Who Was George Washington?

Who Was . . . ? Series

by Roberta Edwards, Who H.Q., True Kelley (Illustrator)

In 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States. He has been called the father of our country for leading America through its early years. Washington also served in two major wars during his lifetime: the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. With over 100 black-and-white illustrations, Washington's fascinating story comes to life - revealing the real man, not just the face on the dollar bill!

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Childrens, American History, American Revolution, Historical

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Roberta Edwards lives in New York, New York.

Reviews

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

George Washington was born in 1732 in Virginia. He was very close to his half-brother, Lawrence, whom he visited at Mount Vernon, where Lawrence lived with his wife Ann Fairfax. His in-laws were one of the richest people in Virginia, owning lots of land. George became a surveyor of their lands.

At twenty, after the death of Lawrence, George became a soldier in the militia. After his career took off, he switched from leading American soldiers to serving along the redcoats.
After five years of fighting for British army, he returned to Mount Vernon, which, now, belonged to him. At a party, he met a widow Martha Custis, and soon, married her.

After fifteen years of running the farm, he was asked to lead the Continental Army, which was newly created to fight the British, after a revolt against the taxes.

Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4, 1776. Washington believed in strong central government with an elected leader.

After the independence was won, he wanted to retire at Mount Vernon, but he was chosen to be the first president of a new nation. After spending time in NY and Philadelphia, he chose a new site for the capital, Washington City, close to his beloved Mount Vernon.

This is a story of a man, who served during the French and Indian War, thus, later was chosen to lead the American Revolution. After gaining the independence, he dreamed about retiring at Mount Vernon, but the people chose him to be the first president. Again, after the first term, he wanted to retire at his beloved place, but was asked to serve the second term. After the second term, he saw it right to let another man lead the country, setting an example for what democracy meant.

This illustrated biography for young readers, ages 8-12, is presented in a relatable way. With short simple sentences the biography has a crisp flow. The biography is filled with interesting facts and inserts, for example about the Boston Tea Party or the Thirteen Colonies. Also, no building in DC can be taller than the Washington Monument.

This is a wonderful series for young readers, who are lucky to have such series from which they can learn so much.

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read with the audiobook on August 9, 2018.
I learned a lot from this book about George Washington and the early days of the founding of the United States. I recommend this book to foreigners who are learning English because the text is easy to read and George Washington was a spectacular leader and a man who was very important in the independence and beginning of the United States as a country.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

A poor introduction to George Washington. I have read other titles connected to the Who Was/What War/Were Was series and was very disappointed in this book. The author continued the false narrative that George Washington's mother Mary was cold, unloving, and bossy. The publishers even included this "fact" on the back of the book to entice readers. Roberta Edwards claimed that all of George's friends where scared of his mother, this is not true. Years later, one of George's cousins commented that "Of the mother I was ten times more afraid than I ever was of my own parents. She awed me in the midst of her kindness, for she was, indeed, truly kind…I could not behold that remarkable woman without feelings it is impossible to describe.” George Washington, himself praised his “revered mother, by whose maternal hand, early deprived of a father I was led to manhood.” Roberta Edwards also asserted that George was also never widely in love with his wife Martha--with no evidence to support her claims.

The text is choppy and difficult to follow. The illustrations where placed with little correspondence to the text. A disappointing offering in a generally good series of books.

[Vanessaelias · Rating 2 out of 5]

i think that the book who was George Washington was an easy book it was a good book tho because It was about George Washington's life and how he became the first president of the united states. even tho it is a second hand book it was a good book because it was how he was good at horseback riding and that he was a good athlete. it also talked about how his mom was cold and bossy. but most moms are bossy and its because they care about you. I would recommend this book for 3-4 graders because it was good information.

[Charlotte Osborn-bensaada]

My favorite fact from this book was that George Washington's mom was so awful that he never introduced his wife to her. However this was an engaging depiction of George Washington and early American history.

