May the Best Candidate Win

We are almost down to the wire.  After a long campaign (too long, in the opinion of a four-year-old Colorado girl who was reduced to tears when she thought about it), it will be all over in just over two days.  I am not going to voice an opinion in favor of one candidate or the other.  Instead, I would like to recommend two marvelous books that are delightful reading for a Presidential election year–or any other time, for that matter.

Judson Moon and his friend Lane Brainard come up with an idea: Judson should run for President, with Lane acting as his campaign manager.  Far-fetched?  It may seem so at first, but the idea catches on–and even the Constitution is amended to allow the twelve-year-old to enter the race.  Dan Gutman’s hilarious novel might just teach readers a thing or two about the election process!

This entertaining book is packed with fascinating tidbits about our Presidents, from the fact that James is the most popular first name (shared by six) to pre-Presidential occupations (a precious illustration shows tailor Andrew Johnson working on actor Ronald Reagan’s suit).  Underlying the humor is information sure to spark interest in learning more about our Commanders in Chief, past and present.  A gem.

October Is Birthday Month

When we think of October, many things come to mind.  Fall.  Brightly colored leaves.  Cooler temperatures.  Football season.  Homecoming games.  (I read a news story about a newly crowned high school Homecoming Queen who, being a member of her school’s football team, scored the winning field goal for her team.)  The World Series.  Columbus Day.  Yom Kippur.  Succos.  (Some years, this one included.)

You may have your own additional reasons for finding this colorful month special.  For me, it is birthdays.  One of our children (our youngest) and two of our grandchildren entered the world in October, and the icing on the (birthday) cake is that a grandson shares a birthday with our son.  Very special. 

Speaking of birthdays, some great children’s and young adult authors were born in October.  To mention a few:

Julie Andrews Edwards, October 1

This star of stage and screen has been penning picture books and children’s novels for some forty years.  Several of her popular titles include the fantasy The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles, Little Bo and its two sequels, and the recent sparkly picture books, A Very Fairy Princess and The Very Fairy Princess Takes the Stage.

Joseph Bruchac, October 16

Versatile is a word that aptly describes the Abenaki storyteller.  His repertoire includes the delightful-with-a-message picture book Turtle’s Race with Beaver, The Arrow Over the Door, a middle-grade historical novel, and the thrillingly spooky Whisper in the Dark and The Dark Pond.  Interesting how libraries and librarians make cameo appearances in more than one of his novels.

Dan Gutman, October 19

While many of this author’s books have a sports theme, some of his best have nothing to do with things athletic: The Kid Who Ran for President and its sequel, The Kid Who Became President, two funny but thought-provoking novels that have been election-year hits since the original’s 1996 publication; and Race for the Sky: the Kitty Hawk Diaries of Johnny Moore, a fictional journal written by a real-life teen who witnessed the Wright brothers’ first flight.

Steven Kellogg, October 26

This incomparable author and illustrator has put his pen–and pencil and brush–to many classic and recent picture books.  Yankee Doodle receives a fresh look accompanied by Kellogg’s illustrations, and The Pied Piper’s Magic, a new, almost unrecognizable, version of the original tale, is a delight.  And the younger set will love the Clorinda books (written by Robert Kinerk).

“Librarians have always been among the most thoughtful and helpful people.  They are teachers without a classroom.  No libraries, no progress.”–Willard Scott

October is–