Thematic Lists

Examines the process of choosing the president

The political landscape has never been so tumultuous: issues with the electoral college, gerrymandering, voter suppression, and a lack of representation in the polls and in our leadership have led to Americans of all ages asking, How did we get here? The power to change lies with the citizens of this great country--especially teens! Rather than pointing fingers at people and political parties, You Call This Democracy? looks at flaws in the system--and offers a real way out of the mess we are in. Each chapter breaks down a different problem plaguing American democracy, exploring how it's undemocratic, offering possible solutions (with examples of real-life teens who have already started working toward them), and suggesting ways to effect change--starting NOW!

This critical civil rights book for middle-graders examines the little-known Tennessee's Fayette County Tent City Movement in the late 1950s and reveals what is possible when people unite and fight for the right to vote. Powerfully conveyed through interconnected stories and told through the eyes of a child, this book combines poetry, prose, and stunning illustrations to shine light on this forgotten history. The late 1950s was a turbulent time in Fayette County, Tennessee. Black and White children went to different schools. Jim Crow signs hung high. And while Black hands in Fayette were free to work in the nearby fields as sharecroppers, the same Black hands were barred from casting ballots in public elections. If they dared to vote, they faced threats of violence by the local Ku Klux Klan or White citizens. It wasn't until Black landowners organized registration drives to help Black citizens vote did change begin--but not without White farmers' attempts to prevent it. They violently evicted Black sharecroppers off their land, leaving families stranded and forced to live in tents. White shopkeepers blacklisted these families, refusing to sell them groceries, clothes, and other necessities. But the voiceless did finally speak, culminating in the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which legally ended voter discrimination.

A variation of the "This Little Piggy" verse where voters get ready to cast their ballots.

Granny and her granddaughter are going on a walk. But this is not just any walk. It's a walk that must not be missed; one that is more important than ever but has been made increasingly difficult for many to participate in. It's a walk that joins together a community; that lifts voices; that allows us to speak up, stand up, and say what's on our minds. It's a walk for hope. Where are all these treasured souls going? Just WALK ON and find out.

Using a direct style and kid-friendly dinosaur art as an entry point into tough but important topics is the Dino Tales formula for success. Democracy for Dinosaurs takes key values on every parent's mind and gives them tools to show young readers how things they do every single day can be guided by principles we must share in a democratic society: freedom, fairness, the rule of law, equality, respect for free speech, and respect for the truth. By modeling accessible ways to practice being a good citizen, kids will see they are part of their country and that they have an important role to play.

On election day at the elementary school, Curious George and his friend the Man with the Yellow Hat are visiting just in time to see the kids voting for their new school mascot. George can't resist getting in on the fun. He learns about the candidates, collects campaign stickers, and casts a lot of ballots. But what will happen when his hijinks start to get in the way of the vote? And who will win the big election?

When Amelia Bedelia runs into her principal, Mr. K., and plants the idea that students should vote on the rules, he decides that her class should be the first to come up with new ideas for running the school

The corruption, activism, heroic efforts, and ongoing struggles for the right to vote are chronicled by an award-winning nonfiction author. For over 200 years, people have marched, gone to jail, risked their lives, and even died trying to get the right to vote in the United States. Others, hungry to acquire or hold onto power, have gone to extraordinary lengths to prevent people from casting ballets or outright stolen votes and sometimes entire elections. Perfect for students who want to know more about voting rights, this nonfiction book contains an extensive view of suffrage from the Founding Fathers to the 19th Amendment to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to today's voter suppression controversies, and explains the barriers people of color, Indigenous people, and immigrants face. Back matter includes a bibliography, source notes, texts of the Constitution and amendments, a timeline, and an index.

