Thomas Jefferson: Letters from a Philadelphia Bookworm (Dear Mr. President)

An educated, inquisitive young girl in Philadelphia corresponds with President Thomas Jefferson about current events, including the Lewis and Clark expedition, new inventions, and life at Monticello.

Gr 5-7-In fictionalized letters between President Jefferson and 12-year-old Amelia Hornsby, events, personalities, and the essence of the early 1800s come alive. Amelia lives in Philadelphia with Doctor and Mrs. Benjamin Rush and begins a correspondence with the president about the Lewis and Clark expedition, the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, and the death of Jefferson's daughter. Well educated, the child takes an active and lively interest in the current events and political affairs that envelop Philadelphia and feels that it is her duty to express her opinions to the president. Well researched, the book has extensive photographs, maps, primary-source material, time lines, and a biographical profile of our third president. Armstrong has captured the man's personality, touching on his many interests, including botany, farming, engineering, and philosophy as well as his devotion to his family. Amelia is portrayed as a strong, intelligent girl who proves to be the perfect correspondent for the statesman. Children can explore the subjects further on the publisher's Web site or by checking out some of the books in the list for further reading.

Janet Gillen, Great Neck Public Library, NY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 5-8. When young, inquisitive Amelia Hornsby writes to warn President Jefferson there's an imposter in his midst, she starts a correspondence that lasts for several years. The president engages her eager mind in the exchange of letters, discussing the latest news about Lewis and Clark and technological advancements such as the hot-air balloon. The story, the latest in the Dear Mr. President series, isn't entirely successful. Armstrong has some difficulty in generating a believable relationship between Jefferson and Amelia. Jefferson's missives are warm but hardly revealing, and much of what he writes is a secondhand accounting of events hundreds of miles away. In addition, the book, like entries in the Dear America series, blurs the line between fact and fiction by including 20 pages of well-researched back matter, a time line, an index, and a Web site. What saves the package is Amelia herself, who blooms from a precocious 12-year-old into a confident young woman determined to direct her own life. Randy Meyer
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