On February 12, we celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, and publishers, like the rest of the country, are rushing in to mark the big day of this bigger-than-life-size man. Lincoln probably already commands a goodly portion of your bookshelves, but take a look at some of these wonderful new titles, which make for fine booktalks.

Judith St. George’s Stand Tall, Abraham Lincoln (Philomel, 2008; Grades 3–5) reminds us that Abe had a tough childhood. Although Abe worked hard on the farm, his dad was hard on him. Once, a neighbor gave Abe a baby pig. The boy had a lot of fun with his new pet until his dad killed it for the pork. Abe ran away from home for two days. When his father remarried, he was sick with apprehension. Would the new stepmother be a wicked one, like the ones in the stories he had read? Matt Faulkner’s delightful pictures include a “blab” school (what the heck was that?—read the book and find out!).

You’ll find out more about Lincoln’s personal struggles in Candace Fleming’s The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary (Schwartz & Wade, 2008; Grades 5–up). Reading Fleming is like eating peanuts. Once you start, you won’t be able to stop. Most U.S. historians believe that this guy—who had less than a year’s worth of education, looked odd, dressed poorly, and grew up in poverty—was the best president the country ever had. The same experts think his wife, who was pretty, well dressed, and grew up in a wealthy home with slaves, was, in some respects, crazy. But Abe fell in love with Mary Todd. He fell hard. He married her for better or worse—and he always loved her. You’ll learn why Abe never got along with his father, why he didn’t even go to his funeral, how Mary’s only surviving child put her in an insane asylum, and about the dream Abe had about being assassinated—and much more. This is easily one of the best books of 2008 and is jam-packed with amazing photos and illustrations.

Martin Sandler’s Lincoln Through the Lens: How Photography Revealed and Shaped an Extraordinary Life (Walker, 2008; Grades 5–up) exquisitely details how the new invention of photography influenced and shaped Lincoln’s career. The earliest surviving American photograph was taken in 1839, when Lincoln was 30 years old. By 1843, he’d had his picture taken, and he had no idea that one day people would be more eager to photograph him than any other person in the country. Show your booktalk audience the photo of Lincoln with a group of Union officers on page 10. He was tall, almost 6’4”, and he wore a tall hat. He liked to stand in the middle of a picture, so everyone naturally looked at him first. The man knew a photo-op when he saw one! Look at the famous photo by Mathew Brady that Lincoln said won him the election for president. He posed Lincoln surrounded by books, in front of a pillar, and he raised Lincoln’s shirt collar to cover his scrawny neck. The eeriest photo in the book shows Lincoln (who was accidentally rubbed out of the original negative) at his second inauguration. Not far behind him stands John Wilkes Booth, the man who would kill him a few weeks later. In front of him are several other men who helped plan his assassination.

Finally, if the younger kids are feeling left out, let them put on a show! Our Abe Lincoln: An Old Tune with New Lyrics (Scholastic, 2009) by Jim Aylesworth and illustrated by the incomparable Barbara McClintock, depicts a cast of kids putting on a school program about the life of Abraham Lincoln. The text is sung to the tune of “The Old Grey Mare”! It’s a terrific idea for a class show, and a delightful tribute to a great man.

If you’re still wondering why so many people want to celebrate Lincoln’s birthday, pick up any one of these books and start reading. You’ll see what a gift he was to this country.