American Presidency

You can't say the United States hasn't had its share of oddballs and characters in the White House. Well, you could say it, but you'd be wrong. Andrew Jackson liked fighting duels and destroyed the presidential mansion during his election celebration; Ulysses Grant was issued speeding tickets for riding his horse too fast; Herbert Hoover's son had pet alligators. But you'd probably have to be a little crazy to want to—or even to agree to—become the leader of the most powerful nation in the world.

It's easy to forget about the less flashy presidents, the ones who "didn't do anything."But with the possible exception of William Henry Harrison (who was president for just 30 days before dying of pneumonia), everyone who has held the presidential office has influenced the development and growth of the nation. James K. Polk, for instance—today not even a household word, but the only president to achieve everything he promised. Or William Howard Taft—if he is known at all it's as the fattest president (and the last to sport facial hair), not as the man responsible for establishing the model of all subsequent interactions between the Federal government and business owners.

Ultimately it's these accomplishments that give presidents their significance, even though most of them are forgotten or unknown except in academic circles or among trivia buffs. Of course, in an age when men are elected on their physical appearance and not their ability to govern, we see them increasingly assessed in terms of celebrity rather than intellect or work ethic. It's not that presidents do less than their predecessors—they're increasingly busy, they just do less and less of real significance. Which should remind us as Christians, that no matter what our political affiliation, we are instructed to pray for our leaders that they would pursue righteousness and justice, not just fulfill their agendas.

Political bias aside, it's important to understand the role of the president and what each one has done to shape our nation, not just to know a lot of fun facts about them. Not only will this help us understand why things are the way they are, it will help us make informed decisions about who to vote for in the future, and what ordinary citizens can do to influence the chief of state. The books in this category provide overviews of the presidency and those who have occupied the White House rather than individual biographies.Many of them are just for fun, but some will genuinely aid your understanding of (arguably) the most important political office in the world.

