Ripples of Hope

April 10, 2020

Gr 5-8-Written by Barack Obama's successful campaign manager, this title encourages pre-voters to get active in the 2020 presidential election to defeat President Trump. Plouffe realizes students will not be able to cast a ballot but knows young people have boundless enthusiasm, energy, creativity, and time to give to the causes they support. Plouffe's writing style is highly readable and conversational while outlining the basic process of how the presidential election works, including the importance of battleground states and the Electoral College. It provides specific ideas for ways tweens and teens can get involved. Suggestions include knocking on doors, manning phone banks, and traveling to battleground states to volunteer. Plouffe stresses the importance of pre-voters using their passion to motivate would-be voters to make a difference for the tweens and teens unable to vote. He emphasizes the positive potential of personal interaction and reasons that adult voters will generally remember a well-thought-out appeal from a teen. Plouffe counts on this positive interaction to translate into a vote for the candidate opposing Trump. This enthusiastic guide is chock-full of ideas to help tweens and teens make those appeals. VERDICT Written and published pre-COVID-19 pandemic, many actions and ideas are excellent and very practical but might not be feasible in these uncertain times. Also, it will have an extremely short shelf-life.-Lisa Crandall, formerly at the Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI

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