Interesting compilation of presidential offspring factoids. Though the author was 13-14 years-old when he wrote this book, I was torn by the quantity of research put into the book and the immaturity of the writing. Often it seemed to me that he was dumbing down his writing to make it appear it was being written by a 4th grader. And just as often, I would forget he was anything except a writer of interesting presidential trivia.

I thought this would be a fun book to put in my guest room book case. I hope some great-nieces and great-nephews will enjoy it some on some future visit.

Complete through the Obama administration. ( )

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Besides the fact that FIRST KIDS is just an amazing, well-researched, totally interesting tome about the children of the U.S. Presidents from George Washington to George W. Bush, it's even more remarkable that it was written by 13-year-old Noah McCullough. Noah, who vows to run for President in 2032, is obsessed with everything political. Good thing, too, or we'd never have such a resource as FIRST KIDS.

Filled with biographical information, outstanding photographs, and fun-filled "Fast Facts" section on each First Family, this is a non-fiction book that reads like a great novel. Kids and teens can use it for school reports, parents can use it as a resource guide, teachers could use it as a teaching instrument in the classroom - basically, its worth can't even be measured.

I personally loved the "Fast Facts" section, where I learned things such as:

The Carter family had a dog named Grits and a cat named Misty Malarky Ying Yang.

The McKinleys once served a meal in the White House that consisted of 71 courses.

JFK and his family never called John, Jr. John-John, although he was dubbed the nickname by the press and repeatedly referred to by that name.

Mrs. Taylor, Zachary Taylor's wife, spent most of her time in the White House in her room, knitting and smoking her corncob pipe.

There are tons more interesting facts included in FIRST KIDS. The whole family will have a great time reading through this truly interesting book, which I recommend for every home and school library! ( )

First Kids is a vivid read. Students will love the wonderful photos and finding out how their everyday life struggles are the same as famous children and their families.

This book is about the White House's First Children. The book goes through each president and tells you if their children lived in the White House. The book then goes on the tell interesting facts about the children and the famous fathers and mothers.

I think this is a great book because it shows children that kids in the White House are just like them and they all go through the same ups and downs as they do. Amy Carter actually went to public school. I think this is a great addition to any classroom.

I would go over all of the presidents one by one with the students then at the end of the month the student have to say their presidents in order. The students will also pick a president to do a report over.

First Kids' cover is a real eye-catcher with a glossy, bright cover with full-color photos of young JFK, Jr., the Bush twins, and the White House. The interior, however, is a different story. First Kids has the potential to be a real kid-pleaser, but its black-and-white color scheme (even the recent photos) and voluminous, small text make it a rather plodding look at the lives of the presidents' children. The Fast Facts pages with their interesting presidential tidbits, along with photos, would probably have been sufficient. The lengthy entries on each presidential child (including those who died in infancy and those who became "first kids" as adults) can be boring at times. Additionally, while it's certainly commendable that a 13-year-old would author a book, the writing style is definitely that of a 13-year-old,

"Franklin Robert Pierce came along on August 27, 1839. He was a happy boy but contracted typhus along with his younger brother and died at age four on November 14, 1843. Benjamin "Bennie" Pierce was born on April 13, 1841. As a two-year-old, he caught typhus but lived."

Still, young readers should be able to find something entertaining in this inside look at the lives of the presidents' children; and the mere fact that the book was authored by a teenager may add a dash of interest and inspiration to other teens. ( )