The Campaign

August 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.

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