AdLit.org is a national multimedia project offering information and resources to the parents and educators of struggling adolescent readers and writers. AdLit.org is an educational initiative of WETA, the flagship public television and radio station in the nation's capital, and is funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York and by the Ann B. and Thomas L. Friedman Family Foundation.
The White House and Its Residents
These fiction and nonfiction titles will ignite young people's interest in the history and function of our presidential mansion, as well as the lives of some of those — first families, dressmakers, speechwriters, even ghosts — who have lived or worked there. See Our White House for additional resources.
Jack: The Early Years of John F. Kennedy
Age Level: 12-14
We know a lot about Kennedy's political career and untimely death, but little has been written for younger readers about his childhood. Kennedy was both a sickly child and a mischievous one.
Ghosts of the White House
Age Level: 9-12
The ghost of George Washington introduces Sara to other presidential ghosts.
First Daughter: White House Rules
Age Level: 12-14
Sameera, adopted daughter of a U.S. President, continues to adjust to her new life in the White House — as she confronts very contemporary issues.
Theodore Roosevelt: Champion of the American Spirit
Age Level: 12-14
From asthmatic childhood to robust adulthood, the determined life — both personal and professional — of Theodore Roosevelt is presented in an authoritative, attractive, and appealing biography.
Mary Lincoln's Dressmaker
Age Level: 12-14
Primary sources are used to relate the life of an enslaved woman who achieved freedom to become Mary Todd Lincoln’s highly esteemed dressmaker and friend.
George Washington, Spymaster
Age Level: 9-12
Espionage played an important role in defeating the British, as is demonstrated in this cleverly-formatted, intriguing book.
The President's House: 1800 to the Present
Age Level: 16-18
Novelist and First Daughter, Truman invites readers into the White House by revealing its history in stories filled with both drama and humor. Color and black-and-white photographs seal the invitation.
Our Eleanor: A Scrapbook Look at Eleanor Roosevelt's Life
Age Level: 9-12
The life and times of Eleanor Roosevelt are presented chronologically as though one is examining a scrapbook. Much like the approach the author uses for other historical figures, this look at Eleanor is almost intimate, certainly thorough, and compelling.
The White House: An Illustrated History
Age Level: 12-14
Created in conjunction with the White House Historical Society; contemporary and historical photographs chronicle the history and various functions of the presidential mansion.
