Where is the White House?

Where is the White House?
Megan Stine
Grosset & Dunlap, 2015 108 pages
Grades 2-5
Nonfiction
Who Was series

Part of the illustrious "Who Was/Where Is/What Was" series, this entry traces the history of America's most famous address, originally commissioned by George Washington himself. Starting with Washington DC's humble beginnings, Stine talks briefly about the process of selecting a location and design. The history of America reflects the history of the house, as wars wreak havoc on both the country and the structure and first families put their own mark and improvements on the large home. An oral tour is given with purposes of many of the rooms explained and the workings of the house examined. More than simply a historic primer, Stine delves into explanations of government, such as what the president's cabinet is and the Secret Service. Naturally, the book teems with interesting antidotes and personal stories and the lives of the children and pets that inhabited this important house are highlighted. Read for information or entertainment, this book will be enjoyed by a wide audience.

Why did I put time into reading another selection of this oft requested series? My third and fourth grade book group is reading a free choice "Who Was" book for this month's selection (the delivery service for my library system is currently not functioning, forcing me to get creative this month). I went to my new non-fiction section and grabbed this title because I thought it looked interesting. Imagine my surprise when I opened the cover and noticed that I actually added it to the collection in March of 2015--and it still has "new" status. This is because whenever I go through the new nonfiction to remove books that no longer should be there (four months old) this book is always checked out, demonstrating the popularity of this series. Kids gobble these books up and I can see why. They are a lot of fun and are written conversationally. They also are chock-full of interesting facts with the most child-friendly bits on a topic highlighted. This series entry was not a disappointment. I learned facts about the White House I did not know before and am interested in learning even more and trying to go visit. The cartoon-like illustrations are what draw in readers and they are plentiful. The cover of the book advertises a fold-out map, which had long disappeared. I didn't miss it and there was a diagram in the book that gave me a decent visual. Back matter includes a bibliography and a timeline of both the White House and the world. The White House timeline ends with 1962. I’m pretty sure interesting things must have happened after that, but maybe the publisher ran out of room. A compelling read from a consistent series.