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Recommended White House Literature for Young Readers

Barbara Bush Reads to a Young Audience

Barbara Bush reads to young audience.

The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum/ NARA

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  1. Barnes, Peter W. and Cheryl Shaw Barnes. Woodrow the White House Mouse. Washington, D.C.: Little Patriot Press, 2012.
    Using rhymes and colorful illustrations, this book teaches children about the Executive Mansion and the presidency from the perspective of Woodrow G. Washingtail, the White House mouse.
  2. Bateman, Teresa. Red, White, Blue, and Uncle Who?: The Stories of America’s Patriotic Symbols. New York: Holiday House, 2001.
    Discover the history behind seventeen patriotic symbols of the United States including the Liberty Bell and the White House. Illustrations by John O’Brien.
  3. Becker, Cynthia Simmelink. Lights On! Ike Hoover Electrifies the White House. Palmer Lake, CO: Filter Press, LLC, 2017.
    Explore the President’s House as it was in 1891 when Irwin “Ike” Hoover brought electricity to the Executive Mansion for President and First Lady Harrison. Illustrations by Benjamin Hummel.
  4. Carbone, Elisa. Diana’s White House Garden. New York: Viking, 2016.
    Daughter of the chief advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Diana Hopkins finds a way to contribute to the war effort. Based on a true story, this book details the creation of a White House victory garden during World War II.
  5. Coulter, Laurie. When John & Caroline lived in the White House. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2000.
    Learn about the experiences of President John F. and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s children at the White House through stories and historic photos from their time there.
  6. Fischer, Chuck. The Gingerbread White House: A Pop-Up Book. Washington, D.C.: The White House Historical Association, 2016.
    This hands-on book invites readers to enjoy the White House holiday tradition of the gingerbread house and learn stories from pastry chefs Roland Mesnier and Mark Ramsdell.
  7. Fleming, Candance. A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar. New York: Square Fish, 1999.
    Discover the funny and cheesy folklore surrounding the Massachusetts town of Cheshire’s gift to Thomas Jefferson and the White House on New Year’s Day 1802. Illustrations by S. D. Schindler.
  8. Flynn, Sarah Wassner. 1,000 Facts about the White House. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic, 2017.
    Experience a 360-degree view of the White House, from its creation in 1792 to the fire of 1814, to today’s state dinners, celebrations, celebrity pets, and more. This book features a foreword written by the President of the White House Historical Association, Stewart McLaurin.
  9. Gourley, Robbin. First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew. New York: Clarion Books, 2011.
    Learn about the history behind the grounds around the White House and discover the story behind the modern vegetable garden on the South Lawn. This book also includes recipes from the White House kitchen.
  10. Harrington, Lisa M. The White House. New York: Children’s Press, 2015.
    Perfect for early readers, this short book teaches about the basic history and function of the White House and its roles as an American symbol.
  11. House, Katherine L. The White House for Kids: A History of Home, Office, and National Symbol with 21 Activities. Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2014.
    This detailed book guides young readers through the history of the Executive Mansion and the experiences first kids have had there.
  12. Kennedy, Marge. Pets at the White House. New York: Scholastic, 2009.
    This short and quick read teaches young readers about the different pets that have lived at the White House from dogs to raccoons and more.
  13. Kennedy, Marge. The Story of the White House. New York: Children’s Press, 2009.
    This book offers a brief look at the White House and the changes to the building throughout history, along with useful vocabulary words.
  14. Marchiano, John Bemelmans. Madeline at the White House. New York: Viking, 2011.
    Connected to the famous series, Madeline and her fellow classmates from Paris visit the White House and make friends with the president’s daughter.
  15. O’Connor, Jane. If the Walls Could Talk: Family Life at the White House. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2004.
    A chronological book detailing the various ways each president and his family members left a mark on the White House. Entertaining cartoon illustrations by Gary Hovland.
  16. Petruccio, Steven James. The History of the White House Coloring Book. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 2010.
    This book includes thirty detailed outline images of the White House to color. Each page tells the history behind the construction, rooms, and residents of the Executive Mansion.
  17. Pliska, Johnathan. The White House Easter Egg Roll: A History for All Ages. Washington, D.C.: White House Historical Association, 2018.
    This new history of the White House Easter Egg Roll reveals how each administration from Rutherford B. Hayes through Donald J. Trump has staged the annual event. The book includes more than seventy whimsical illustrations by John Hutton that bring this event to life.
  18. Rabin, Staton. Mr. Lincoln’s Boys: Being the Mostly True Adventures of Abraham Lincoln’s Trouble-Making Sons, Tad and Willie. New York: Viking, 2008.
    Get a glimpse inside life at the White House for the kids of a president. In this book, young readers will learn about pranks played by Abraham Lincoln’s sons, Tad and Willie. Illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline.
  19. Rathigan, Joe. White House Kids: The Perks, Pleasures, Problems, and Pratfalls of the President’s Children. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing, 2012.
    A detailed history of how the children and grandchildren of presidents have experienced the White House starting with Susanna Adams, John Adams’ granddaughter.
  20. Roosevelt, Anna. Scamper: The Bunny Who Went to the White House. Wooster, OH: The Wooster Book Company, 1934.
    Written by the daughter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, this children’s book tells the tale of a bunny traveling to the White House and playing with the president’s grandchildren. Illustrations by Majorie Flack.
  21. Sabuda, Robert. The White House: A Pop-Up for Our Nation’s Home. New York: Orchard Books, 2016.
    In this pop-up guide, readers can take a 3-D tour through select rooms of the White House. The text includes the poem “Inauguration Day” by Richard Watson Gilder, adapted by Robert Sabuda.
  22. Smith, Charles R., Jr. Brick by Brick. New York: Amistad, 2013.
    Brought to life with Floyd Copper’s illustrations, this picture book tells the story of the many hands, including those of enslaved individuals, who built the White House over two hundred years ago.
  23. Stier, Catherine. If I Were President. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company, 1999.
    Learn what a president does and what it is like to live in the White House – from watching movies in the home’s theater to working hard in the Oval Office. Illustrations by DyAnne DiSalvo-Ryan.
  24. Stossel, Sage. On the Loose in Washington, D.C.: A Find-the-Animals Book. Carlise, MA: Commonwealth Editors, 2013.
    Take a fantasy tour through the nation’s capital with this book. Young readers can spot dozens of animals drawn into detailed illustrations at famous D.C. locations, from the White House to the Capitol to historic Georgetown.
  25. Trounstine, Connie Remlinger. Fingerprints on the Table: The Story of the White House Treaty Table. Washington, D.C.: White House Historical Association, 2013.
    This White House Historical Association publication tells the story of the historic Treaty Table first used by President Ulysses S. Grant, a real object that remains in the White House collection today. Illustrations by Kerry R. Talbott.
  26. Various Authors. Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 2008.
    A compilation of 108 renowned authors and illustrators came together with the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance to publish this anthology of White House-related content to inform the next generation.

For more detailed information about the rooms and grounds of the Executive Mansion, read the White House Historical Association’s flagship publication – The White House: An Historic Guide – recently updated in 2017. This guidebook provides a more in-depth look at the spaces and history behind the president’s home and office.

The White House Historical Association has also created two board books for pre-school age children and a kids’ cookbook. Please look for the board books, White House Pets and White House Colors, both illustrated by Howard M. Kurtz, or learn healthy recipes in The White House Kids’ “State Dinner” Cookbook: Winning Recipes from the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge published by the Association in 2016.

Several of the children’s books on this list are available through the Association’s online shop, click here, and at our retail locations in Washington, D.C.

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