Leader By Destiny: George Washington, Man and Patriot
by Jeanette Eaton
Nonfiction · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 720L · 1938
Why we'd hand it over
A 1938 Newbery Honor book that reads as earnest and slightly dated, but offers vivid scenes of Washington's actual decisions and doubts—not hagiography, and genuinely narrative enough for strong 8-year-old readers to sustain attention.