Theodore Roosevelt

In fictionalized letters between a president and a child who lived during his administration, events, places, personalities, and the spirit of a time come alive. At the turn of the 20th century, industrial cities from Maine to Virginia ran on coal dug from mines. In this fictional account, Frank Kovacs's father has been injured, and Frank, at age 8, must quit school and begin work in the mines. Frank knows that anyone can write to the president - so, when he is 13, he does. President Theodore Roosevelt promptly responds. Thus begins the exchange between Frank, describing his life in the mines, and the president, expressing concern for a boy the age of one of his sons. Young readers will be moved by Frank's plight, gain insight into the 26th president of the United States, and learn about the issues of his time. The Dear Mr. President series features: meticulous research; award-winning children's book authors; extensive photographs; maps, primary source material, timelines, and presidential profiles; and elegant design. After reading each book - or while reading the letters - children can explore the subjects further at the Winslow Press virtual library (winslowpress.com), where they are encouraged to ask questions, seek further information, and interact with both the past and the present. Prompts throughout each book lead readers to the Web site if they wish to learn more about a particular idea raised in the letters.