Presidents' Day has a long history in the United States. It was established back in 1800 to celebrate George Washington's birthday with a federal holiday. In the early 1970s the holiday began to be referred to as Presidents' Day due to its close proximity to another President's birthday: Abraham Lincoln. Today, in addition to honoring President's Washington and Lincoln it also celebrates the legacies of all U.S. presidents. However, the official name of the holiday is still Washington's Birthday.
In 1968 Congress passed a bill moving federal holidays to Mondays and since its enactment in 1971 this holiday has been celebrated on the third Monday of every February. This year it falls on Monday, February 20, 2012.
Putting together a recommending reading list for a topic such as Presidents' Day is so simple with CLCD. We give you the tools to easily search for books about American presidents–no matter how specific or broad your criteria.
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The President's Stuck in the Bathtub: Poems of the Presidents
Illustrated by Robert Neubecker
Susan Katz has turned amusing facts about American Presidents into rhyme. She begins with the fact that George Washington never slept in the Whilte House–although he designed it, the building was not finished until John Adam's term. As for John Adams, we learn he was called "His Rotundity" instead of the title of “His Majesty” which he advocated should be used for the President. Most of the Presidents through Woodrow Wilson are included—he was the one who kept sheep on the White House Lawn as part of the WW1 effort. The title of each poem fits the topic but is followed by the president's name and dates as president; each verse is followed by a short factual note. Neubecker's good humored illustrations complement the light hearted tone of the text. All in all, middle schoolers introduced to this book are likely to decide history is not all dry as dust. 2011, Clarion: Houghton Mifflin, Ages 8 to 12, $17.99. Reviewer: Mary Hynes-Berry (Children's Literature).