Abe Lincoln's Dream by Lane Smith

A legend exists that Abe Lincoln haunts the White House, a tale that supposedly arose when the pets of the subsequent occupants of the presidential mansion refused to set paw in his bedroom. Lane Smith plays a riff off that legend and takes it to higher ground in this delightful story. A young girl separated from her class on a tour of the White House encounters a ghostly and, of course, melancholy Lincoln wandering the halls. He's very concerned about the state of the nation for which he made the ultimate sacrifice. So, trying to cheer him up, she takes him on a whirlwind tour of the country to show the great strides we have made since his untimely death. Lincoln had a recurring dream that he was on a ship sailing to an indistinct place and he often had this dream before momentous occasions. Smith alludes to this in his lovely final illustration. A lovely read for elementary grades.

Published by Roaring Brook Press, 2012.

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