This is such a beautiful story, written in such a way that just captures your attention. The illustrations are equally as captivating. This book chronologically goes through Lincoln's life emphasizing his love of books and learning.
A must read when learning about one of our most beloved presidents!
Here are some teaching tips that I have come up with to go with this wonderful book.
Reading level: 3.5
Theme: Presidency
Genre: Biography
Suggested Vocabulary: corn pone, leather hinges, peddlers, pioneers, politicians, traders, slaves, his ideas stretched, his questions rose, his dreams were stirred, charcoal stick, spun yarns, stout, makeshift, hack a trail, vowed, fell the trees, whittled, a year limped by, too-short buckskins, turkey buzzard quill, earnings, poled a flatboat down the river, auction block, unjust, prove his worth with brawn, politics,
Reading skills and strategies:
- purpose for reading – to learn more about Abraham Lincoln
- author's purpose – inform
- evidence
- Abe love to read
- Abe studied to become a lawyer without going to school
- Abe believed that a life for sale was unjust
- Cause and effect
- Why did Abe Lincoln talk to the travelers as they passed by his cabin?
- Because their new cabin was so close to the Cumberland Trail.
- Why did Abe Lincoln write his letters in so many places?
- Because he loved to learn.
- Why did Abe and his family have to live in a half-faced camp of branches at Little Pigeon Creek?
- Because there was no cabin waiting for them when they moved there.
- Why did Abe’s mom die?
- Because she got the Milk sickness.
- Why did Abe have to spend 3 hot days pulling stalks of corn in his friend’s field?
- Because he had to pay him back for the book that got ruined from the rain leading through his cabin’s roof.
- Why did Abe’s neighbors call him lazy?
- Because whenever they saw him he was just reading a book.
- Why was he called Honest Abe?
- Because he went out of his way to make sure everything was fair to everyone.
- Character analysis - describe Abe Lincoln {looks like, feelings, thoughts, character, how others think/see the character}
- organization
- sequence
- When Abe was a baby he lived in a one room cabin with his mom and dad and sister.
- When Abe was 2 his family moved to Knob Creek.
- Growing up Abe talked to many people that traveled past his home.
- Abe went to school in Knob Creek
- Abe’s family moved again when he was 7.
- Abe missed school, he wanted to read and learn.
- Abe’s mom died of milk disease.
- Abe’s dad brought home a new wife.
- Abe’s new mom sent all the children back to school.
- Abe left home when he was nineteen.
- Abe saw slaves being sold and knew it was unjust to own another.
- Abe got a job in a general store where he got the name “Honest Abe”.
- Abe Lincoln studied to become a lawyer.
- Abe Lincoln became president.
- fact & opinion –
- fact
- Abe Lincoln’s mother died of milk disease.
- Abe Lincoln did not go to school to study to become a lawyer.
- Abe Lincoln thought that owning another person was unjust.
- Abe Lincoln loved to read books.
- Opinion
- Abe Lincoln should have gone to school to become a lawyer.
- Abe Lincoln was too tall.
- Abe Lincoln should have done a better job helping with all his chores.
- Abe Lincoln was too honest.
- main idea & details –
- Main idea – the story is mostly about Abe Lincoln and his love of books.
- Details
- Abe Lincoln always read after his chores were done.
- Abe Lincoln studied to become a lawyer without having a teacher.
- When Abe Lincoln didn’t have books with her he always yearned for them.
- predict –
- What do you think the story will be about?
- How much schooling do you think Abe Lincoln had?
- Do you think Abe will ever go back to school?
- What do you think Abe did to try to help those people that were treated unjust?
- story elements –
- title – Abe Lincoln – The boy who loved books
- author – Kay Winters
- topic – Abe Lincoln
- organization – by sequence
- KWL – have students give you this info.
- summarize main idea –
- author – Kay Winters wrote
- book title – Abe Lincoln – The boy who loved books
- author’s purpose – to inform readers of
- statement about topic – his love of books and learning.
- at least 2 detail – All Abe wanted to do was read and learn. He became a lawyer by studying books on his own because he wanted to help those people that were treated unjustly.
Happy reading!
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