More than one hundred leading authors and illustrators donate their talents to a collection of essays, personal accounts, historical fiction, and poetry which looks at America's history through the prism of the White House.

Introduction / by David McCullough -- Looking in, looking out / by Gregory Maguire. Part I: From the foundation up / illustration by Bagram Ibatoulline -- The White House first residents / by Jane Yolen ; illustrated by Petra Mathers -- Testimony of Padraig Tomás Ó 'Deorìn: 1801 / imagined and illustrated by Mary Brigid Barrett -- Slaves helped build the White House! / by Walter Dean Myers -- Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826 / by Milton Meltzer -- White House colonial kitchen gardens / by Stephanie Loer ; illustrated by S.D. Schindler -- Jefferson's monstrous bones / by Barbara Kerley -- Bones on the floor / illustrated by Brian Selznick -- An unusual guest / by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel -- The capital city in 1800 / illustrated by Mike Reagan. Part II: Struggling to stand / illustration by Wendell Minor -- The White House prepares for war: 1812 / by Ralph Ketcham -- The burning of the White House / by Susan Cooper -- Dolley Madison rescues George Washington / written and illustrated by Don Brown -- The first White House memoir: 1865 / by Paul Jennings ; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie -- Another all-American girl / by Meg Cabot -- From the walls of the White House / by Kathleen Krull ; illustrated by Robert Byrd -- Visiting the Great Father / by Joseph Bruchac ; illustrated by Max Grafe -- Sneaking into Adams field / by Michael Winerip -- Andy and me / by Marguerite W. Davol ; illustrated by Tom Pohrt -- The White House cow / by Richard Peck ; illustrated by Barry Root. Part III: annexation and division / illustration by Timothy Basil Ering -- From American notes / by Charles Dickens ; illustrated by Claire Nivola -- On looking into dresses worn by the "First Ladies" of the White House (paper doll cut-outs), 1938 / by Nancy Willard ; illustrated with original book cover and paper dolls by Maybelle Mercer -- Elizabeth Keckly: seamstress to First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln, 1861-1865 / by Patricia C. and Fredrick L. McKissack ; illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon -- High spirits in the Lincoln White House / by Russell Freedman -- Mary Todd Lincoln speaks of her son's death, 1862 / by Paul B. Janeczko -- Memoir by Mary Henry: eyewitness to the Civil War in the city of Washington -- In early April / by Kate DiCamillo ; illustrated by Chris Sheban. Part IV: One lamp lights another / illustration by Nancy Carpenter -- Mrs. Cleveland, White House bride / by Jennifer Armstrong -- Seven from Ohio (for some reason) / written and illustrated by Natalie Babbitt -- The eyes and ears of the public / by Katherine Paterson ; illustrated by Andréa Wesson -- Theodore Roosevelt's letters to his children / by Leonard S. Marcus -- TR's family & friends / illustration by Chris Van Dusen -- Storming down the stairs / by Albert Marrin -- Executive order for nature / by Jean Craighead George -- America's wilderness / illustration by David Slonim -- William Howard Taft: president, 1909-1913 / by Virginia Euwer Wolff ; illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Part V: With courage and determination / illustration by Emily Arnold McCully -- Eyewitness to history / by Stephanie S. Tolan -- Woodrow Wilson's work without end / by Jeannine Atkins ; illustrated by Jerry Pinkney -- Hoover's one term / written and illustrated by Matt Phelan -- A rainmaker in the White House / by Michael Cooper -- Portrait of FDR / illustration by Barry Moser -- The four freedoms: from Franklin D. Roosevelt's address to Congress, January 6, 1941 -- Freedom of speech / illustration by Calef Brown -- Freedom to worship / illustration by Peter Sís -- Freedom from want / illustration by Ed Young -- Freedom from fear / illustration by Stephen Alcorn -- Hands / by Patricia MacLachlan ; illustrated by P.J. Lynch -- A perfect image / by Linda Sue Park ; illustrated by Stéphane Jorisch -- A note for the president / by Jerry Spinelli ; illustrated by Terry Widener -- The house haunts / by M.T. Anderson ; illustrated by Mark Teague -- A prayer for peace: from Dwight D. Eisenhower's farewell address to the nation -- Good nights / by Lee Bennett Hopkins ; illustrated by William Low. Part VI: The people's house / illustration by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher -- The Kennedy White House / by Barbara Harrison -- The White House, the moon, and a coal miner's son / by Homer Hickam ; illustrated by Joe Cepeda -- A White House physician / by James Young, M.D. -- A white mouse in the White House / by Anita Silvey -- Escape map / by Mark London Williams -- The presidential pet / written and illustrated by Stephen Kellogg -- My room / by Lynda Johnson Robb ; illustrated by Jane Dyer -- White House souvenir / by Polly Horvath ; illustrated by Sophie Blackall -- Robert F. Kennedy's remarks on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. -- Black White House/white black house / illustration by Chris Raschka -- Watergate White House / illustration by Tony Auth -- President Richard M. Nixon's final remarks to the White House staff -- President Nixon's letter of resignation. Part VII: The great house endures / illustration by Roxie Munro -- From Christmas in Plains: memories / by Jimmie Carter ; illustrated by Don Powers -- The White House / by Jon Sciesczka ; illustrated by Tony Fucile -- Ronald Reagan / photograph by Diana Walker -- From Ronald Reagan's farewell address to the nation -- Letter to George, Jeb, Neil, Marvin, and Doro Bush from George H.W. Bush -- George H.W. Bush / photograph by Diane Walker -- The Secret Service / by Jess M. Brallier ; illustrated by David Small -- I live in the White House / by Jack Prelutsky ; illustrated by Jim LaMarche -- From Meet the press with Tim Russert: Interview with Vice President Dick Cheney, September 16, 2001 -- FromThe 9/11 Commission report -- Visiting the White House / by Sarah Stewart -- Backstairs at the White House / illustrations by David Small -- The green house / by Megan McDonald -- The first pitch / by Stephanie True Peters ; illustrated by Matt Tavares -- Wanted: magnanimous, exquisite woman! / by Gigi Amateau -- Mrs. Bush inspires a National Book Festival / by John Y. Cole ; poster by Carol Dyer -- 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.: who's in the White House? / created by Bob Kolar -- The White House by moonlight / by Walt Whitman ; illustrated by James Ransome -- Letter from the NCBLA -- Notes on sources used by the authors -- Copyright acknowledgments and credits for public domain materials -- Contributors to Our White House -- Index -- The White House Easter Egg Roll, 2003 / painting by Eric Carle -- A big chair to fill / illustration by Leonid Gore.