Briefly discusses the elective process in the United States

With today's presidential candidates launching multimillion dollar campaigns years before an election, it's hard to imagine a time when running for the top office in the country was as simple as being asked. But that's how George Washington became president. Thomas Jefferson and other early presidential contenders actually tried to avoid the contest as it wasn't proper to appear too interested in the office. In the 1840s, candidates didn't need to say much about their own ideas for government; the party leaders ran the campaigns. the Whig Party campaigned for William Henry Harrison and his running mate, John Tyler, with parades, campaign souvenirs, and songs. Their slogan, Tippecanoe and Tyler too, became famous, and the boisterous campaign won the election. Follow the presidential races from the election of George Washington to George W. Bush and witness the changes in the battle for power over more than two hundred years. See how election rules have adapted; how caucuses, primary elections and political conventions evolved; and how strategies have moved from the simple campaigns of the early days to the elaborate focus groups, polls, TV commercials, fund raising and loud and colorful party conventions of today.

Find out everything you want to know about the United States presidency--who the presidents were; how we vote; whose votes count the most--- in this book completely comprised of infographics.

Erin Bright is pretty, polished, and popular--the perfect First Daughter. Her father is the mayor of their small town, so photo shoots and fancy inauguration balls are a part of her life (so, unfortunately, is the fact that the press stalks her Facebook page). In high school, Erin is politically involved as well; her gorgeous, charming boyfriend has been student council president for the past two years. But this election season, things are about to change. When Erin suddenly gets passionate about an environmental cause, she decides to run against her boyfriend...and to challenge everything her dad stands for! It's an all-out political war, where popularity may not be what it seems, and Erin could lose her boyfriend and all her friends. But she might just be up for the challenge...

When Grace's teacher reveals that the United States has never had a female president, Grace decides she wants to be the nation's first and immediately jumpstarts her political career by running in her school's mock election! The race is tougher than she expected: her popular opponent declares that he's the "best man for the job" and seems to have captured the votes of all of the class's boys. But Grace is more determined than ever. Even if she can't be the best man for the job, she can certainly try to be the best person! This timely story not only gives readers a fun introduction to the American electoral system but also teaches the value of hard work, courage, independent thought -- and offers an inspiring example of how to choose our leaders.

My fellow Americans: It is our pleasure, our honor, our duty as citizens to present to you Duck for President. Here is a duck who began in a humble pond. Who worked his way to farmer. To governor. And now, perhaps, to the highest office in the land. Some say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he is a duck. We say, if he walks like a duck and talks like a duck, he will be the next president of the United States of America. Thank you for your vote.

Not yet eighteen years old, Josh, a.k.a. Larry, comes out of hiding and returns to public life, this time to run for President as an advocate for issues of concern to youth and to encourage voter turnout.

Using a campaign for mayor as an example, shows the steps involved in an election, from the candidate's speeches and rallies, to the voting booth where every vote counts, to the announcement of the winner

Kids shouldn't have to wait until they're old enough to vote to get caught up in the excitement of presidential elections! From the first primaries, through the party conventions, to the final count at the polls, the race for the presidency is a whirlwind of passionate speeches, sensational campaigns and new beginnings that every American can be a part of!

Learn all about the history of voting rights in the United States--from our nation's founding to the present day--in this powerful picture book. A right isn't right till it's granted to all... The founders of the United States declared that consent of the governed was a key part of their plan for the new nation. But for many years, only white men of means were allowed to vote. This unflinching and inspiring history of voting rights looks back at the activists who answered equality's call, working tirelessly to secure the right for all to vote, and it also looks forward to the future and the work that still needs to be done.

An award-winning author chronicles the story of the women's suffrage movement in America, using compelling period photographs--including some never before published--to illustrate the vivid narrative.

Stacey Abrams, politician and Nobel peace prize nominee, is brought to life in this poetic picture book biography that follows Abrams's fight for voters' rights. Narrated by Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Septima Clark, and Fannie Lou Hamer, this powerful story tells how Abrams's work was inspired by those luminaries before her. "Sometimes she would light the way. Sometimes her way would be lit by others..." Stacey Abrams was always destined for big things, because she always imagined more. Now she protects the least powerful, works toward making voting fair and easy, and demands better for Georgia and every other state in this nation. Stacey Abrams's determination, perseverance, and courage will inspire younger generations to make meaningful change in the world.

