New Books About Elections

This is an election-year for President Obama, and there is a lot of political talk going on. Children might hear some confusing terms and have questions. Here are a couple of new books that address the topic:


Amelia Bedelia's First Vote by Herman Parish, illustrated by Lynne Avril
Young Amelia Bedelia is just as easily confused as she is the the original series. Her class is learning about elections. They come up with some great ideas to improve their school, and create a ballot. Their are several great choices, but each student can only vote once. Amelia learns that every vote really does count! Readers will encounter new idioms that Amelia misinterprets, which leads to some silly situations. Recommended for children in kindergarten to grade 3.


Bad Kitty for President by Nick Bruel
Bad Kitty is just sick of all the stray cats in the neighborhood, and decides that being president is the best way to tackle the problem. She's running for president of of the Neighborhood Cat Club. There are some other great candidates, so she'll need to work hard if she intends to win. Of course this book is funny, just like all the other Bad Kitty books, but it's also a gentle guide through the election process in the United States. A humorous glossary of terms in the back of the book helps readers with new concepts. Recommended for children in grades 3-5.


--Angie R., Headquarters