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4th out of 19 books
—
3 voters
My rating:
add to my books
Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country: Kids' Letters to President Obama
by
Jory John
Dear Barack Obama,
Something happened to me: I went out to lunch at Starbucks and I wanted to buy a cup of whipped cream and normally it’s 43 cents, but now it’s 74 cents! The price raised 31 cents for no reason. So you should probably try to change things like that from happening. You should keep an eye out for things like that.
Love,
Alexis Feliciano, age 9, Brooklyn
Dear P
...morePaperback, 144 pages
Published
March 1st 2009
by McSweeney's
(first published February 1st 2009)
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What I learned from this book is that kids sure like to babble about how much they love horses and ice cream. And they think it's sooooo easy to solve problems like war and homelessness. Maybe we can "use words to get people from Iraq and Afghanistan to talk through their problems". Yeah right, little dude!
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This is a fun book we got with our McSweeney's subscription. The title basically sums up the gist of the book -- it's a collection of letters that kids wrote to Obama after he was elected. Some have questions, some have glimpses into the kids' lives, and some have advice. The latter is my favorite, by far. Two examples:
Dear President Obama,
I have some advice for you. Please make this world a better place. I say this because we want no more war. We also don't want j...more
Dear President Obama,
I have some advice for you. Please make this world a better place. I say this because we want no more war. We also don't want j...more
Children's letters to President Obama! They are really sweet, some of them are heartbreaking. It amazes me how much kids know about politics these days. When I was 10 I knew nothing. A lot of the letters address homelessness and advise Obama to help the poor. Some letters scold him for smoking. Some talk about all the fun they would have if they lived in the white house. One kid wants to fill some of the rooms with mashed potatoes and have a pizza carpet and a chocolate pudding couch.
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I bought this book primarily because it is a fundraiser for 826 National, and I really like the work they do (Maybe someday they'll open an 826 St Louis? I can hope) But I'm glad I did, I had a good laugh, and read several of the letters out loud to my friends.
The book is short and cute, full of a mix of thoughtful letters, and notes from kids who want to tell Obama about their siblings and favorite foods. Some of them are absolutely heartbreaking, describing in childlike bluntness the...more
The book is short and cute, full of a mix of thoughtful letters, and notes from kids who want to tell Obama about their siblings and favorite foods. Some of them are absolutely heartbreaking, describing in childlike bluntness the...more
So they collected a bunch of amusing letters written to president-elect Obama by children. This is like brain-candy - bite-sized and easy to digest. Pleasant pastime.
I like this sort of thing a lot. I only took away one star because the kids are from a handful of cities and they mostly all say how wonderful it is that Obama is bringing hope. I would have been interested to read a few letters that reflected the dejected state of mind of youthful McCain/Palin supporters. Though ...more
I like this sort of thing a lot. I only took away one star because the kids are from a handful of cities and they mostly all say how wonderful it is that Obama is bringing hope. I would have been interested to read a few letters that reflected the dejected state of mind of youthful McCain/Palin supporters. Though ...more
Lots of very funny letters in here, though they are so on-message you imagine Alastair Campbell standing behind the kids with a rolled-up newspaper!
At first I felt uplifted by the letters, by all the hope and happiness and desire for change, but by the end I was just depressed. The things these kids are crying out for - restrictions on guns, a national health service, an end to war - are never going to happen in present-day America.
And a British person watching Obama's ri...more
At first I felt uplifted by the letters, by all the hope and happiness and desire for change, but by the end I was just depressed. The things these kids are crying out for - restrictions on guns, a national health service, an end to war - are never going to happen in present-day America.
And a British person watching Obama's ri...more
It's hard to knock on kids and good causes, especially good causes for kids. So I won't. In fact, I'd say support the 826 program by buying this or any of their other books, regardless of my or anyone's start ratings. They do great work. The thing about this book, though, is it becomes monotonously repetitive very quickly. Some of the letters are amusing and funny. Some are heartbreaking. The rest you can sum up with: please stop the war in Iraq, please improve the economy and please help the en...more
I read this book after hearing excerpts from it on This American Life. It was pretty hilarious. Some of the letters these kids wrote were just so cute. For example: "Do you work with Santa Claus? Can I meet you in your house? Can I say bye to you after I meet you? And then can I meet you again? And then again after that?" Some were moving, the kids were so hopeful and just wanted to simply make sure everyone had a house and enough food and toys and candy. And some were absurdly hil...more
On one hand, these letters were a lot of what you'd expect of letters to a president, with comments about wanting to be able to run around in the White House, and questions about Obama's daughters. On the other hand, the children represented by the letters seemed to know about a wide range of current issues, based in part on their own family's experiences with the economy, immigration, and the wars. As a former teacher, I enjoyed reading these letters.
I liked learning more about the ...more
I liked learning more about the ...more
Benjamin
rated it
Shelves:
nonfiction,
letters,
presidents,
united-states,
humor,
mcsweeneys,
first-edition,
edition,
2009-read
Cute and short. This will probably be much more interesting in 3 years and then in 30 years. Some of this letters are so desperate they almost made me cry because even if you put aside the politics of the Obama Administration, there is no way any political party could fix the problems these kids write about in their letters. This book could easily be titled "Horrible Social Tragedies that our Country Faces as told by it's Children". Good luck Obama.
