Need help exploring Abe Lincoln’s life and legacy with your children? You’re in the right place! Today I’m sharing a great list of Abraham Lincoln books for kids to help you learn.
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This list of Abe Lincoln books contains a good mix of fiction and nonfiction, picture books and chapter books, and selections that are perfect for young kids, middle schoolers, and everyone in between. Regardless of what you’re looking for, there are plenty of options to enjoy with your kids.
Abraham Lincoln Books for Kids
Before we jump into these books about Abe Lincoln, keep in mind the links in the overviews below all lead to Amazon. If you prefer to support independent bookstores through your purchases, see my bookshop.org list. It has nearly all of these titles, plus several extras not referenced here.
1. Abraham Lincoln
1. I’ve never met a d’Aulaire book I didn’t love and their Abraham Lincoln is no exception! This 1940 Caldecott Medal winner is a beautiful presentation of Lincoln’s story combined with the incredible artwork that made the d’Aulaires famous.
2. Abraham Lincoln for Kids
This is one of my favorite books about Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln for Kids goes in depth with Lincoln’s background, life, and legacy. It also includes highlights from speeches, activities, and additional suggested resources.
3. Who Was Abraham Lincoln?
Like all of the books in the Who Was? series, Who Was Abraham Lincoln? is ideal for middle to older elementary kids. It’s a good biographical overview of Lincoln’s formative years and his life, but also contains illustrations and a timeline.
4. Abraham Lincoln: The Great Emancipator
Curious about Abraham Lincoln’s childhood? This title from the Childhood of Famous Americans series is a great way to learn more! It’s recommended for upper elementary through middle school and is nearly 200 pages in length.
5. Meet Abraham Lincoln
We haven’t read Meet Abraham Lincoln, but Landmark books are some of our favorite biographies for kids. That means it’s pretty safe to say it’s a great option for kiddos who are learning about the sixteenth president. Like others from Landmark, this one contains illustrations and is ideal for middle elementary ages.
6. Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers
Based on a true story, Mr. Lincoln’s Whiskers shares the story of a young girl and how her rather unconventional advice to Abraham Lincoln impacted something he’s well known for to this day: his beard. We read this one last year and really enjoyed it. :)
7. Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek
I shared a little about this book on Instagram recently, but this is a lovely picture book about Abraham Lincoln. It focuses on Lincoln and a childhood friend and a moment of bravery that had a big impact on history. Spoiler alert: it’s not about Lincoln’s bravery. ;)
That said, author Deborah Hopkinson mentions in her author’s note that she took some creative license in writing Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek, but she also references the elements that are known to be true.
8. Where’s Your Hat, Abe Lincoln?
Looking for Abe Lincoln books for your youngest kiddos? Where’s Your Hat, Abe Lincoln? is a board book with simple text and cute illustrations, making it a great fit for little learners.
Worth noting, Scholastic’s Abraham Lincoln is another good fit for younger kids; it’s from their My First Biography series.
9. Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books
The Boy Who Loved Books is a picture book that focuses on Lincoln’s love for learning and the impact that had on his life.
10. Looking at Lincoln
Looking at Lincoln is a lovely picture book about Abe Lincoln. It combines beautiful illustrations with the story of a girl and her quest to learn more about the man her five dollar bill.
11. Abe Lincoln at Last!
Got a Magic Tree House fan in your home? If so, Abe Lincoln at Last! is sure to please! In this fictional tale, siblings Jack and Annie join forces with Abraham Lincoln and try to help him save a very troubled United States.
12. Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Abe Lincoln
If your kiddos love hanging out with Jack and Annie, the Abe Lincoln Fact Tracker a great way to dig a bit deeper. A nonfiction companion to Abe Lincoln at Last!, it’s a good Lincoln biography, and includes maps, timelines, and suggested resources for further reading.
13. Abe Lincoln’s Hat
Abe Lincoln’s Hat from the Step Into Reading Series is a good fit for kids who are reading pretty well on their own. It’s based on true stories, is heavily illustrated, and includes reference photos at the end, but is a really fun read because it emphasizes a human side of Lincoln that often gets overlooked in historical accounts.
14. Abraham Lincoln
Another good nonfiction option, National Geographic’s Abraham Lincoln is a great choice for a visual learner. It’s colorful, contains tons of photos, and also has an attention-grabbing layout.
15. A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln
This one’s exactly as it sounds: a picture book that gives an overview of Abe Lincoln’s life in picture book form, right down to his tragic death. That said, you may consider omitting that page and summarizing if you’d prefer not to dive into that part of Lincoln’s story.
16. Lincoln’s Legacy
The first title in the Blast to the Past series, Lincoln’s Legacy invites readers to consider how things would be different if Abraham Lincoln had not followed through with abolishing slavery in the United States. It follows the story of a group of friends who go back in time to encourage Lincoln not to give up on ending slavery and it’s one you’re sure to love.
In addition to these Abraham Lincoln books for kids, I’ve got other reading suggestions to help you cover American history with your kids. You can find some of those lists through the links below:
- Children’s books about George Washington
- Children’s books about Ben Franklin
- Children’s books about Alexander Hamilton
- Children’s books about women of the American Revolution
- Childrens books about colonial America