Sterling Point Books?: Abraham Lincoln: Friend of the People by Clara Ingram Judson

by Clara Ingram Judson

This Newbery Honor Bookfrom a three-time Newbery Honor authorpaints an indelible portrait of the prairie president. Clara Ingram Judson presents Lincoln in all his gauntness, gawkiness, and a backwoods boy who became President and saved the Union. Judsons careful reading is enlivened by her visits to his home and vivid descriptions of the Lincoln familys pioneer life. She reveals the unforgettable story from his boyhood and days as a shopkeeper and lawyer, to Lincolns first elected offices and his election as president, the Civil War, and assassination. Clara Ingram Judson Reading Ages 12+ years Paperback, 208 pages Sterling Publishing 9781402751172

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, War, American Civil War, Civil War, American History

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1950

About the author

Clara Ingram Judson (1879–1960) was an American author who wrote over 70 books for children. She was born on May 4, 1879, in Logansport, Indiana, and married James McIntosh Judson in 1901. Her first children's book was Flower Fairies, published in 1915. She is probably most famous for her books in the Mary Jane Series, first published in 1918.

Her radio program on homemaking debuted in 1928, making her one of the first women broadcasters.

She died on May 24, 1960, in Evanston, Illinois, shortly before she would receive the second Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, just after Laura Ingalls Wilder herself. She later got her own award, the Clara Ingram Judson Award.

Reviews

[Brian A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: A straightforward biography of Abraham Lincoln, mostly focused on his life before 1860 — only about the last third covers his presidency and the Civil War. Bland but reasonably accurate, I can imagine a kid who is interested in Lincoln would appreciate this book even today.

Discussion: Having recently read The Railroad to Freedom, a heavily fictionalized biography of Harriet Tubman, this was a welcome change. Granted, there is some fabrication that has to be happening here, since there are conversations depicted with Lincoln as a child that would not have been recorded, but the events seem to be broadly correct, and I’m guessing less needed to be invented the later we get into Lincoln’s life. The only criticism might be that this is a relentlessly positive depiction of Lincoln. I’m not an expert on his life, but my understanding is that he truly was a decent guy, so even that might not be too far off reality.

As I say in the summary, the upshot of this approach to his life is that it’s a little boring. Interesting things do happen to him, and he was a witty guy, but not much has been done to craft this into a narrative arc. Instead, this feels more like a dutiful listing of his life events in order. Which might be fine, real lives don’t usually have novel-like arcs, and trying too hard to force it can get you The Railroad to Freedom and its invented plot line about Tubman and her evil owner that runs from beginning to end. But someone’s enjoyment of this book probably comes down to whether they are interested in Lincoln or not. Luckily, I think a lot of people are.

[Lynette Caulkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm rating this at 4 stars in terms of a middle school "in-depth" biography of Lincoln that provides excellent information about his origination and adequate exposition of his presidential years. the war years are rather lightly touched upon, considering the emphasis given his early years, but the title reflects the book's focus of establishing Lincoln's connection to and concern for ordinary people.

As an adult who has read several in-depth biographies focusing on Lincoln's political rise, his cabinet choices and dealings, his administration of the war, his personal adult relationships, etc., I quite enjoyed this book's offering regarding those early years (despite the interweaving of what can only be solidly-grounded historical fiction passages during the exposition of his young childhood, e.g. a conversation between 4yo Abe and his father while planting corn).

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

One story of "savages" killing Abe's grandfather for no apparent reason. Otherwise I had no issues. Well written and perfect for a school biography for an older elementary or middle school student. Mary Todd Lincoln's mental health issues are minimized and glossed over.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how this book focused on the childhood, youth and young adult life of this famous president. It was interesting to discover how he overcame such obstacles as a youth only to better himself and his situation. The relationships he made early on defined who he was - a diligent and honest worker, willing to do whatever needed to be done; a compassionate lawyer who sought to follow the law and defend his clients, and a caring, devoted husband and father, that despite the immense demands in both local and national offices, his time spent with family brought him the most joy.
I loved the story of Pres. Lincoln's long friendship with William de Fleurville, a Haitian barber, who was one of the first businessmen to welcome Lincoln to New Salem. Pres. Lincoln later referred several friends to Mr. de Fleurville and spent hours in his shop before his marriage to Mary Todd. Pres. Lincoln's close relationships with William de Fleurville and Elizabeth Keckley, his wife's dressmaker, greatly influenced his desire for equal rights.
I also learned that Mary Todd had courted Stephen Douglas, and later, broke off her first engagement to Pres. Lincoln, causing him such great despair that he had to leave Springfield to grieve with friends in the country. I liked how the book mentions those things for which Pres. Lincoln is most known, but does not center the book around them. Instead, it discusses other less-known accomplishments such as adding "In God We Trust" to the 2-cent piece, setting a uniform rate for postage and a uniform gauge for the railroad. He created the Department of Agriculture and his relationship with Russia paved the way for the purchase of Alaska five years later.
Such a worthy read!

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Abraham Lincoln: Friend of the People' by Clara Ingram Judson is a reissue of the Newbery Honor book from 1950. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think a young audience wanting to learn about one of our greatest presidents would also.

