The Campaign

July 1, 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 Ren�e 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

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2020
A 12-year-old girl leads a mayoral campaign in hopes of saving arts education. 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)

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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.

January 8, 2021
Grades 4-7 Maddie Polanski doodles her way through most of her seventh-grade classes, finding them stressful and boring, but the one bright spot on her schedule is art with Mr. Xian. Of all her teachers, he understands the way her mind works. So how does a middle-school art kid get involved in local politics? Maddie decides to flex her civic muscles when she learns that the only person running for mayor of her town wants to defund the arts. If that happens, Mr. Xian will lose his job and Maddie will lose her favorite class! Though Maddie's too young to run for mayor herself, her babysitter, Janet, is up for the challenge, with the plucky protagonist acting as her campaign manager. Together they learn the tricks of the trade as they endeavor to campaign and advocate for the arts. This energizing read adeptly explains political strategy through humor and illustrations. A perfect pick for an election year, this novel will have readers rooting for the "little guy" and waiting on tenterhooks for all the ballots to be counted and the next mayor announced.

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