For the first 128 years of our country's history, not a single woman served in the Senate or House of Representatives. All of that changed, however, in November 1916, when Jeannette Rankin of Montana became the first woman elected to Congress-even before the Nineteenth Amendment gave women across the U.S. the right to vote. Beginning with the women's suffrage movement and going all the way through the results of the 2012 election, Ilene Cooper deftly covers more than a century of U.S. history in order to highlight the influential and diverse group of female leaders who opened doors for women in politics as well as the nation as a whole. Featured women include Hattie Caraway (the first woman elected to the Senate), Patsy Mink (the first woman of color to serve in Congress), Shirley Chisholm (the first African-American woman in Congress), and present-day powerhouses like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton. The book is filled with lively illustrations and archival photographs. It includes a glossary, index, and chart of all the women who have served in Congress.

In 1920, Susan B. Anthony passed a law that gave voting rights to women in the United States. RIGHT? WRONG! Susan B. Anthony wasn't even alive when the Nineteenth Amendment was ratified. Plus, it takes a lot more than one person to amend the constitution. The truth is, it took millions of women to get that amendment into law. They marched! They picketed! They even went to jail. But in the end, it all came down to a letter from a state representative's mom. No joke. Through illustrations, graphic panels, photographs, sidebars, and more, acclaimed author Kate Messner smashes history by exploring the little-known details behind the fight for women's suffrage.

The story of the tenacious American women who demanded, fought for--and finally won--their right to vote; paving the way for generations of civil rights activists. For nearly 150 years, American women did not have the right to vote. On August 18, 1920, they won that right, when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified at last. To achieve that victory, some of the fiercest, most passionate women in history marched, protested, and sometimes even broke the law--for more than eight decades. From Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who founded the suffrage movement at the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, to Sojourner Truth and her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech, to Alice Paul, arrested and force-fed in prison, this is the story of the American women's suffrage movement and the private lives that fueled its leaders' dedication. Votes for Women! explores suffragists' often powerful, sometimes difficult relationship with the intersecting temperance and abolition campaigns, and includes an unflinching look at some of the uglier moments in women's fight for the vote. By turns illuminating, harrowing, and empowering, Votes for Women! paints a vibrant picture of the women whose tireless battle still inspires political, human rights, and social justice activism

Based on the true story of one family's struggle for voting rights in the civil rights-era South, this moving tale shines an emotional spotlight on a dark facet of U.S. history. Life on the farm with Granddaddy is full of hard work, but despite all the chores, Granddaddy always makes time for play, especially fishing trips. Even when there isn't a bite to catch, he reminds young Michael that it takes patience to get what's coming to you. One morning, when Granddaddy heads into town in his fancy suit, Michael knows that something very special must be happening--and sure enough, everyone is lined up at the town hall! For the very first time, Granddaddy is allowed to vote, and he couldn't be more proud. But can Michael be patient when it seems that justice just can't come soon enough? This powerful and touching true-life story shares one boy's perspective of growing up in the segregated South, while beautiful illustrations depict the rural setting in tender detail.

An elderly African American woman, en route to vote, remembers her family's tumultuous voting history in this picture book publishing in time for the fiftieth anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As Lillian, a one-hundred-year-old African American woman, makes a "long haul up a steep hill" to her polling place, she sees more than trees and sky-she sees her family's history. She sees the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment and her great-grandfather voting for the first time. She sees her parents trying to register to vote. And she sees herself marching in a protest from Selma to Montgomery.

The struggle for voting rights was a pivotal event in the history of civil rights. For the fiftieth anniversary of the march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, Newbery Medalist Russell Freedman has written a riveting account of African-American struggles for the right to vote. In the early 1960s, tensions in the segrated South intensified. Tired of reprisals for attempting to register to vote, Selma's black community began to protest. In January 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a voting rights march and was attacked by a segregationist. In February, the shooting of an unarmed demonstrator by an Alabama state trooper inspired a march from Selma to the state capital. The event got off to a horrific start on March 7 as law officers brutally attacked peaceful demonstrators. But when vivid footage and photographs of the violence was broadcast throughout the world, the incident attracted widespread outrage and spurred demonstrators to complete the march at any cost.  Illustrated with more than forty archival photographs, this is an essential chronicle of events every American should know.

