Upcoming Lincoln Book Goes Outside The Box

With the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth rapidly approaching, it seems as if every week brings the announcement of yet more upcoming books about his life or career. This week is no exception. An intriguing new book about the Lincoln assassination, written for the middle-school age level, is already garnering some attention for its unusual approach to the subject.

"Lincoln Shot: A President's Life Remembered" is written in the style of an 1860's newspaper. Real-life ads of the era along with real photos of the hanging of the Lincoln conspirators plus photos of the dead soldiers at Gettysburg combine to give a feel for what it would have been like to see experience the event as if the reader lived through these events. Adding to the realism, the pages are faux-aged to give a more authentic look and feel to the book. Warm pen and ink drawings of Lincoln, Booth, and other players in the story round out the book.

Supposedly compiled by the "National News Staff" (a fictitious newspaper) in 1866, the book is actually authored by Barry Denenberg, known for his unconventional approach to history for kids. Scheduled for publication next month (September 2008), the book is a coffee-table size volume (8 x 12 inches) and contains 40 pages in hardbound. Publisher's price will be $24.95 but I found it for less than that on Amazon and have already ordered my own copy. Feiwel and Friends is the publisher.

You can find more information about this book by clicking here. History doesn't have to be a boring jumble of dates, names, and places. Imagination and thinking outside the box can bring history alive to readers of all ages. This book and "Lincoln And His Boys" (reviewed here) are two of those books which can pique a life-long interest in Mr. Lincoln and indeed, in history itself.