"The Campaign is exactly the story we need right now. A fun middle grade tale celebrating both why . . . and how . . . we should be involved in our government."—Jon Scieszka, bestselling author and national ambassador for children's literature emeritus Max Brallier, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Kids on Earth series School Library Journal Kirkus Review Publishers Weekly
08/10/2020
Maddie, 12, lives for art class, the one place in school where “it’s not really possible to do anything dumb or weird,” so she’s devastated when she learns that the lone candidate running for town mayor, a former Olympian campaigning as a “goal-oriented straight shooter,” wants to cut school arts funding. Maddie is not one to go down without a fight, however, so she persuades her babysitter Janet to sign up as the race’s challenger. The odds are stacked against Janet, but things kick into high gear after Maddie asks popular drama club queen Dahlina to enlist her friends to help run the campaign. Maddie’s fears—that she is disliked by classmates, that she’ll have to share Janet with the world—are well wrought and relatable, as is her drive to fight for what she believes. Sales (Once Was a Time ) seamlessly weaves campaigning facts and ethics into the timely tale, educating readers while keeping them hooked on the suspenseful election. Balacuit’s cartoons pepper the text, detailing story elements through short word-bubble conversations. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management. (Sept.)
"The Campaign is exactly the story we need right now. A fun middle grade tale celebrating both why . . . and how . . . we should be involved in our government."
bestselling author and national ambassador for chi Jon Scieszka
A hilarious, inspiring story which proves that kids have the vision and the power to change the world.
New York Times bestselling author of The Last Kids Max Brallier
07/01/2020
Gr 4–7— The self-important, presumptive mayor-to-be plans to cut arts education funding, so seventh grader Maddie leverages her peers' grassroots action in support of her babysitter's challenge for the mayoral seat. Sales infuses this civic engagement book with humor, identity angst, and character development, and keeps the story moving forward with a light touch. Underneath the who-will-win momentum, another layer of the story unfolds: Will relatable narrator and social outsider Maddie, who can be really mean and dismissive of her peers, learn to stop being so judgmental? Simple cartoons augment the text throughout, adding levity in the style of popular titles by Rachel Renée Russell and Chris Grabenstein. Lawrenceville is a small, familiar, American town filled with ethnically diverse characters; Maddie is white and middle class. VERDICT A highly readable, enjoyable, nonpartisan story meant to encourage civic activism amongst middle schoolers.—Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day Sch., Washington, DC
Emily Eiden’s narration captures the humor and relatable emotion in this nonpartisan audiobook about local politics and civic activism. Twelve-year-old Maddie is devastated when she learns that the lone candidate running for town mayor wants to cut school arts funding. After she persuades her babysitter, Janet, to enter the race, Maddie mobilizes a grassroots campaign at her middle school to help Janet get elected. With a youthful voice and a light touch, Eiden brings to life a group of passionate young campaigners fighting for what they believe in. In contrast, the self-important presumptive mayor’s voice drips with condescension. Adding to the fun are interspersed word-bubble cartoons, which Eiden distinguishes from the main text with appropriate vocal variation. S.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
SEPTEMBER 2020 - AudioFile
Emily Eiden’s narration captures the humor and relatable emotion in this nonpartisan audiobook about local politics and civic activism. Twelve-year-old Maddie is devastated when she learns that the lone candidate running for town mayor wants to cut school arts funding. After she persuades her babysitter, Janet, to enter the race, Maddie mobilizes a grassroots campaign at her middle school to help Janet get elected. With a youthful voice and a light touch, Eiden brings to life a group of passionate young campaigners fighting for what they believe in. In contrast, the self-important presumptive mayor’s voice drips with condescension. Adding to the fun are interspersed word-bubble cartoons, which Eiden distinguishes from the main text with appropriate vocal variation. S.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
SEPTEMBER 2020 - AudioFile
2020-07-14
Maddie Polansky loves art class—it’s the only thing that makes school bearable since she doesn’t have many friends and most teachers seem to dislike her—and dreams of being a professional cartoonist. When Mr. Xian, her beloved art teacher, tells her about Lucinda Burghart, the woman running unopposed for mayor who wants to slash funding for arts education, Maddie is ready to enact change. There are just two problems: She can’t legally run for mayor and her preoccupied, noncommittal parents aren’t nearly as worked up about this as she is. But Janet, her recent college graduate nanny, is a viable option. Janet accepts Maddie unconditionally and encourages her activism. They register Janet as a mayoral candidate just under the deadline, kicking off Maddie’s crash course in democratic processes. After a minor scandal, the campaign looks hopeless, forcing Maddie to seek out help from an unlikely source: her classmates. Maddie—who believes it’s her quirks, not her lack of a filter, that keep her from connecting with others—guides the long-shot team in hopes of improving society. This energetic, mindful book reinforces the agency of children and will inspire them to take action. Black-and-white cartoonlike illustrations throughout are often humorous and reinforce Maddie’s uncensored opinions. Maddie is White, Janet is brown-skinned, and there is diversity throughout.
A timely book encouraging youth to get involved. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)
