In 1926, historian Carter G. Woodson pushed for one week in February to become Negro History Week to “inspire exploration and study of important African-Americans.”

Nowadays, Black History Month is a celebration that inspires a range books about heroes and heroines who serve as the kinds of models Woodson wanted the world to know about.

By Susie Wilde

Dear President Obama,

Before taking office you kicked off an
Oprah-like reading tsunami as adults plunged into Doris Kearns
Goodwin's 2005 book about the Lincoln administration, "Team of Rivals."
Now that we're fully into the bicentennial of Honest Abe's birth year,
here are some great new books about our 16th president that your
daughters Malia and Sasha and their peers will enjoy.

Picture books for Sasha

(and other 7-year-olds)

"What Lincoln Said"
by Sarah Thomson, illustrated by James Ransome (HarperCollins).
Thomson's simple biography of Lincoln gains power with inserted
quotations that add emotion and proof of Lincoln's "two contradictory
traits -- his flexibility and his strength of will." Ransome's
illustrations animate both Lincoln's lightheartedness and graver
sentiments.

"Abe's Honest Words" by Doreen
Rappaport, illustrated by Kadir Nelson (Hyperion). This lyrical
biography recounts Lincoln's life and his devotion to words. Reared by
a master storytelling father, Abraham stole moments to read while
splitting wood. Later, ferrying passengers down the Mississippi, he
listened to lawyers tell how they used words to gain justice for
ordinary folk. He "stored these different voices in his heart and wove
them into his own words." Rappaport punctuates pages with poignant
Lincoln quotes. Yellow predominates in Nelson's illustrations
demonstrating how words illuminated Lincoln's life.

"Mr. Lincoln's Boys: Being the Mostly True Adventures of Abraham Lincoln's Trouble-Making Sons, Tad and Willie"
by Stanton Rabin, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Viking). These
rough-and-tumble boys just wanna have fun in the White House, and their
daddy is all about it. Illustrations and text show how the boys relieve
the stress of their overwhelmed father as they climb his angular limbs,
imitate the wars that concerns the country and come to their powerful
father for wisdom.

Longer books for Malia

and other 10 and ups:

"Lincoln Shot: A President's Life Remembered"
by Barry Denenberg with art by Christopher Bing (Feiwel and Friends).
Yellowed pages, etchings, photographs and period advertisements fill
this oversized biography that pretends to be a "Special Memorial
Edition" newspaper remembering the 16th president. After several pages
covering the assassination (complete with pictures of the assassins'
hangings that kids won't forget), the author and artist cover Lincoln's
boyhood, youth, political and family life, and his leadership during
war.

"Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life"
by Martin Sandler (Walker). Who was the man and what was the image?
This book raises those questions while teaching us a great deal about
early photography and Lincoln's brilliance in presenting himself. As a
young man he avoided frilly clothes and mussed his hair to show himself
as a man of the people. Later he positioned himself in the middle of
group pictures, accentuating his appearance with the tall stovepipe
hat. Famed photographer Mathew Brady hid his scrawny neck with a high
shirt collar and posed him with a pillar and books to symbolize his
strength and love of learning.

"The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary"
by Candace Fleming (Random House). Wander through the photos and
memories of the president and his wife. Note their different
upbringings: the rickety cabin at Sinking Spring Farm, Kentucky, where
Abraham Lincoln was born, and the expansive house where Mary Todd was
delivered by the most expensive midwife in Lexington. Witness their
childhoods, courtship, marriage, joys and sorrows while getting a
glimpse of Fido, the Lincoln's pet dog, and seeing a tracing of
Lincoln's feet for a pair of boots that wouldn't pinch.

Books for family sharing

"Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship"
by Nikki Giovanni illustrated by Bryan Collier (Holt, $16.95, ages 8
and up). Glistening stars and glittering jewels shine at a reception of
newly elected President Lincoln, but he's distracted. He's seeking out
his friend Frederick Douglass, who's been prevented from entering by
the front door. Finally the men find each other and "the journey across
the ballroom felt like a journey across time." This begins a story
about the two men's similar backgrounds, shared values and fight for
freedom. The powerful words are matched by visual strength, especially
the fold-out illustration of the bright ballroom that opens to reveal
the somber blues and grays of a Civil War battlefield.