There's another occupant of the White House all-too-often overlooked, or at best, undervalued:the First Lady. Whether the president's relationship with his wife is characterized more by tender love letters or the throwing of lamps, she remains one of his most important influences, if not the most important. Despite what secularists say, a marriage relationship remains the most intimate of relationships, and it is just as true of presidents and their wives. No one can say great political decisions are completely uninfluenced by personal concerns, and who influences a man's personal concerns more than his wife? So we also offer books about First Ladies, not just because they're presidents' wives, but because many of them were brilliant, successful individuals in their own right.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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89 Items found Print
33 Roads to the White House
by Alberta Powell Graham
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
Realistic Fiction for 4th-7th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
America and Its Presidents
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
America's First Ladies - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Leslie Franz
Revised Edition from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in History of America Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISA)
$5.99
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans - 12 Volume Set
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 1
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 10
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 11
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 12
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 2
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 3
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 4
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 5
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 6
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 7
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 8
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans Volume 9
from Dell Publishing
for 5th-8th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
American President
by Philip Kunhardt, Jr., Philip Kunhardt III, Peter Kunhardt
from Riverhead Books
for Adult
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$6.00 (2 in stock)
American Presidents & Presidential First Ladies Notebooking Pages
from Notebooking Pages
for 3rd-8th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
American Presidents - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Peter F. Copeland
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in History of America Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISA)
$5.99
Andrew Jackson
Getting to Know the U.S. Presidents
by Mike Venezia
from Children's Press
for 1st-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Coloring Book of our Presidents
by Bellerphon Books
from Bellerophon Books
for 1st-5th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
Declaration of Independence and Other Great Documents of American History
Dover Thrift Editions
by John Grafton, editor
from Dover Publications
Primary Source Documents for 9th-Adult
in 18th Century Literature (Location: LIT5-18)
$4.25
Defining Moment
by Jonathan Alter
from Simon and Schuster
for Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Electing Our Presidents
by Nancy Gill
from Fearon Teacher Aids
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Famous Presidents
Eyes on America
by Philip Koslow
from KidsBooks, Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$2.00 (4 in stock)
Fandex Family Field Guides: First Ladies
from Workman Publishing
for 4th-6th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$12.95
Fandex Family Field Guides: Presidents
by Steven Aronson
from Workman Publishing
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$12.95 $8.00 (1 in stock)
Fashions of the First Ladies - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Ming-Ju Sun
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Costume & Fashion Coloring Books (Location: COL-FAS)
$5.99
Focus on Presidents
by Cynthia Holzschuher
for 3rd-7th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
From Colonies to Country with George Washington - Set
from Unknown Publisher
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
George Washington
by James Giblin & Michael Dooling
from Scholastic Inc.
Biography for 2nd-5th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.80 (2 in stock)
George Washington's World
by Genevieve Foster, expanded by Joanna Foster
from Beautiful Feet Books
History Reference/Biography for 7th-10th grade
1942 Newbery Honor Book
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$15.00 (2 in stock)
George Washington's World
by Genevieve Foster, expanded by Joanna Foster and edited by Rea Berg
from Beautiful Feet Books
History Reference/Biography for 7th-10th grade
1942 Newbery Honor Book
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
$21.95 $15.00 (1 in stock)
George Washington's World (pictorial hardcover)
by Genevieve Foster
from Charles Scribner's Sons
for 7th-10th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
$38.00 (1 in stock)
Ghosts of the White House
by Cheryl Harness
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
God and Ronald Reagan
by Paul Kengor
Reprint from Harper Perennial
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$15.29 $7.20 (1 in stock)
God and Ronald Reagan
by Paul Kengor
from Harper Perennial
for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Hero Tales from American History
by Theodore Roosevelt & Henry Cabot Lodge
Paperback, First Printing from Tolle Lege Press
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in Biography Anthologies (Location: BIO-ANTH)
Homes of the American Presidents - Coloring Book
Dover Coloring Books
by Bruce LaFontaine
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-6th grade
in Architecture Coloring Books (Location: COL-ARCH)
$4.99
How the White House Really Works
by George Sullivan
from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-7th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
How Would a Patriot Act?
by Glen Greenwald
from Working Assets Publishing
for Adult
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Kennedy Assassinated! The World Mourns
by Wilborn Hampton
from Candlewick Press
for 5th-9th grade
1998 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
Lincoln
by Chuck Wills
from DK Publishing
for 8th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Lives of the Presidents
by Kathleen Krull & Kathryn Hewitt
from Scholastic Inc.
for 5th-Adult
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
