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I recommend sharing "The Presidents Did What, Again?" with 8 to 10-year-olds. It educates while entertaining young minds in the process.
Join our charismatic friend President Millard Fillmore on his second ghostly tour of the past! This time, President Fillmore takes readers beyond the walls of the White House to forgotten places around the world. Discover how ghastly some of the United States' presidents actually were! Meet presidents at the bottom of the ocean, in the rice paddies of Cambodia, and even in the office of the president of the Confederacy. Along the way, readers will learn important lessons and gain formative insights into history long ignored.
Society has the terrible, but all too common, habit of rewriting history to fit its agenda. Leaders and their followers want to alter books to wash over what truly happened in the past. Wag Harrison isn't shying away from the fact that not all our presidents were glorious leaders. Power and riches played a massive factor in their actions. The ghost of Millard Fillmore, our 13th president, uses his unique pocket watch to open a doorway to allow readers to meet several former presidents and events that occurred while they held office.
Readers first meet William McKinley, our 25th president, who believed that having a colonial empire led to profit, power, and prestige. As we know, the colonization of nations leads to death and destruction, disregarding the natives' livelihood or how many lives are lost in the process. We take and take some more, all due to being power-hungry.
Young readers will learn what happened to the USS Maine and what Spain had to give the US in the Treaty of Paris of 1898. There is also discussion about the possible cause of death for William Henry Harrison (9th POTUS). Clue: If he were alive today, I'm sure his home would have a water purifier, or he would advocate for bottled water over tap.
Adults all know the name of Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal. Plus, the unnecessary Vietnam War. Most elementary students might not. Wag Harrison (author) dedicates a section to him and to Gerald Ford, the only president not elected into this prestige office, and speaks on the war's disastrous effects on Cambodia and the United States.
Wag Harrison doesn't sugarcoat the actions of the most unimpressive presidencies. But, they reassure readers that there were exceptional individuals in the White House, which they plan to address in a follow-up story. I look forward to reading it and past works from this exceptional storyteller.
History should not be rewritten to paint someone or a group of people in a positive light. Even though some parts of the past are downright horrendous, we must teach our children about history so those mistakes do not occur again. Learn. Grow. Make better choices. Create a better society—a better world.
The Presidents Did What, Again? is an informative story that educates children using a non-clinical, boring structure. With his clever illustrations, Wally Jones attempts to lighten up the non-humous subject matter. Richard Nixon about to step on a banana peel while holding a pardon was funny. Franklin Pierce, the 14th president, hiding behind a chair was comical too.
I recommend sharing The Presidents Did What, Again? with 8 to 10-year-olds. It educates while entertaining young minds in the process.
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Synopsis
Join our charismatic friend President Millard Fillmore on his second ghostly tour of the past! This time, President Fillmore takes readers beyond the walls of the White House to forgotten places around the world. Discover how ghastly some of the United States' presidents actually were! Meet presidents at the bottom of the ocean, in the rice paddies of Cambodia, and even in the office of the president of the Confederacy. Along the way, readers will learn important lessons and gain formative insights into history long ignored.
About the author
Wag Harrison is an award-winning writer and educator. Holding graduate degrees in both history and educational leadership, Wag spent nearly twenty years as a teacher and school administrator. Wag is a lifelong lover of learning and telling stories of the past. He lives in Bon Air with his family. view profile
Published on November 07, 2023
Published by Brandylane Publishers Inc/ Belle Isle Books
3000 words
Genre: Picture Books
Reviewed by
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