There is no avoiding it. The political season is heating up. The observer-of-human nature in me is wishing for a Rip van Winkle-style sleep elixir that could carry me through to November (or December ?) when the result is finalized and we can all attempt to move past the vitriol. Instead, I simply remind myself over and over again that beneath our varying opinions on the way this country should be run, the vast majority of this country shares the same hopes for our children and our grandparents.
The mother in me is looking for a way to make sense of this process for my children. Nothing sets the stage for a thoughtful discussion with a 4 to 8-year-old quite like a good storybook. So here are our families favorite 5 election-related books. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments!
Duck for President, by Doreen Cronin:
This is one of our favorite books! This nutty story can be a starting place for teaching big ideas or for silly giggles. And as a parent, you'll find yourself making your own list: "at the end of each day he was covered with grass clippings, coffee stains.... "
If I Ran for President by Catherine Steir:
Six children discuss what they would do if they were running for president, describing the election process all the way from making the decision to run to being sworn in on Inauguration Day.
Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio
Sure to be in nearly every classroom this fall, this book is my favorite combination of great storytelling with a lasting message. When Grace discovers that there has never been a woman president of the Unites States, she decides that she will run for president one day. Her teacher encourages her by holding a school election.
We the Kids by David Catrow
Though it is meant of an older audience, Little Miss Four enjoys the pictures and the whole family learns a little something. With laugh-out-loud cartoony illustrations, and the actual words of the Preamble as the only text, Catrow depicts a camping trip taken by a diverse, bumbling group of friends, demonstrating the rights and responsibilities the Constitution places on all Americans, young and old.
My Teacher for President by Kay Winters
This book is a perfect way to teach kids about presidential responsibilities, elections, and the power of writing a letter to the editor. If enough of us read this one, Oliver's teacher just might win with a write-in vote this November!
What election-related books does your family enjoy?