A new book caught my eye this week, or rather my ears, as I first heard about this new tome while listening to a radio interview with the author, Eric Foner. You would think that with the vast plethora of books available about Lincoln that we would scarcely need another ( there are more books about Lincoln than almost any other person who ever lived!). But in this case, the author has provided something very useful by examining the course of Lincoln’s thinking about slavery and about African Americans in general, and how that thinking changed over time. I highly recommend “Our Lincoln: New Perspectives on Lincoln and His World” by Eric Foner. Here is a great review - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/03/books/review/Reynolds-t.html
So what is this to do with school assembly programs? Well, we are charging headlong toward that time of year when the phone rings off the hook with representatives of schools calling frantically trying to schedule Martin Luther King for January or Abraham Lincoln for February. It is amazing how many people wait until November or even December to call and then are surprised to learn that there is nothing left available!
Both Martin Luther King and The Living Lincoln are great shows. Martin Luther King is a perfect program to feature for Dr. King’s birthday or as a Black History assembly program for Black History Month in February. The Living Lincoln, featuring a stunningly accurate and realistic Abraham Lincoln impersonator leading students of all ages through a 45 minute chronological first person narrative of the life of the 16th president. There is no better way to celebrate Presidents Day in February.
However, as I have pointed out before, dates for both these programs are limited and fill in quickly. As I write this in October, depending on geographic concerns, there may or may not be dates left in your area. But in a month or two there will certainly not be any left so I strongly recommend trying to secure your date today! Bring history to life for your kids and see how the past illuminates the future!
Geoff Beauchamp is the Regional Manager of Mobile Ed Productions where "Education Through Entertainment" has been the guiding principal since 1979. Mobile Ed Productions produces and markets quality educational school assembly programs in the fields of science, history, writing, astronomy, natural science, mathematics, character issues and a variety of other curriculum based areas. In addition, Mr. Beauchamp is a professional actor with 30 years of experience in film, television and on stage. He created and still performs occasionally in Mobile Ed's THE LIVING LINCOLN