What an amazing little book! It was inspiring to see the magic that surrounds the presidency in childrens' eyes. They really believe Obama can stop homelessness, end the war, save the environment, stop rising gas prices, and fill the White House with root beer (and I mean literally -- so that people could ride around in boats with giant straws), and mashed potatoes and chocolate (but not together). I laughed aloud many times. A great quick read.
This compilation of letters written by children to President Obama captures kid's-eye views of Obama, the presidency of the United States, and our election process. It's laugh out loud funny and quite touching. Here's one sampling: "Dear President Obama, Whatever happened to McCain? If I made up a rule, it would be to have snow cones every week. You should give the whole United States snow cones...Sincerely, Hamza Saalim"
The kids have spoken! This book shows just how far Obama's message of hope has spread- all the way through to those non-voting under 18 year-olds. And, as we're told, their hope is not just the "mirror reflections of (these kids') parents"; their thoughts and words of wisdom are truly their own. Buying this book just might be the perfect way to not only commemorate Obama's 2008 victory, but to also continue giving kids a voice.
Little kids writing to the President is the cutest thing ever! One kid told Obama, "The best thing about living in the White House would be running around like a maniac," and another wanted to know, "Do you work with Santa Claus?" Another told Obama that if he were president, he'd "have a couch made out of pudding that you could eat with a giant spoon." Very cute, very happy :)
A gift from Little Mike...it's just sweetness for the soul!
A gift from Little Mike...it's just sweetness for the soul!
I read this book quickly and absolutely loved it. Not only is it laugh out loud funny it proves that kids are interested and worried about big issues: the current wars, the environment and the economy for starters. Pick this up for a good laugh! To paraphrase one suggestion: "If I were president, I'd run like a maniac through the white house." Love it!
Kate
rated it
Recommends it for:
hungry young constituents
Recommended to Kate by:
E 907.T48 2009
Shelves:
politics
I would fill the White House with chocolate and gravy (but not together) and mashed potatoes or maybe fill it with root beer. I'd drive through the White House on a boat. We'd make the floor out of mashed potatoes and the house would be filled with mashed potatoes. I'd have a couch made out of pudding that you could eat with a giant spoon. And I'd have a pizza carpet.
Dear Mr. President Obama,
I enjoyed reading the letters the kids wrote to you and I hope you liked them too. I hope you like living in the White House and you're not afraid of Abraham Lincoln's ghost in your bedroom.
Congratulations on being the president of the world!
In awesomeness,
allbookedup
I enjoyed reading the letters the kids wrote to you and I hope you liked them too. I hope you like living in the White House and you're not afraid of Abraham Lincoln's ghost in your bedroom.
Congratulations on being the president of the world!
In awesomeness,
allbookedup
You get some interesting ideas from 6-14yr.-olds, like filling the White House with chocolate or gravy (not at the same time, duh!), giving 10 Dollars to everyone per day (don't forget the kids!), recommandations on what kind of dog to get and special requests for housecleaning jobs.
Cute.
Cute.
Sometimes I wish all books could be as funny, heart-warming, and yes, profound as this one. Kudos to 826 Valencia for their commitment to letting kids be writers and poets. Now if we were able to elect them into leading positions the world could really turn into a better place...
Really cute! Kids had great things to say. And these are kids who are currently working with tutors at 826 National in seven cities in the US. LA, SF, Seattle all come to mind. Great insights to how kids think about politics, and what their parents might be telling them.
I picked this book up at 826CHI, a tutoring center in Chicago where some of the book's authors get help with their homework. I doubt any book like this exists...just goes to show what an amazing effect Obama's election had on the country.
Funny and sweet: letters to President Obama written by children from an afterschool tutoring program in several major metro areas. Do not skip the index...it's probably the only index you'll ever see that'll make you giggle.
Fun little book of letters that the kids involved with the 826 National Program wrote to Obama just after he was elected. I hope that they sent him a copy. Fun, quick little read.
Such a wonderul compilation of honest thoughts on America and our new President. Although these are voices of young kids, the insignt they offer is truthful and poignant.
MY favorite is the child who bemoans the increased price of a cup of whipped cream at Starbucks. I'm sure Obama can fix that.
I think my students would enjoy reading this book. It's cute and heartwarming and interesting. Kids have great (and often funny) ideas. If only it were that easy!
A quick read, this book will have you smiling throughout. My favorite mention is that of whipped cream.
Ginny Tata-phillips
added it
Cute book and great cause! But needs more careful editing to prevent duplication of letters!
Kids writing to President Obama - an awesome idea by 826! There's much wisdom in kiddish simplicity.
I thought this book sounded hysterical- and some of the letters were. Sadly, I'm quite sure that many of the kids were coached by parents/teachers about what to say, which just sucks all the fun out of it.
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