Deborah Hopkinson

Award Winning Author of Fiction & Nonfiction for Children & Teens

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek

A Tall Thin Tale

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek

What is this book about?

In this pic­ture book of his­tor­i­cal fic­tion about our 16th pres­i­dent of the Unit­ed States, we read the tale of two boys who get them­selves into more trou­ble than bear cubs in a can­dy store dur­ing the year 1816. Abe is only sev­en years old, and his pal, Austin, is ten.

Abe and Austin decide to jour­ney down to Knob Creek. The water looks scary and deep, and Austin points out that they don’t know how to swim. Nev­er­the­less, they decide to tra­verse it. I won’t tell you what hap­pens, but let’s just say that our coun­try wouldn’t be the same if Austin hadn’t been there to help his friend.

Awards and Accolades

  • A Junior Library Guild Selection
  • Book­list children’s edi­tors’ choice list 2008
  • 2008 Bul­letin of the Cen­ter for Children’s Books Blue Rib­bon list
  • ALA-ALSC Notable Books for chil­dren (mid­dle readers)
  • Com­stock Book Award (from Min­neso­ta State Uni­ver­si­ty Moorhead)

State Awards

  • Illi­nois 2010-11
  • Indi­ana 2010-11
  • Iowa 2010-11
  • Mary­land 2009-10
  • Michi­gan Great Lakes 2009-10
  • Nebras­ka 2010-11
  • New York 2009-10
  • Ver­mont 2009-10

Reviews

What you can know for sure is that this is a book you should add to your shelves.” (School Library Jour­nal, starred review)

“[J]ust how do you han­dle a leg­end? Deb­o­rah Hop­kin­son has found a way, and it’s a win­ner.” (The Bul­letin of the Cen­ter for Chil­dren’s Books, starred review)

“This unusu­al and often amus­ing pic­ture book offers much more than an illus­trat­ed rem­i­nis­cence.” (Book­list, starred review)

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek

author, Deb­o­rah Hop­kin­son
illus­tra­tor, John Hen­drix
Schwartz & Wade / Drag­on­fly Books
ages 4 and up, 2008
ISBN 978–1524701581

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