Big Birthday Bash week: February 12

Many happy returns to Charles Darwin (1809-1882) and Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865).

Dawn at By Sun and By Candlelight has a lovely list of Lincoln links.

Big bicentennial bashes are underway for Lincoln, too. Here’s the link for the Lincoln Bicentennial, 1809-2009: Live the Legacy. The “Learning about Lincoln” section, under the “Teachers” category, has two lists of books, Suggested Reading K-6 and Suggested Reading 7-12 (the latter prepared by YALSA’s 2006 Booklist Taskforce). And then there’s the Essential Lincoln Bookshelf.

You won’t be surprised to hear that not only is there the official government celebration, but Kentucky, where Lincoln was born, is hosting one party; Indiana, where he spent his youth, is throwing another; and Illinois, where he made his adult home, yet another (Lincoln200). There’s even a special Tri-State celebration.

And here’s an interesting idea — Charles and Abe together again.

Steve Jenkins, author of one of our family’s favorite children’s books about evolution, Life on Earth, has his first post up at the new Interesting Nonfiction for Kids (I.N.K.) blog, and suitably it’s about teaching (or not teaching) science in general and evolution in particular. Don’t miss it.