[Dillon Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book Who was George Washington , by Roberta Edwards . The book starts with naming the 13 colonies . Then it starts with his young age life . In fact George did not chop down a tree . In fact he didn't even cut down a tree at all . Then it talked what he wears . And did you know the George Washington had a half brother , Lawrence Washington . Then he moved to Mount Vernon The book starts with George meats Martha Custis then gets married on January 6 , 1759 . Then George got a dog . George has two kids ,Patsy and Jacky . Did you know that slavery was going on when George as alive . Then the Boston Tea Party happened . Hundred's of barrels of tea was thrown off a ship . Then George join the army for independence George becomes a general in 1777 . Then he gotten his own solders . So he goes in battle . as the battle goes on , He made his army retreat . Then it showed a picture of the British tax stamp . After that it showed who some Of the enemy . Then George was 55 years old . And George Washington won the War Of Independence After George Washington won The War Of Independence . George was elected to be the first president of the United States Of America . Then he the oath of office speech . The speech is "I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States George Washington’s cabinet included just four original members: Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. At age 66 angry farmers attack a tax collect . Then George dies Dec 12 , 1799 . Then he was berried at the Washington monument

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I suggest the who was serious for young readers.

[Lilyanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the book was good but what I mostly like about this book is the timeline because it shows how he lived his life and how he died.

[Taylor Roussel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy book to read and is a great way to introduce George Washington to elementary students. It gives the information that is necessary to know when learning about him and why he was so important. It goes from him as a young child to him as the first president.
I read this with my 10 year old who loves history and learning about people in history. He enjoyed it even though he already knew everything that the book talked about haha.

[PeytonS · Rating 5 out of 5]

A easy read. It was a good book. It is a great story and overview of his life. It has some cool facts of his life. It is a really good book if you want to read it.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Evelyn and I thought this was a good book. Evelyn liked the parts about how much he loved animals. There were a lot of good stories about George Washington. I liked that it showed that he was human too, not perfect like we are often presented.

[Sadie Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read with my kids. I was a little disappointed they didn’t say anything about George Washington’s spy ring. I think that’s a super cool part of his history.

[Jaymie]

Listened to this with kids after visiting Mt. Rushmore

[Pyper]

pretty good book for a auto biography

[Courtney Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This educational biography about George Washington is a very easy to read book about Washington's life and how he was president of the United States. This book is a great way to introduce presidents and the idea of timelines. The vocab and illustrations are a great enhancer and supporter with the text of the book. I think the unique feature of the text would be the illustrations. The illustrations look detailed and give support to the information in the book. I think this book would be great for 2nd-5th grade because it is an easy read but also has lots of information.

[Serena Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography children's book is very well done, the cover captures the attention of young readers and I believe this is the most important thing to do. The book is all about George Washington, a president of the United States. To children, history lessons can get very boring and I think this book is the exact opposite. It is a good starter to informational text for kids.

I really liked this book because it provides information while keeping the child interested. The funniest and most appealing part is the cover of the book and how they enlarge the head of the person they are talking about in each book. The books are a great alternative to lecturing about who the president is to children because they will be more engaged and will learn more with this picture book. I think this is one of the best types of informational books for kids and should be used more within the classroom.

[Consuelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriate grade level: Third Grade

Summary: Washington also served in two major wars during his lifetime: the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. With over 100 black-and-white illustrations, Washington's fascinating story comes to life - revealing the real man, not just the face on the dollar bill!

Review: A easy read; it was a good book. It is a great story and overview of his life. It has some cool facts of his life. It is a really good book for elementary students.

In-class uses: This can be used when we are discussing historical figures that helped us to be where we are today. It can also be used for when they are doing assignments and readings during the week of presidents day.

[Hayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Who Was George Washington?" by Roberta Edwards was an informational book about the life of George Washington. It showed how he led the US during the revolutionary war. It also showed how he was America's first president.

I liked reading the book because it was interesting to learn about one of America's most important men. I enjoyed reading about all he did for the US and helped us become and independent country.

I would recommend this book to 6th to 8th graders. If you like other Who Was? books you will like this too. If you are interested in the American Revolution you will like this book.

[Lindsay Niebuhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written as a biography for children. It chronicles the life and accomplishments of George Washington. I would give this book four out of five stars for it's historical relevancy and interesting facts about our first president!

[Lindsey Duncan]

This book tells about George Washington in a fun way. I thin students would really enjoy this book and learn a lot.

[Micaela Lees · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a great supplement to our study of George Washington. the girls really enjoyed it during morning time

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is reason that we remember our first president with so much reverence today. An outstanding leader. We could use someone like him today.

[Amber Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

Loved reading this book aloud to my children. It's very well written and hit all the important things. Highly recommend.

[Emily Holbrook]

This book talks about who George Washington was. This is a great book to give to children for them to read about the significance of George Washington in a way they can understand.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

great information about him!