Marva was born ready for this day. She's always been driven to make a difference in the world, and what better way than to vote in her first election? Duke is so done with this election. He just wants to get voting over with so he can prepare for his band's first paying gig tonight. Only problem? Duke can't vote. When Marva sees Duke turned away from their polling place, she takes it upon herself to make sure his vote is counted. Romantic and triumphant, The Voting Booth is proof that you can't sit around waiting for the world to change... but some things are just meant to be.

In the spring of 2018, Guatemalan American high school senior Milagros "Millie" Vargas knows her life is about to change. She has lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, ever since her parents sought asylum there when she was a baby. Now a citizen, Millie devotes herself to school and caring for her younger siblings while her mom works as a housekeeper for the wealthy Wheeler family. With college on the horizon, Millie is torn between attending her dream school and staying close to home, where she knows she's needed. She is disturbed by what's happening to asylum-seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, but she doesn't see herself as an activist or a change-maker. She's just trying to take care of her own family. Then Mr. Wheeler, a U.S. Senate candidate, mentions Millie's achievements in a campaign speech about "deserving" immigrants. It doesn't take long for people to identify Millie's family and place them at the center of a statewide immigration debate. Faced with journalists, trolls, anonymous threats, and the Wheelers' good intentions--especially those of Mr. Wheeler's son, Charlie--Millie must confront the complexity of her past, the uncertainty of her future, and her place in the country that she believed was home.

Election season is here and Monster is ready to vote! But why cast your ballot when you can run for president instead? With speeches, debates, and a soapbox or two, Monster's newest tale is a campaign encouraging kids to take a stand and fight for what they believe in.

Ike finds his civil liberties at risk when Hugo Bugwort, the hard line mayoral candidate, promises to crack down on free-roaming, fun-loving dogs. As the anti-dog rhetoric escalates, Ike is compelled to join the political fray and run for mayor himself. Bugwort rethinks his pooch-policies when Ike selflessly helps rescue him after he collapses at a campaign rally. Told through letters to Mrs. LaRue and local newspaper accounts

Highlights the controversy following the 2000 presidential election, where television network blunders and Florida state court battles kept Americans wondering who their next president would be, and includes a discussion of the electoral college.

Every day, nine-year-old Yasmin borrows a book from Book Uncle, a retired teacher who has set up a free lending library on the street corner. But when the mayor tries to shut down the rickety bookstand, Yasmin has to take her nose out of her book and do something. What can she do? The local elections are coming up, but she's just a kid. She can't even vote! Still, Yasmin has friends -- her best friend, Reeni, and Anil, who even has a blue belt in karate. And she has family and neighbors. What's more, she has an idea that came right out of the last book she borrowed from Book Uncle. So Yasmin and her friends get to work. Ideas grow like cracks in the sidewalk, and soon the whole effort is breezing along nicely... Or is it spinning right out of control? An energetic, funny and quirky story about community activism, friendship, and the love of books.

Jackson Greene swears he's given up scheming. Then school bully Keith Sinclair announces he's running for Student Council president, against Jackson's former friend Gaby de la Cruz. Gaby wants Jackson to stay out of it -- but he knows Keith has "connections" to the principal, which could win him the presidency no matter the vote count. So Jackson assembles a crack team: Hashemi Larijani, tech genius. Victor Cho, bankroll. Megan Feldman, science goddess. Charlie de la Cruz, reporter. Together they devise a plan that will take down Keith, win Gaby's respect, and make sure the election is done right. If they can pull it off, it will be remembered as the school's greatest con ever -- one worthy of the name THE GREAT GREENE HEIST.

Susie B. has a lot to say. Like how it's not fair that she has to be called Susie B. instead of plain Susie. Or about how polar bears are endangered. Or how the Usual Geniuses are always getting picked for cool stuff over the kids like her with butterflies in their brain. And it's because Susie B. has a lot to say about these very important things that she's running for student council president! If she's president, she can advocate for the underdogs just like her hero and fellow Susie B., Susan B. Anthony. (And, okay, maybe the chance to give big speeches to the whole school with a microphone is another perk.) But when the most usual of Usual Geniuses also enters the student council race, Susie realizes this may be a harder won fight than she thought. Even worse, Susie discovers that Susan B. Anthony wasn't as great as history makes it seem, and she did some pretty terrible things to try to help her own cause. Soon, Susie has her own tough decisions to make. But one thing is for sure--no matter what, Susie B. won't back down.

