Grace for President
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As Hillary Clinton’s run for the White House may or may not be winding down, let’s consider GRACE FOR PRESIDENT, a charming and instructive book for kids written by Kelly DiPucchio with jazzy pictures by LeUyen Pham.
“No girl presidents EVER? Who’d ever heard of such a crazy thing?” says Grace, when her teacher holds up a poster of all the American presidents. And so Grace decides to run for president herself. Her teacher organizes a school election, and Grace thinks she’s a sure thing until a boy gets into the act (naturally), a boy who’s spelling bee champion, captain of the soccer team and all around school whiz, and who declares himself the best boy for the job. As the contest intensifies, the kids learn in the simplest, clearest terms about the electoral college (heads up all you people who’ve never been sure how it works) and what’s involved in a political campaign. |
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Things don’t look easy for Grace, especially when the other kids start gathering force and the race becomes boys against the girls. It’s a dead heat until the very last minute, when Thomas, a nerdy looking little boy, casts his three electoral votes for Grace, because he thinks she’s the best person for the job. Though the message is clear, it’s not heavy-handed. The book is fun and easy for kids in the lower elementary school grades to read – an amusing introduction to the electoral process that comes at the perfect time.
For more children's books that feature girls dreaming of more than just kissing the prince, check out the Mommy Track'd Anti-Princess Reading List. If you know of books that should be on that list but aren't, please post them in the comments section below.
05.21.08
My daughter checked this out just last week and it is a terrific book...Accelerated Reader level is in the low 4's (for those of you whose schools have bought into that program...).
05.14.08
girlmogul -- I have been trying to remember the name of that book for two months now! I was trying to come up with a good gift for a 10-year-old girl I know and remembered how much I loved that book in elementary school, but couldn't remember the title or the author. OK, Barnes & Noble, here I come :)
05.13.08
Sounds like a great read. I also love The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin - for readers 8 & up. The main character, Turtle outsmarts everyone (including lots of boys and men).
Andrea Stein
http://www.girlmogul.com