[Kourtnie Neighbarger]

it was an ok book

[Bookbag_Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Still I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest man."

"Every post is honorable in which a man can serve his country."

"Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of Action."

"I shall expect you will confine yourself to your studies; and diligently attend to them; endeavouring to make yourself master of whatever is recommended to, or required of you.

Who Was George Washington?
A Boy From Virginia
Mount Vernon
A Young Soldier
Country Life
Breaking Away
The Commanding General
Hard Times
Victory
A Brand New Country

// Mount Vernon // George Washington's Apple Tree // Ferry Farm // An American Gentleman's Outfit // Lawrence Washington // Washington Family Arms - " the outcome justifies the means" // George's False Teeth // Militia // Join Or Die // Redcoats // Martha Custis Washington // Patsy & Jacky // 16 Sided Barn // Slavery // Don't Tread On Me // King George III // Stamp Act // Boston Tea Party // Independence Hall In Philadelphia // The Battle Of Lexington // The Declaration Of Independence // John Hancock // Statue Of King George // Valley Forge // Marquis de Lafayette // Baron Von Steuben // His Excellency // The British Surrender At Saratoga // Benedict Arnold // Tories // The Battle Of Yorktown // The Treaty Of Paris ( portrait wasn't finished) // The Constitutional Convention // Federal Hall In New York City // George Washington Buttons // Washington's Cabinet - Henry Knox, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Edmund Randolph // Whiskey Rebellion // Plans For The New Capital Building // James Hoban // The Washington Family Tomb // The Washington Monument // Mount Rushmore // George Washington Dollar & Quarter //

TRAVELED TO // Virginia, New York, American Battlefields
MET ALONG THE WAY // George Washington

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Washington. Such a famous guy.

I think I may finally be reaching my limit on this series of books. I still have about thirty to go, though. I'm finding it harder and harder to focus, especially the books about people I already know something about.

My favorite thing I learned in this book was that when they asked Washington to lead the Continental Army. He said yes, but also turned bright red and ran out of the room. Joseph Campbell said that it's faults that make people lovable. I agree. I love learning about the foibles all these famous people had. It makes them relatable. It's hard to love a perfect person.

I admire that even though he didn't want to, Washington stepped up to the plate and led the country. His fame and admiration was needed to unite the States.

I do have a hard time when I read about some of our most famous founding fathers because of the slaves. I can't disconnect that in my brain. Honestly, Washington, Jefferson and others might not have even been on the scene if they hadn't been wealthy from the work their slaves did. It makes me feel ill. I suppose that's why when I think of my heroes, I never think of George Washington. I admire him, sure, but he's not someone I spend a lot of time learning about. I greatly admire the founding fathers of the era that worked hard and made it on their own.

[Lindsay Baloga · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books goes through George Washington's life in an easy way for younger kids to understand and get interested in. It first starts off as what most know him as, the first president of the United States. We learned that he really didn't want to be and didn't enjoy all the celebration for him becoming the leader of the new nation. The book continues in the next chapter with him getting born and the rest of the chapters are on main parts of his life. The book include a few fact pages about George Washington that don't fully match with the chapter, such as his fake teeth and the story of him cutting down a tree. There are sketches on every page giving a image to put to the words. The end goes past his life and talks about all of the things created in honor of him after his death.

I enjoyed the book. The biography felt more like a story than how a lot of biographies are set up. Their was this flow of story telling and setting the setting. This book also contains extra facts that are interesting and clears up some of the false ones. There was even a timeline at the back so you can see when everything happened. I would say this book would be good for 1st-3rd graders. It would be a great book for this age range to start learning about biographies and longer books.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who Was George Washington? by Roberta Edwards provides a nice summary of the major accomplishments and events in the life of our first president, George Washington. From a colonial militia leader who fought with the British against the French and Indians to Commander-In-Chief of the colonial army against the British in our war of independence, George Washington was instrumental in forcing a final surrender of British at Yorktown after enduring many defeats and harrowing escapes leading up to that point. The author delivers not only on the better-known facts but also some that a bit more obscure. George Washington retired many times to return to his farm only to be coaxed back over and over to head the meetings to draft a new constitution to unite the states, become the first president, and run for and serve a second term. What we learn confirms some things we all know but also dispels some myths, as well. Nice starter for anyone wanting to learn many of the basic facts about George Washington.