Fascinating look at the many disparate ways artists have portrayed George Washington, and the painstaking work of a group of experts to create "authentic" representations of him in different stages of life. ( )

Review copy from Lerner PublishingJust in time for our annual trip to DC! Every painted portrait of George Washington is a little different -- no one image seems to capture the "real" first president. The most famous portrait of him is the one used to create the image on the one-dollar bill, but people tend to think he looks "old and grumpy." Was he really? The evidence doesn't seem to support that at all! This is the story of a team effort to create three life-size historically accurate models of George Washington for the education center at Mount Vernon: one when he was 19, surveying and learning wilderness survival skills, one when he was 45 and commanding the Continental Army during the Revolution, and one when he was 57 and president of the newly United States of America. Some of the team members are forensic experts, who use research and technology to reconstruct the past, and some are experts in 3-D computer modeling scanning and software. Some on the team are experts in clothing and textiles from the past, and others are historical experts and talented artists. They even created an accurate life-size model of his horse! This is an outstanding combination of science, history and technology, with amazing images of original artifacts and artwork, computer models, and historical places. Highly recommended for 7th grade and up, especially appropriate for 8th grade. ( )