Our White House Resources Illuminate Presidential Campaigns of the Past and Connect Kids with Politics Today
National news is alive with the daily coverage of the Republican presidential candidates' speeches and debates and the analysis of President Obama's prospects for reelection. To help kids learn more about our country's rich history of presidential politics, campaigns, and elections, check out the NCBLA's award-winning anthology Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out!
Have you ever wondered why so many presidents have come from Ohio? So has Natalie Babbitt, and you can read her essay "Seven from Ohio" in Our White House. You can also share the story of how President Hoover's inaction following the stock market crash of 1929 prevented him from being elected to serve another term in Matt Phelan's poignant comic strip, "Hoover's One Term." Marvel at Calef Brown's painting "Freedom of Speech" and discuss the impact of this freedom on our presidential campaigns with the young people in your life. And read Rocket Boys author Homer Hickam's account of meeting John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail in "The White House, the Moon, and a Coal Miner's Son."
On the companion educational site OurWhiteHouse.org, you can learn how long it took to expand the right to vote in "Who Gets to Vote?" and discover how the electoral college works in "Getting the Votes and Getting Elected: The Popular Vote vs. the Electoral College." Have fun reading about the original campaign "button" in "From Buttons to Pins: Campaign Tokens Evolve." And PARENTS, be sure to read "Presidential Debates: Watch the Debates with Your Kids and Teens" for helpful hints before next week's Republican debate!
Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out is a masterpiece of poetry and prose, art and photography, created by over 100 of America's most gifted storytellers and artists as a project of the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance designed to encourage young people to read more about America’s rich history and culture; to think more about America’s future; to talk more about our nation’s leadership; and to act on their own beliefs and convictions, ensuring this great democratic experiment will survive and thrive. Our White House is available in both paperback and hardcover from Candlewick Press.
Ask for Our White House at a library or bookstore near you!
