The Campaign
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Veep meets Parks and Recreation in this hilarious illustrated middle-grade political comedy about a 12-year-old who runs her babysitter’s campaign for mayor
For 12-year-old Maddie Polansky, the only good part of school is art class. And though she’s never paid much attention to politics, when she learns that the frontrunner for mayor of her city intends to cut funding for the arts in public schools, the political suddenly becomes very personal. So Maddie persuades her babysitter, Janet, to run for mayor against Lucinda Burghart, art-hating bad guy. Soon, Maddie is thrust into the role of campaign manager, leading not only to humor and hijinks, but to an inspiring story for young readers that talks about activism and what it takes to become an engaged citizen. Maddie and Janet’s adventures on the campaign trail are illustrated by copious black-and-white drawings throughout the book.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
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.