When the students in Nikki and Deja's class find out that their school is going to hold its first-ever election for student body president, some kids are more excited than others. But none is as excited as Deja, who figures she's a shoo-in for the third grade nomination. Deja decides that Nikki will be her campaign manager, of course, and puts her to work right away. But will Deja's tendency to rush into things and boss people around alienate her best friend when she needs her most, and spoil her chances of becoming president of Carver Elementary?

Skeezie, Addie, Joe, and Bobby -- they've been friends forever. They laugh together, have lunch together, and get together once a week at the Candy Kitchen to eat ice cream and talk about important issues. Life isn't always fair, but at least they have each other -- and all they really want to do is survive the seventh grade. That turns out to be more of a challenge than any of them had anticipated. Starting with Addie's refusal to say the Pledge of Allegiance and her insistence on creating a new political party to run for student council, the Gang of Five is in for the ride of their lives. Along the way they will learn about politics and popularity, love and loss, and what it means to be a misfit. After years of getting by, they are given the chance to stand up and be seen -- not as the one-word jokes their classmates have tried to reduce them to, but as the full, complicated human beings they are just beginning to discover they truly are.

With his friend as campaign manager and his former babysitter as running mate, twelve-year-old Judson Moon sets out to become President of the United States.

Jamie Goldberg, who chokes when speaking to strangers, and Maya Rehrman, who is having the worst Ramadan ever, are paired to knock on doors and ask for votes for the local state senate candidate.

While campaigning for her favorite meal--macaroni and cheese--in the school's first ever "Lunch Election," Caitlin tallies the committed votes in her head

Eleanor Roosevelt's book on citizenship for young people now revised and updated for a contemporary audience. In the voice of one of the most iconic and beloved political figures of the twentieth century comes a book on citizenship for the future voters of the twenty-first century. Eleanor Roosevelt published the original edition of When You Grow Up to Vote in 1932, the same year her husband was elected president. The new edition has updated information and back matter as well as fresh, bold art from award-winning artist Grace Lin. Beginning with government workers like firefighters and garbage collectors and moving up through local government to the national stage, this book explains that the people in government work the voter. Fresh, contemporary, and even fun, When You Grow Up to Vote is the book parents and teachers need to talk to children about how our government is designed to work.

Contributors discuss why voting matters, why does your vote count, why you should get involved with politics at school and your community and encourages teens to think about what democracy means

Olive is excited to start sixth grade: new teachers, new experiences, and a field trip to the big city with her best buds! But when Olive finds out that a school policy is keeping some kids from going on the trip, she decides to act. She's prepared to do whatever it takes to be heard--even if it means running against Trent and Sawyer, two of her closest friends, in the student council election! With intense campaign competition and emotions running high, can Olive make a big change and keep her friends?

You wouldn't expect Nate and Charlie to be friends. Charlie's the laid-back captain of the basketball team, and Nate is the neurotic, scheming president of the robotics club. But they are friends, however unlikely--until Nate declares war on the cheerleaders. At stake is funding that will either cover a robotics competition or new cheerleading uniforms--but not both. It's only going to get worse: after both parties are stripped of their funding on grounds of abominable misbehavior, Nate enrolls the club's robot in a battlebot competition in a desperate bid for prize money. Bad sportsmanship? Sure. Chainsaws? Why not. Running away from home on Thanksgiving to illicitly enter a televised robot death match? Of course! In Faith Erin Hicks' and Prudence Shen's world of high school class warfare and robot death matches, Nothing can possibly go wrong.

Takes readers behind the scenes--from the sweaty cubicles where senators dial corporate CEOs for dollars, to lavish retreats where billionaires boost their favored candidates, to the map rooms where lawmakers scheme to handpick their voters. It highlights the heroic efforts of those unrigging the system to return power to We the People.

