A Library Like President Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was an avid reader.  He collected thousands of books about hundreds of subjects throughout his life.  His books were lost to fire several times, but he kept buying and refurbishing his collection.  

During the war of 1812, the British burned the Library of Congress.  Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his collection of nearly 6,500 books to the Library for a minimum amount.  Today the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. 

I am also an avid reader.  But I prefer fiction, fantasy, and adventure.  If I were to donate books to the Library of Congress, here are the ones I would contribute:

1.  Harry Potter - The Complete Series by J. K. Rowling.
Genre: Fiction and Fantasy
A young boy discovers he is a famous wizard.  The series is about his adventures at wizarding school, and how he and his friends save the world from evil.

2. Percy Jackson the Complete Series by Rick Riordan.
Genre: Fiction and Fantasy
This series is about a boy who finds out he is a demigod and goes to a camp called Camp Half Blood. Later in the series he and his demigod friends need to stop the Titans from taking over the earth.

3. The Heros Of Olympus the Complete Series by Rick Riordan.
Genre: Fiction and Fantasy
This series is about seven demigods Percy, Annabeth, Piper, Frank, Hazel, Jason, and Leo. They need to save the world from the Titans and the Giants.

4. Game Changers, Play Makers by Mike Lupica.
Genre: Fiction
This book is about a boy who loves to play sports with his friends.  Everyone thinks he is the best until the new kid comes. 

5.  The Maze Runner by James Dashner.
Genre: Science Fiction and Action
This book is about a boy who had his memory taken away from him, just like all the other boys in the Glade.  That is until the first girl comes and changes everything, eventually giving the boys hope that they can escape the Glade.  

6.  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Genre: Science Fiction and Action
This book is about a girl named Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers (to save her sister) to go into the games where there are 24 kids her age who have to fight to the death for the entertainment of the Capitol.

7.  Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.                                             
Genre: Science Fiction and Adventure
After the games, Katniss Everdeen thought she was going to live a free life for winning the games, until the president says that for the the 75th Hunger Games, 24 victors will be chosen to go back in the games.

8.  Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen.
Genre: Historical Fiction
 When 13 year old, Samuel, comes back from the woods to his village, he discovers it's been burned down.  He goes on a journey to rescue his mom and dad from the Redcoats, and becomes involved in the American Revolution.

9. George Washingtons Socks by Elvira Woodruff.
Genre: Historical Fiction
This book is about a boy and his friends, and a tag-along sister, who travel back in time to the American Revolution and fight alongside the Patriots.

10.  George Washington's Spy by Elvira Woodruff
Genre: Historical Fiction
When Matt, Q, Tony, Hooter, Elizabeth, Lily, and Katie go back in time again, they all get split up.  Tony, Q, Matt, and Hooter get stuck with the Patriots, and Katie, Lily, and Elizabeth get stuck with a Loyalists family.  They struggle to get back together, and try to return to their own time.

11.  Geronimo Stilton by Elisabetta Dami.
Genre: Fiction
This book is about a mouse who is a reporter at the biggest newspaper in the world. In every book he goes on a new adventure.

12. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen.
Genre: Fiction
This book is about a boy who is the only survivor of a plane crash.  All he has is his hatchet his mom gave him to survive in the wilderness. 

13. Baseball Card Series by Dan Gutman
Genre: Historical Fiction
This series is about a boy named, Joe Stosh, who can travel back in time through baseball cards.  Each book in the series is about a different baseball player and Joe's adventures in meeting them.  


Ollie, Mom, and Tom - Out

Pizza With The Founding Fathers

Dear Readers, I have invited the Founding Fathers into our modern time to take them to my favorite restaurant, Mellow Mushroom.  I will buy them a Coke, a cheese pizza, and a brownie dessert.  While we eat, I will ask them these questions:

1. President Washington, you owned hundreds of slaves and your views about slavery changed throughout your life, ending with you giving your slaves their freedom upon your wife's death. What made you change your mind about slavery?
2. Do you think you still would have freed your slaves if you had not fought in the war and seen the African Americans fighting for their country alongside you?
3. President Washington, you are known as one of the greatest leaders in history. You took a makeshift army and won a war against the most powerful country on Earth. What qualities do you think make a good leader?

1. President Adams, I admire you for not owning slaves during a time when in was common and accepted. Why did you chose not to own slaves?

2. You were the last of the Founding Fathers, who are here at Mellow Mushroom with me, to die. It is reported that you said on your deathbed that, "Jefferson still lives." But actually, he died several hours earlier than you on the same day, July 4. Are you surprised to find out you were the last one standing? How do you feel about it?
3. President Adams, people wrote bad things about you during your Presidency. Your close friend and Vice President, Thomas Jefferson, is reported to have instigated some of the slander. How did this make you feel? How were you able to forgive President Jefferson?

1. President Jefferson, what were your inspirations to write the Declaration of Independence?

2. Why did you say slavery was wrong, but you still owned slaves?

3. President Jefferson, I like to read books just like you liked to read books when you were alive. If you could recommend three books to a boy my age, what would they be?

1. Mr. Franklin, what was your favorite quote from Poor Richards Almanack? My favorite one is, "Three may keep a secret, if two of them are dead."
2. Mr. Franklin, you had many jobs during your life - scientist, inventor, printer, writer, politician, ambassador, revolutionary, post master, and others. Which one was your favorite job and why?
3. Mr. Franklin, you spent many years as an ambassador to France for the colonies, helping us to gain France as an ally and win the war. What was your favorite thing to do as an ambassador in France?
4. May I ask you an extra question? I also admire you for choosing to stand up against slavery. What do you think are the long-lasting consequences of slavery in America?


My assignment was to write three questions for each Founding Father that both informed and inquired. This was extremely difficult for me! But, in the end, I would love to sit down with these Founding Fathers, eat good pizza, and ask them these questions.

Peace Out -
Ollie, Mom, George, John, Tom, and Ben