Biography of our Civil War president illustrated with dozen of period photos and prints.

I learned a great deal about Lincoln's background and insight into what he was like as a person. Highly recommended. ( )

Very detailed description of Lincoln, his life, and what others thought of him. Includes excellent quality old photographs.

Text organized into six chapters, each focusing on an aspect of his personality or convictions. Photographs scattered throughout the text. Additional reference aids: Lincoln quotes; list of memorials, monuments and historical sites; list of books about Lincoln (published between 1963 and 1984); acknowledgments and photo credits; and index. Received several awards including Newbery Medal (1988). Younger grades may feel overwhelmed by the long chapters, earliest recommendation is grade 4. ( )

Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman, the Newbery Award winner for 1988, is absolutely fantastic. I learned a lot as I read the short 150 pages about the life Abraham Lincoln, complete with a brief introduction to the political turmoil surrounding him in the 1840s, 1850s and 1860s. I forgot I was reading a children’s book.

Freedman intersperses his clear, straight-forward, and intensely interesting text with photographs and paintings of Abraham Lincoln and his era. Thus, I felt like I could see the development of Abraham Lincoln throughout his life.
There were interesting facts and tidbits that made Abraham Lincoln real for me. The best part was it was all backed up by Freedman’s research. In the acknowledgments, he includes a list of museums, libraries, and books that he referenced while writing this book. In the text, he debunks some myths for lack of evidence.

In the end, I fully trust Freedman’s account of Lincoln to be as close to fact as possible. And yet, it was easy to read, delightful, and approachable. I highly recommend Lincoln: A Photobiography to anyone, child or adult, interested in learning about our sixteenth president.

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