Make social studies accessible, relevant, and engaging with standards-based curriculum drama! Curriculum drama is a student-centered, inquiry-based teaching method in which the teacher facilitates dramatic activities that engage students' interest and imagination, develop critical thinking skills, and promote collaboration. Civic Literacy Through Curriculum Drama, Grades 6-12 shows educators how to provide rigorous and innovative opportunities for students to experience the social studies curriculum firsthand, from mock trials to classroom senates to political campaigns. Rooted in constructivism, these realistic experiences develop deep knowledge and understanding as students research and take on the roles of senators, judges, lawyers, campaign managers, lobbyists, and political activists.

Includes a section entitled "Why vote? Understanding elections, the candidates, and why any of this matters"

This classic bestseller, now updated for today's diverse teaching force and student populations, explores the benefits of sociomoral practices in the classroom. The authors draw on recent research to show how these approaches work with children ages 2-8. They focus on how to establish and maintain a classroom environment that fosters children's intellectual, social, moral, emotional, and personality development. Extending the work of Jean Piaget, the authors advocate for a cooperative approach that contrasts with the coercion and unnecessary control that can be seen in many classrooms serving young children. Practical chapters demonstrate how the constructivist approach can be embedded in a school program by focusing on specific classroom situations and activities, such as resolving conflict, group time, rule making, decision making and voting, social and moral discussions, cooperative alternatives to discipline, and activity time. New for the Second Edition: Updated examples reflecting the authors' work with low-income children. Coverage expanded to include 1st- and 2nd-grade classrooms. New alternatives to discipline. "Principles of Teaching" sections with many examples of classroom interactions.

With more than 80 activities in each book, these valuable resources will enrich your curriculum. For each activity, literature links promote reading, while Internet links encourage the best use of technology. Individual and team projects for K-5 classrooms, connected to NCTE standards.
Includes an activity related to Election Day

Collection of all 46 Schoolhouse rock! songs on the topics of science, multiplication, money, American history and English grammar. Plus, the new song "I'm gonna send your vote to college" about the American electoral college

The film opens as Mo makes an eye-opening discovery: The U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right to vote. Mo sets out to learn why the Founding Fathers deliberately omitted the right to vote from the Constitution--and to understand the consequences of this decision. His quest leads him to Indiana, which has some of the strictest voting laws in the country. He meets two impassioned local activists--Republican Dee Dee Benkie of Versailles and Democrat Mike Marshall of North Vernon--who take him inside their efforts to turn out every vote. Dee Dee, a member of the Republican National Committee who worked in Karl Rove's office at the White House, has met her match in Mike, a veteran political consultant and former State Representative. Things heat up when the Republicans file a lawsuit challenging thousands of Democratic absentee ballots. As he progresses on his journey, Mo explores the heated debate over Voter ID and voter fraud; searches for the Electoral College; gets to know a former felon who mistakenly believed she was disenfranchised for life; critiques ballot design with Todd Oldham; and encounters a range of activists, experts, and election administrators, along with some highly opinionated third graders, who offer commentary on how voting works--or doesn't work--in America. Woven throughout the film are sequences in which Mo meets reformers working to bring greater fairness and transparency to our election system. Among these reformers are proponents of the National Popular Vote Campaign, who have devised a plan to reform the Electoral College without a Constitutional amendment. Although this pragmatic measure--which would result in direct election of the President--has already passed in 31 state legislative chambers, it has received scant attention from the mainstream media. These stories carry the film into the future while giving viewers concrete steps they can take to help bring about change.

What made Nebraska matter during the presidential campaigns of 1968? Hundreds of people were drawn into a once-in-a-lifetime political storm. Bobby Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George Wallace competed for the support of their parties. Conservatives and liberals clashed. The U.S. was fighting a controversial war. Race shaped the political landscape. Never before had Nebraska received so much attention from those campaigning to become President of the United States

Follows elections for class monitor at a Chinese grammar school and examines how the children take to this exercise in democracy

This behind-the-scenes account of the 2004 Republican and Democratic conventions examines how presidential candidates build their platforms and generate momentum. Includes interviews with convention chairmen, campaign strategists, members of special interest groups, and journalists.

Documents the 72-year struggle for women's suffrage which culminated in the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920. It illuminates the alliances, infighting, betrayals and defeats that paved the way for victory in the battle for women's right to vote. Historical footage is enhanced with vocal performances, and interviews with historians provide the viewer with both current and historical perspectives.