The Lincoln Memorial

By: Kristin L. Nelson
Publisher: Lerner Classroom
Publication Date: August 2010
ISBN: 978-0761360513
Reviewed by: Deb Fowler
Review Date: September 2010

At night the Lincoln Memorial is lit up and we can see a huge statue of former President Abraham Lincoln seated inside the memorial. A “memorial is something that helps us remember a person who died.” Lincoln was the president of our country during the Civil War (1861-1865). In the southern part of the country slavery was a common practice, but many “African Americans lived freely in the north.” This difference in attitude forced the southern states to break away and “they formed a new country.” President Lincoln “reunited the country” and slavery was abolished. Unfortunately he was assassinated in 1865.

Many people were sad when he was killed and decided to build a memorial to “honor Lincoln’s life.” In 1914 construction began. In this book you can see actual photographs of men at work as they set marble columns in place. The thirty-six columns erected represented the number of states when Lincoln died. You can see parts of his speeches on the walls. Daniel Chester French “carved the statue from twenty-eight pieces of marble” and “put the pieces together like parts of a puzzle.” You will learn the dimensions of Lincoln’s statue, you’ll learn when the memorial was completed, why people gather at the memorial, you’ll see a picture of Martin Luther King, Jr. speaking there, you’ll see a picture of the Reflecting Pool, and you’ll learn what the memorial stands for.

This is an interesting overview of the Lincoln Memorial that will enable the young reader to learn about its history. The photographic selection in this book was especially striking as the reader will be able to see many things from a view of Lincoln’s coffin, the erection of the columns, to modern day interest in visitation. The history of the memorial was well researched, well written, and will easily hold the attention of the young reader. In addition to the photographs, there are art reproductions and informative captions. In the back of the book is a generalized map of the “Washington, D.C. Area,” some “Fun Facts,” an index, a glossary, and additional recommended book and website resources to explore.

Quill says: This is an excellent book to give the young student a glimpse of United States history when they learn about Abraham Lincoln and the monument to his life.