From his humble beginnings, amidst hardship, Abraham Lincoln rose to the presidency. Before he got there, there was a lot of hard work doing whatever he could find to do for money. He earned a reputation as likeable, with his easy going demeanor and storytelling. He became a lawyer and ran a law office, and made his way into politics. His humility and eloquence were put on full display during one of the countries darkest times.

I love how Abe and his family speak in the early years. It helps illustrate how far he went to find education for himself. This is a well told story, and it's hard to believe it was written almost 70 years ago! The additionals pictures and material add to the narrative rather than detracting. I'm glad to see a book of this quality getting a reprint as a digital book.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quarto Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This is a very good semi-fictionalized biography of Abraham Lincoln. Given that it begins when he was 4 and covers his childhood into the period prior to becoming a lawyer, it is natural that much of it had to be fiction. It is, however, very good and likely very accurately based fiction. I particularly enjoyed this portion with its recreations of dialect, home life, etc. I do have to comment on yet another parent (his father) who seemingly was incapable of staying in one place; Todd Lincoln and Pa Ingalls share many of the same personality defects/issues. The latter half of the book is more directly based on actual historical documents and is much more densely written. All in all, not a boring biography for middle grade readers and quite enjoyable for adult ones. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (Lit Life "biography") and my Newbery Challenge (Honor 1951). I read this via the Emergency Internet Archive.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did you know that Abraham Lincoln, in a letter to the newspaper announcing his campaign for a second term in the Illinois State Legislature, wrote in favor of women's suffrage? In 1836? That was not the only thing I learned from this well-researched book. This book was detailed and thorough, but 200 pages, not 400, and it was written in solidly understandable language. Judson also managed to tell a story without slipping into fictionalizing Lincoln's tale.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. The chapters about Abe’s younger years were more engaging for us. The chapters about his presidential campaign and his time in office could have been simplified a bit more for the young reader. Also, more details about the war would have been helpful for those who are unfamiliar.

[Norma Boles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best bio of Lincoln I have read. It details the facts of his life, while showing the depth of his character.

[PaxtonMoore · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book easy and very good if you like history. Im not a big fan of history but i still got into this book and got easy points.

[Desiree']

1951 Newbery honor book

[Ryan Huppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, written by Clara Ingram Judson, thoughtfully and remarkably goes in depth on the life of Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, and lived on his family farm up until he was a grown man. Lincoln then moved out, and one of the first things he did was marry his wife Mary Todd. After his marriage, Lincoln set out and found many jobs throughout the course of his life. He worked as a store clerk, as a surveyor, as a lawyer, and much more. With his extensive background of hard work and proving to be reliable, smart, and trustworthy, Lincoln was elected to the House of representatives in 1846. In 1860, Lincoln was elected as the 16th President of the United States of America when he beat Stephen Douglass, John C. Breckinridge, and John Bell in the election. He did this by only getting forty percent of the popular vote. This is due to the fact that Lincoln did not want slavery to expand. Therefore, much of the south disliked him and gave one of the other three candidates their vote for President. Just a month after President Lincoln's inauguration, the Civil War began. The War first started in the South at Fort Sumter and then from there moved all along the east coast. The Union ended up defeating the South in the war. President Lincoln did many thing along the way to help secure the victory for the North. On April 15, 1965, Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd, went to go see a play at Ford’s Theatre. He was having an amazing experience watching the play, until, unexpectedly, John Wilkes Booth shot him in the back of his head. Booth proceeded to jump out of the box Lincoln was watching the show in onto the stage and ran off. He was on the run for 3 days until he was found. Although Lincoln lived a short life, he had many amazing accomplishments and lived a very happy life. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Abraham Lincoln or if you just want a good non-fiction read.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. I enjoyed this book. It is a good overview of the life of Abraham Lincoln and is more emotional than most biographies. To me it read more like a novel which made it easier to read and more enjoyable overall.

[Monica Fastenau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the full review here: http://newberyandbeyond.com/newbery-r...

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't say this was as good as Judson's other Newbery honor, Theodore Roosevelt Fighting Patriot, or as good as Russell Freedman's photo biography, but it was still a good Lincoln biography. A very fast read, and it mostly focused on Lincoln's life before the presidency and Civil War. I always get a pit in my stomach when I get near the end of a Lincoln biography. I can't help thinking our country would have a lot less racial tension now if he had lived. I think Southern reconstruction would have gone a lot better, and Civil rights would have happened a lot sooner. But who knows?

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. It went thru his whole life a gave good details on, not just his years as a politician, but when he was young too.

[Scott Williams]

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[Gage · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[J. d'Merricksson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Abraham Lincoln: Friend of the People, Judson introduces younger readers to one of history's most influential US Presidents. With easy to read, accessible language and a panoply of historic photographs and lithographs, the story of Lincoln comes alive. From a humble background rife with trials to test and temper, this unassuming, gentle-natured man worked hard, and became a lawyer. From there, Lincoln entered the political arena, rising to the highest station in the land, and carrying the burden of leading the country during our single most devastating period. Unfortunately, his life was cut too short that fateful night at Ford’s Theatre. I quite enjoyed the subtle shifting of language as you go along, suggesting an increase in education. For a book first written over half a century ago, it is surprising fresh and vibrant.

If you have any children with a love of history, this is the perfect gift!