"Abraham Lincoln Comes Home"
by Robert Burleigh, paintings by Wendell Minor (Holt, ages 6-10).
Lincoln's life was measured by the many who grieved for him, like young
Luke, who goes into a quiet night with his father to see the train
that's carrying Lincoln's body to its final resting place in
Springfield, Ill. In a sensory whirl Luke breathes in "a smell of metal
mixed with the faint scent of lilacs" as bonfires and torches blaze
before the train with flowers, flags and Lincoln's picture. And Luke
witnesses his father crying for the first time. Minor's realistic
drawings provide even more impressions of the era, the boy and his
memorable night.

An audio alternative

And here's a CD for the family limo:
"Lincoln: A Photobiography"
by Russell Freedman, read by Robert Petkoff (Listening Library,
unabridged, 2 CDs with photo slideshow and author interview). This
Newbery Medal-winning book of photos makes a fabulous translation to
audio as Freedman has drawn a strong portrait of Lincoln with words. He
covers the many facets of the man with plenty of quotations,
entertaining stories and evocative descriptions. Petkoff's natural
storytelling makes this a great family listen.

P.S.
As you start out your new family life in the White House, you might
want to take a look at these two books. Gibb Davis' Wackiest White
House Pets (Scholastic, $16.95) might give you a few grins as you train
your new puppy. The whole family might enjoy "First Kids: The True
Stories of All the Presidents' Children" (Scholastic, $7.99), written
by 13-year-old Noah McCullough, and it might give your daughters some
new ideas for fun.

The 7th Annual Wilde Awards continue this week with a salute to the year’s best long-format books. The honorees were selected by a committee that included Megan Isaac of Elon University, Durham art teacher Barbi Bailey-Smith, Carrboro school librarian Deb Bolas, children’s authors Louise Hawes and Clay Carmichae

By Susie Wilde
Thousands of books are published for children each year. Some actually deserve to be read. A few are truly exceptional. Since 2002, the Wilde Awards have honored the year’s best. This week, we will salute those works whose strong images and poignant stories have earned them a Wilde Award for picture book excellence. Next week we will look at the best longer books.

By Susie Wilde
As politicians and commentators argue about change and status quo in this remarkable political year, I see these same qualities reflected in recent children's books. Below are recommendations for politically interested teachers and parents who want to inspire children.

By Susie Wilde
"I tend to write about families separated by things beyond their control war, poverty, prison. When I started to hear about the tours of service being extended beyond what families were expecting and the National Guard folks being called up, I began to wonder what does this mean to the kids. And that was the first question I started with."

By Susie Wilde
While Gameboys and TVs in cars keep parents sane during summer treks, I wonder if they do what audiotapes did for my family. Popping in audio books changed moods and built literary memories. Newer technological advantages might provide instant relief, but they don't maximize the family connections cars can offer. Below find audio recommendations for every age.

By Susie Wilde
In January, when two committees appointed by the American Library Association announced the best children's picture book (Caldecott) and longer work (Newbery), political candidates were cruising the country shaking hands and making pledges. This year's committees and the two books they honored Brian Selznick's "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" (Scholastic $22.99, ages 8-12) and Laura Amy Schlitz's "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!" (Candlewick, $19.99, ages 8-12) have important messages for our politicians.

By Susie Wilde
In January, when two committees appointed by the American Library Association announced the best children's picture book (Caldecott) and longer work (Newbery), political candidates were cruising the country shaking hands and making pledges. This year's committees and the two books they honored Brian Selznick's "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" (Scholastic $22.99, ages 8-12) and Laura Amy Schlitz's "Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!" (Candlewick, $19.99, ages 8-12) have important messages for our politicians.

By Susie Wilde
History can be difficult for children to understand, but you can engage them with a hero they admire, a story that grips them and an appealing first-person voice. This winter, in the flurry of fiction and nonfiction releases, there are strong narrative voices that bring identification and insight to today's children.