Abe Lincoln : Log Cabin to White House

U.S. Landmark Books #61

by Sterling North

Born in a log cabin on the Kentucky frontier, Abraham Lincoln faced a life
of extreme poverty and hardship. Without losing his gentle nature and sense of
humor, he surmounted these and many other obstacles to attain the highest
office in the land and the enduring love of the American people.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Childrens, Civil War, American History, 19th Century

160 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1956

About the author

Thomas Sterling North was an American author of books for children and adults, including 1963's bestselling Rascal. Surviving a near-paralyzing struggle with polio in his teens, he grew to young adulthood in the quiet southern Wisconsin village of Edgerton, which North transformed into the "Brailsford Junction" setting of several of his books.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterling...

Reviews

[Katrina Michelle]

Lovely little biography of Abraham Lincoln. I've gotta say, he's probably my favorite President!

[Elizabeth]

I read this as a kid and I remember when I was a kid I loved learning about Abraham Lincoln. Why? He abolished slavery and set all the slaves free. He did get killed because of it but he did what he felt and knew was right. I was like I’m late elementary school into junior high when I read some books about him.

[Gale]

EASILY ACCESSIBLE PRESIDENTIAL INFORMATION

Sterling North's informative biography reads easily and should hold the attention of preteen students. The format includes: straight biographical narrative using simple syntax, short quotes from Lincoln's own memoires, fictionalized dialogue and reports by his cousin, Dennis Hanks--in backwoods dialect no less. Although the last chapters gloss over the Civil War and Lincoln's untimely assassination this 150-page book offers real insight into the events and persons who molded our 16th president. This excellent introduction to American presidential history illustrates how America truly represents the land of unlimited opportunity. Social Studies teachers can celebrate--Landmark Books has added yet another title to their fine list of books for young students.

(February 9, 2011. I welcome dialgoue with teachers.)

[Zainab Alrifai]

الأربع نجوم من أجل لنكولن المناضل والمحرر
أما الكاتب فكان أسلوبه ممل
وكنت أبحث عن المزيد من المعلومات

[Farnaz Iranpour]

کتاب خوبی بود در مورد زندگی ابراهام لینکلن..کسی که خیلی دوست داشتم در مورد زندگی افکارش و بیشینه سیاسی این شخص اطلاعات کسب کنم

[Jessika Hoover]

Truthfully, I'd have to say this slim biography of our 16th president deserves 3.5 stars.

This is a book I've had since I was a kid, and I'm pretty sure I read it at least once. It's evident that this book is marketed for younger readers, and it's definitely one I'd recommend for young ones interested in history and in particular, Abraham Lincoln. I'd venture to say, though, that this is more geared for readers in 9th or 10th grade than for early chapter book readers.

Actually, to tell the truth, reading this as a 24-year-old history nerd, I found out a lot about good ole Honest Abe. Granted, I'm not a Lincoln scholar, by any means. I think, though, that this little book would sit well with young readers and older readers alike. I can't say how it compares to other famed Lincoln biographies (or more in-depth ones, for that matter), but I believe that Sterling North's version is a good place to start! I should warn though, this is not the place to come if you're looking to write an academic paper on Lincoln. I don't mean to say that this is a bad book, by any means, but nowhere does North cite any of his information. I think he meant this for people with a casual interest in learning more about this incredible man, not as any sort of a Lincoln treatise.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this little biography of Lincoln. I certainly learned quite a bit. Granted, some parts of this tale were pretty dry, but at the same time, Sterling North's writing is very eloquent. When he would talk about Lincoln's politics, I found my eyes glazing over a bit, but for every dry section, there'd be a riveting tale of his youth in the pioneer days. I was actually really surprised by how much I really enjoyed Sterling North's writing style. There were some sentences or paragraphs along that way that gave me pause; I found myself re-reading passages, not out of confusion, but out of pure enjoyment for the way he worded something.

Overall, this isn't the best book I've ever read or my favorite book I've ever read, but I would definitely stand behind recommending this to readers interested in learning a little more about our nation's 16th president.

[Rich Farrell]

I really value these Landmark series books not only because I read so many of them as an older elementary student but now for their historical perspective. For instance, I found it interesting that North referred to the controversy around slave and free states as the "Cold War" between the eventual Union and Confederacy, this being written right around the early stages of what we call the Cold War (with Russia) now.

I also appreciated that the author didn't sugar coat Lincoln's views on slavery, nor did North make the expulsion of the Native American tribes east of the Mississippi deem necessary but something to be seen as unfair. Overall, I felt like North took a very progressive view, especially for the time of writing the book.


Lastly, I felt I should share a quote he attributes to Lincoln that seems especially apt in today's political climate said about Douglass's "creative" arguments: "You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time."

[Sarah]

Its kinda good..."with malice toward none" but it didn't say how Lincoln died. If North had wrote how Lincoln had died not just a tiny paragraph saying he DID die, it would have been rated 4 stars. And I wish North could just stick to one name. He called "Abe" in this sentence then "Lincoln" in the following...If the reader didn't know Abraham Lincoln's name, s/he would have a hard time understanding this book!

[Malinda Lane]

Honest Abe, from a young child to our President.

[Josiah]

Good biography for researching, but definitely not action packed or a page turner.

[Jim Swike]

A great read, with great details. Wraps up with very little about his presidency. But maybe you will feel differently. Enjoy!

[Yaaresse]

I read a bunch of the Landmark series books as a kid. Our school library had a huge collection of them, so I just made my way down the shelves. I remember enjoying them, but I was too young at the time to question the narrative or the quality of writing. I just liked reading biographies and histories, and there wasn't a lot of interesting non-fiction for kids at that time. Most of what did exist was either boring or more myth than fact. (And these do suffer from a bit of the latter.)

Would I read it to kids today? Nah. The whole "Great White Race has God-given right to take, kill, abuse, and exploit whatever and whoever in the name of making America Great" slant doesn't sit well. It never did; we just were too indoctrinated in it to know better 50+ years ago when these came out. I'm rating them on the memory of enjoyment alone, not on accuracy or how they would go over today. Fortunately, kids today have a lot better from which to choose.

[Bhg]

After reading Carl Sandburg's Abe Lincoln Grows Up and Russell Freedman's atrocious "photobiography" it was a pleasure to read a book that's abut it's subject and not the poliitical views of the author.

Sterling North quotes the Declaration of Independence correctly and has some great, and accurate quotes from Thomas Jefferson.

As always the Landmark series is the gold standard.

[Dr.J.G.]

From the famous log cabin and rail splitting to being a lawyer, courting Mary Todd (who almost married his handsome and well to do rival in law, politics and love, but was far more interested in the poor Lincoln, enough to wait just enough to have him ask her finally) to being elected over his rival into the white house and be the president during troubled years of US history of civil war and end of slavery.

[Patrick]

#1 in the series "Books I Should Have Read Went I Was a Child". I received this book from my mother and father for Christmas 1973, and finally got around to reading it 50 years later. Suitable reading for the 8-year old, although somewhat romanticized.

[Bernadette]

Just finished teaching the grade 11's about the Gettysburg Address. So went through a real Lincoln stage.

[Marilyn]

This book is for 6th graders. I felt like a 6th grader as I read it. I was reminded of a few of Lincoln's quirks and of his life.

[WSL Library]

X2

[Lydia]

explicit scenes: 0/5
violence: 0/5
language: 0/5
alcohol/drugs/smoking: 0/5
intense scenes: 0/5
age rating: 8+

[Mahmoud]

The author style in writing is too boring.