Non-Fiction Book Review: Our Country's Presidents by Ann Bausum

The inauguration of our 45th president is nearly on our doorstep.

 Just in time, National Geographic has released the new and updated Our Country's Presidents: A Complete Encyclopedia of the U.S. Presidency by Ann Bausum featuring the 2016 Election.

Many thanks to National Geographic and Media Masters for providing a physical copy of this book for review. 

 

Published January 10, 2017 by National Geographic
Hardcover, 224 pages

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This comprehensive encyclopedia is the perfect resource for all things presidential. It contains all of the past presidents as well as the 2016 president-elect and information on the 2016 presidential race. Also included throughout the book are six color-coded historical periods ranging from the creation of the U.S. Constitution all the way to modern day issues with lots of little bits of information about important happenings throughout our country's history. 

This is the perfect resource to learn more about our presidents, the presidential history of our country, and the election process. There's information about the two party system, the Electoral College, the Supreme Court, and more. 

A few of the subjects and facts scattered throughout are presidential landmarks that span from log cabins to libraries to memorial sites; comparisons, including the career paths of each president; and the fight for the right to vote. You can find out which presidents died in office and learn more about the First Ladies of our country. 

There is a ton of information beyond what can be learned of each of our presidents.  

Each president has at least two full page spreads that include an official presidential portrait, an introductory summary, the term of office dates, their signature, and a box of facts that include their birth date, political party, nickname, and more. These spreads also include a quote from the president, as well as photos or illustrations that mark memorable events that occurred during their term. 

At the end of the book is a complete chart of the presidential election results as well a list of other resources to find out more about the presidents. 

In all, this is a wonderful learning resource for children and adults alike or if you just want to brush up on the presidents or learn more about the history of our country.