Lives of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
by Benson J. Lossing
3rd Printing from WallBuilder Press
Biography for 7th-10th grade
in American Revolution (1765-1783) (Location: HISA-18REV)
Look-It-Up Book of Presidents
by Wyatt Blassingame
Revised from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
Madam President
by Catherine Thimmesh, Illustrated by Douglas B. Jones
from Houghton Mifflin
for 2nd-6th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$6.40 (2 in stock)
Making of George Washington
by William H. Wilbur
2nd edition from Unknown Publisher
Biography for 10th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$2.00 (2 in stock)
Meet John F. Kennedy
by Nancy Bean White
from Random House
for 1st-4th grade
in Step Up Books (Location: VIN-STEP)
New Big Book of U.S. Presidents
by Marc Frey, Todd Davis
from Courage Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Office of President
for 4th-7th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Pass the Quill, I'll Write a Draft
by Robert Quackenbush
from Pippin Press
Picture Book Biography for 3rd-4th grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln
by David A. Adler
from Holiday House
Picture Book Biography for Preschool-1st grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
Presidency From A to Z
by Kathryn Leventis-Molesa & Helen L. Hess
from Univ Editions
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$3.00 (3 in stock)
Presidency of George Washington
by Jack D. Warren, Jr.
from University of Virginia Press
Biography for 9th-Adult
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$5.00 (2 in stock)
President Has Been Shot!
by Rebecca C. Jones
1st edition from Troll Publishing
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
President's Cabinet and How it Grew
by Nancy Winslow Parker
from Parents Magazine Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Government & Civics Resources (Location: GOV-REF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Presidential Anecdotes
by Paul F. Boller Jr.
14th edition from Penguin Putnam
for 8th-12th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$6.50 (2 in stock)
Presidential Elections
Perspectives on History Series
by D. Antonio Cantu, editor
from History Compass
Non-fiction for 6th-9th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
Presidential Scrapbook
by Joel King
from Knowledge Quest
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
Presidents
by Jerry Aten
from Good Apple
for 7th-9th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Presidents in a Time of Change
by Editor Carter Smith
from Millbrook Press
for 5th-8th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Presidents of Mount Rushmore - Coloring Book
by Peter & Linda Spizzirri
from Spizzirri Press
for 2nd-4th grade
in History of America Coloring Books (Location: COL-HISA)
$3.95
Presidents of the U.S.A.
by Tracey Kelly
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Presidents Sticker Book
by John P. Holms
from Learning Horizons
for 1st-4th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Ronald Reagan
by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation
from DK Publishing
for Adult
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Rough Riders
by Theodore Roosevelt
from University of Nebraska
Historical non-fiction for 9th-Adult
in Gilded Age & Progressive Era (1877-1918) (Location: HISA-19GI)
$11.00 (1 in stock)
Scholastic Encyclopedia of the Presidents and Their Times
by David Rubel
First Edition from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-6th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Smart About the Presidents
by Jill Weber, Jon Buller, Susan Schade
from Grosset & Dunlap
for 2nd-3rd grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
So You Want To Be President?
by Judith St. George
from Philomel Books
for 2nd-5th grade
2001 Caldecott Medal winner
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
So You Want To Be President?
by Judith St. George
Reprint from Philomel Books
for 2nd-5th grade
2001 Caldecott Medal winner
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
So You Want To Be President?
by Judith St. George
Rev Upd from Philomel Books
for 2nd-5th grade
2001 Caldecott Medal winner
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
Story of Ford's Theater & the Death of Lincoln
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Zachary Kent
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Assassination of John F. Kennedy
Cornerstones of Freedom
by R. Conrad Stein
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Election of Abraham Lincoln
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Powers of the Presidency
Cornerstones of Freedom
by R. Conrad Stein
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the Presidential Elections
by Jim Hargrove
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the White House
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Natali Miller
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of the White House
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Natalie Miller
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Story of Watergate
Cornerstones of Freedom
by Jim Hargrove
from Children's Press
for 4th-6th Grade
in Cornerstones of Freedom (Location: VIN-CORN)
Theodore Roosevelt - The Strenuous Life
by John A. Garraty
from American Heritage Publishing Co.
Biography for 4th-8th grade
in American Heritage Junior Library (Location: VIN-HIS)
Triumph of William McKinley
by Karl Rove
from Simon and Schuster
for Adult
in History for Adults (Location: ADU-HIS)
$7.20 (1 in stock)
U. S. Presidents: Past & Present
by George R. Lee
from Mark Twain Media
for 5th-8th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
U.S. Presidents Flipper
from Christopher Lee Publications
for 5th-Adult
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
White House
by Mary Kay Phelan
First Edition from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage History & Biographies (Location: VIN-HIS)
Who Was Thomas Jefferson?
Who Was?...Series
by Dennis Brindell Fradin
from Grosset & Dunlap
Biography for 3rd-6th grade
in Who Was? biographies (Location: BIO-WHO)
Wit and Wisdom of the American Presidents
Dover Thrift Editions
by Joslyn Pine
from Dover Publications
for 8th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$4.25
Wooden Teeth and Jelly Beans: The Tupperman Files
by Ray Nelson, et al.
from Beyond Words Publishing
for 1st-6th grade
in American Presidency (Location: HISV-PRE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Woodrow, the White House Mouse
by Peter W. Barnes & Cheryl Shaw Barnes
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in U.S. Monuments & National Parks (Location: HISV-LANUS)
$2.40 (2 in stock)