This week marks the 57th Presidential Inauguration in the United States. Since George Washington was first sworn in over 200 years ago, the Inauguration ceremony has been a rich tradition of American politics. While many Americans may know the basics, such as the President has been sworn in on the 20th of January since the implementation of the 20th Amendment, many are not aware of the little facts that make the Inauguration so fascinating.

For instance, Thomas Jefferson’s ceremony was the first in Washington D.C. The Inauguration had previously been held in New York City and Philadelphia.

Martin Van Buren was the first President not born a British subject when he was sworn in March 4th, 1837.

A huge turning point in American history was during Abraham Lincoln’s second Inauguration when African Americans participated in the Inaugural parade for the first time.

And most recently, Barack Obama became the first African American elected.

Therefore, in honor of all the great and powerful men past and present who have led our country, I present you with

a few of my favorite books on the subject.

Being George Washington

By: Glenn Beck

I know the old saying “You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” But I’ll admit, when I saw the author listed as Glenn Beck I was more than a tad skeptical. I’m happy that I put my prejudice aside and read the book because it is wonderful! Besides the common facts known [...]
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Religion is a complicated subject to tackle with anyone, let alone inquisitive children. Growing up, I wasn’t taught to follow any particular faith, and therefore didn’t know that half my family was Jewish until I was at least six or seven. As I grew older and began to learn more about what it really means to be Jewish, I discovered there was so much more to it than the Torah. Saturday, December 8th marks the first of eight nights of Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday that celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Oi, that’s not such an easy story to explain to a child! Luckily the Literary Duck is featuring an assortment of children’s books that do just that, plus so much more! Following are my favorite three selections, sure to be Bubbe-approved.

Hanukkah: A Counting Book

By: Emily Sper

How did I not know of this book sooner? Featuring a color-coded pronunciation key on the inside cover, this board book teaches children (and certain twenty-two year olds) how to count from 1-8 in Hebrew and Yiddish. Additionally, each page features a tradition of Hanukkah—four dreidels, five gold coins, six Maccabees. The last page has a short and sweet story of Hanukkah even the smallest child could understand. If you’re looking for a great introductory book, this one is a definite must for your list!

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When you’re five-foot-short, ginger, pseudo-Jewish and have a first name that can be abbreviated to that of an exotic dancer, and a last that connotes death, the mocking is just expected from your friends… and many complete strangers. Now, for most of my life this greatly embarrassed me. It wasn’t considered hipster cool yet to wear glasses in the first grade. Nor was doing Irish dance instead of ballet, being a peer mediator in middle school, or having to sit on a pillow to drive a car. However, recently I learned it was much easier and way more fun to simply embrace the fact that I was born without the cool gene. My inspirational role model? Well, Weird Al obviously. Who else would one learn to be “White and Nerdy” from than the man who coined the term himself! Therefore, in honor of my main squeeze’s 53rd birthday on October 23rd, may I leave you with my favorite books to inspire those who, like me, are vertically challenged, in their pursuit to stand up proudly and wave that nerd flag high. Oh, and let’s be real here; I still do and will forever use a pillow in my car…

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

By: Mindy Kaling

I firmly believe if Mindy and I met, we’d instantly be the best of friends. She may disagree, but that’s beside the point. In her latest book [...]
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