Module 10: A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar

Fleming, Candace, and S. D. A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar. 1st ed. New York NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2004. Print.

This story follows the efforts of the Cheshire Massachusetts community in making a giant cheddar round for the White House in a marketing campaign against their rivals in Norton Connecticut. Despite the local naysayer the entire town bands together – men, women and children alike – to milk, salt and use the cider press and check the cheese. After it has been made the town elder and the critic deliver the cheese by sleigh directly to the White House and Thomas Jefferson. Based on actual events the story is well written and illustrated while still being informative about cheese making thereby adding further interest to the book in its authentic cheese-making details from the early era in our country’s history.

I enjoyed this book because it was a nice combination of historic detail, plot, pictures and culinary skill. After studying the early years of our country numerous times in first and secondary school this brought a fresh view which included personal details of a real community which held my interest much more than the raw facts I had memorized year after year.

I would use this in a display focusing on foods in history to encourage children to broaden their horizons with their reading material.

Review:

Lilen-Harper, Amy. "A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of a Tremendous Cheddar." School Library Journal 45.8 (1999): 134. Web. 6 May 2011.

Kindergarten-Grade 4-A little-known piece of American history is at the center of this humorous story. When the people of Cheshire, MA, hear that President Jefferson is eating cheddar made in Norton, CT, instead of their own, they decide to do something about it. Against all odds, they make a 1235-pound wheel of cheese and ship it to the president, who declares it the best that he has ever tasted, puts it in the record books, and serves it until it finally goes bad. Using a cast of amusing characters that include little Humphrey Crock, who is good at arithmetic; Elder John, the real-life mastermind of the scheme; and the doubting Phineas Dobbs, who scoffs every step of the way, Fleming makes this strange bit of history interesting and funny. Each of the characters has a distinct personality, and the watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations bring all of them to life. Schindler's detailed, cartoonlike artwork integrates well with the witty text. An author's note separates fact from fiction and explains what happened next. This book would be a great choice for classroom units on history, world records, cheese making, or even on succeeding at something that seems impossible. It's also a good bet for anyone looking to liven up historical fiction collections for the younger set.