George Washington never actually slept in the White House and Abraham Lincoln never slept in the Lincoln Bedroom to how Gerald Ford’s daughter Susan held her high school prom in the White House—this book provides the complete story of the presidents’ home. Details on the many changes, updates, renovations, and redecorations that have occurred over the years are featured as well as a look at the daily lives of the White House’s inhabitants, including past presidents and their families along with the enormous staff that makes the White House run smoothly. This rich history is packed with an assortment of cross-curricular activities that allow readers to walk in the footsteps of presidents—they can play key passages of “Hail to the Chief,” practice signing a bill into law, make a White House punch, and re-create an aerobic game designed for President Hoover—making it a perfect book for any young mind with an interest in the White House or American history.