FICTION

George Washington's Rules to Live By: A Good Manners Guide from the Father of Our Country

by K. M. KOSTYAL
illus. by Fred Harper. 128p. bibliog. index. websites. National Geographic. 2014. Tr $14.99. ISBN 9781426315008; RTE $25.90. ISBN 9781426315015.
COPY ISBN
Gr 4 Up—As a child growing up in Virginia, Washington copied down the 110 rules of The Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation. As the book states in the foreword and introduction, etiquette is defined as the regulations that tell us how to act. This book takes a sampling of the rules that this Founding Father copied down and humorously portrays them. Each one is written in the original and then "translated" so that today's youth can understand; it is then followed by a couple of interesting and related facts, usually about Washington or about the time era. The real charm of the book, however, are the caricaturelike portraits that illustrate each point of etiquette. Readers will enjoy this fun, accessible read.—Esther Keller, I.S. 278, Brooklyn, NY
Kostyal selects fifty rules of conduct from young Washington's personal journal that remain appropriate for today's youth; categories include table etiquette, decorum, hygiene, and integrity. Each rule is written in the vernacular of Washington's Colonial era and is followed by explanatory comments and light historical information. Caricaturist Harper's comical illustrations are often grotesquely exaggerated, but they lighten the didactic tone. Websites. Bib., ind.
Reviewed by Esther Keller , May 01, 2014

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