Two teenagers are pushed to be more active in the 2016 election campaign, which becomes a journey to self-discovery and pride.

A sweet and inspiring middle grade novel on the power of democracy and getting involved. Maddie is kind of an odd duck - she loves art more than anything, is confused about what other kids like/what is popular, and has one close friend, along with an awesome babysitter (and benignly checked out parents). When she finds out her favorite art teacher’s job may be cut - in fact, ALL of arts education may be cut - by the mayoral candidate running unopposed, she decides to do something about it. Namely, she decides to run her babysitter for mayor.

What follows is a fun story of ups and downs, of reaching out to people and asking for help and their vote, of taking chances and working hard for the thing you believe in. Maddie learns a lot - not only about democracy, but about other kids and about herself.

A great addition to any library that has middle grade readers.

There is so much in this book that I loved, but a few of the adult characters felt a bit too tropy as if they were trying too hard to be comedic backdrop. Overall, however, the positives outweigh them. The main character is a believable 12 year old and a perfect response to upper elementary aged students who are saying “but what can I do - I’m just a kid” when reading about laws and politics. The book portrays the election process in a very relatable way for this age group and has the potential to ignite a generation of young advocates.

Thank you to @AbramsKids and @netgalley for the e-ARC of this delightful middle grade book. This one is a fantastic tool to teach kids about the importance of voting and elections. The illustrations are absolutely wonderful and while they definitely added to my enjoyment of the book, I think kids will love them even more. They turn this book into a cross between a chapter book and a graphic novel and I loved seeing pictures of the characters. Maddie and her friends are well-fleshed out and the adults take second stage in this one (rightly so). This would be a happy addition to any school or home library and it's a quick read that's enjoyable for adults, too. Reminiscent of Ramona Quimby and her counterparts, this will bring you all the nostalgia. PICK.

I will update this review with a link to my Instagram review once posted!