White House Kids

Would you want to live in the White House? That is the question the author poses to his audience. Directed at middle school kids, this book gives readers a taste of what it would be like to live in the White House by providing anecdotes and stories about the kids that have lived there throughout the years. For kids that like history and like to read about people their own age, this is a good book to read.

Review will be posted October 30 White House Kids tells the story about the President's children who have lived in the white house. It is sort of like a scrapbook with a lot of fun pictures and illustrations throughout. I found the section on "white house firsts" to be interesting - I didn't know that two President's children married their first cousins... in the white house. I also enjoyed the section on the "most daring stunts" that were done by the white house kids! This was a very interesting book and while it is geared towards kids, I think that adults would enjoy it as well - whether they be presidential history buffs or just interested in learning more about the President's kids!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.

A fascinating little book about some of the children who have lived in the White House. Fewer than 50 people have been president, but more than 200 children have called the White House home, and this is the story of their lives. First-person accounts, letters, interviews, many photographs and illustrations, anecdotes and descriptions, all combine to make this a very readable and entertaining book, aimed at children but also of interest to adults. Each chapter concentrates on a different aspect of life there, and then at the end there’s a brief summary of what happened to each of the child inhabitants mentioned after they’d left. An unusual and original book, both educative and good fun.

Engaging, fun and informative, White House Kids is about the children who have lived in the White House while their fathers were President. Targeted towards middle school children I think kids and adults alike can enjoy this fact-filled book of the amazing and the ordinary world of children being children in the hotbed of Washington. The book asks a very direct question: Would you like to grow up in the White House? and from there invites us in to explore what it might be like. We learn about the animals, the playground, the parties, what is is like to go to school, to church, make friends. etc. We see how different children handle the pressures of having to be "good" to be "on" all the time, i.e Amy Carter despised it and how each family tried to shield their children from the spotlight. All in all a good and enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book for an honest opinion.

What a fun little book. The White House Kids: The Perks, Pleasures, Problems, and Pratfalls of the Presidents' Children by Joe Rhatigan and illustrated by Jay Shinn explores the lives of children, grandchildren, or other youthful relations of the Presidents during their time in office from George Washington to Barack Obama. This colorful book with interesting blurbs, photographs, and quotations looks at the various Presidents who occupied the White House over the years and their relationship with the children who accompanied them. Whether spoiled and pampered or made to do chores, life at the White House was like living in a fish bowl with the curious butting into the first family's personal lives through newspaper articles, paparazzi, or White House Tours (there was even a time when folks could come and go as they pleased with outrageous hijinks including peeking into private bedrooms). Of course, now the secret service watches over the children, even when they attend school. Speaking of school, the sorts of education experienced by White House kids varied greatly from Tutors, to Private Schools to Public Schools to no formal schooling at all. While some of the children were well behaved, others were little tyrants who ran roughshod over the White House, disturbing the President or playing pranks on visitors. Some of the kids were more popular than their parents providing numerous antics which make for amusing reading. My favorite story is when Theodore Roosevelt's daughter Alice cut her wedding cake with a sword, setting a tradition for future White House weddings. Amongst the mainly humorous tidbits and famous firsts, there is also the tragedy of children dying while their parents were in office.

The appendix has a complete list of all the children and what happened to them later in life as well as a list of the Presidents and First Ladies. There is so much information jammed into this book that it is hard to keep everybody straight. I feel the list of Presidents should be expanded to include the list of the First Children (in addition to their short biographical sketches). There is also an extensive bibliography plus an index which would be helpful for research projects.

My main complaint is that the information is not chronological, but moves back and forth through time with various themes to sort the relevant information. However, this book does give the reader the opportunity to see history up close and personal revealing White House tidbits focusing on the littlest of residents. Whether for fun or information, the graphic format will appeal to school aged children (as well as their parents) who will enjoy reading about their counterparts lucky enough to live at the White House. Four stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Charlesbridge Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it and learned so much. I especially liked seeing how the childrens’ lives evolved over time.

What a wonderful resource for children. White House Kids is bright with a fun layout and has traditional White House and Presidential history as well as trivia and tidbits about Presidential families that are geared toward engaging today's children.. By introducing the children, grandchildren, and step-children of the Presidents, Rhatigan has ensured that other children will believe that White House history is THEIR history too.