George Washington's Mother (All-Aboard Reading)

Jean Fritz, the Newbery Honor-winning author of Homesick, is best known for her engaging and enlightening nonfiction for young readers, including What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?, And Then What Happened, Paul Revere?, and Shh! We're Writing the Constitution. She was honored with the Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature by the New York State Library Association, and won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her career contribution to American children's literature.

Grade 2-4-- Fritz brings the excitement of history to newly independent readers. They will easily relate to teenaged George having to obey his mother, but may not understand her continual meddling and kvetching once her son be- comes an adult. Using factual data and funny incidents, the author humorously depicts Mary Ball Washington as a manipulative and stubborn worrywart. The numerous, half- and full-page, pencil-and-watercolor illustrations are reminiscent of Margot Tomes's work; they complement the text and extend the humor. However, the paintings lack the visual crispness associated with Fritz's earlier biographies illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman and others. Still, George Washington's Mother gives youngsters an enjoyable introduction to our nation's first president from a unique perspective. --Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, ID
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.