Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country: Kids' Letters to President Obama

by Jory John (Editor)

A few days after the election of Barack Obama, kids around the country were asked to provide advice and guidance to their new president. In this collection, there's loads advice for the president, often hilarious, sometimes heartfelt, and occasionally downright practical. Students from all over the country reach out to the 44th president, speaking to the issues closest to their hearts, relating their life stories, and asking for help. Topics include the economy, education, war, global warming, race relations in America and immigration. The book also includes letters about snow cones, puppies, microwavable burritos, dinosaur projects, multiplication and the ghost of Abraham Lincoln, reportedly haunting a White House bedroom.

Proceeds benefit 826 National, a network of nonprofit writing and tutoring centers around the country.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Humor, Childrens, History

144 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2009

About the author

Jory John is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and two-time E.B. White Read-Aloud Honor recipient.

Jory's work includes the #1 New York Times bestselling picture book, The Good Egg, and the #2 New York Times bestselling picture book, The Bad Seed, both illustrated by Pete Oswald. He is also the author of the popular picture books, Penguin Problems and Giraffe Problems, both illustrated by Lane Smith, the award-winning Goodnight Already! series, illustrated by Benji Davies, the New York Times bestselling Terrible Two series, the recent picture books Quit Calling Me a Monster! (with Bob Shea), Can Somebody Please Scratch My Back? (with Liz Climo), and the international bestseller, All my friends are dead, among many other books for both children and adults.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it's hardly uncommon now, you must have been a huge asshole to have not supported Obama in 2008. I was 12 when Obama won, around the same age as a lot of kids in this book. It's strange finding out how blissful the event was for many people and kids (one girl tells Obama that her favorite chlidhood memory is watching him win on TV), when it was a day of raw despair and uncertainty for me. During the campaign, I watched the news and vehemently supported McCain at school and on the Nintendo forum I frequented (dsultimate.net, RIP) and was the first person there to make a political avatar (a small "McCain/Palin" icon), which started a fun violent chain. I went with my parents to stand around all day to see McCain speak at Colorado Springs, and later to see Sarah Palin speak at a baseball field in Grand Junction. I was the one who had to go out front to remove the McCain sign from the snow in defeat.

I believe kids at that age (preteens) can know perfectly well the reasons for supporting and defending whatever candidate their parents present them with—and are aware enough to know that kids pick up whatever candidate their parents like, but say that they're independent thinkers, while all the naysayers at school are just copying their parents. I got into some pretty vicious arguments with kids in my middle school. (Stefan I'm still mad at you) It's the age where you'll able to argue your side, but not be open-minded or empathetic enough to understand why people argue for what they do, or know when arguing about politics isn't worth it. The arguments would get really heated and cruel and redundant, all around the age where no one's minds are going to be changed, and everyone's too young to factor into the election anyway.

These are during the preteen years. But 8? No. I remember wearing a Scary Kerry shirt in 4th grade around election day that was way too big for me, and trying to get into arguments with people even when I knew absolutely no reasons for Bush or against Kerry.

It disappoints me that this book didn't include any kids from a similar place I was in after the election. It's possible that the kids really thought Obama was going to read their letters and didn't want to say anything bad, the editors chose to not include any sassy kids' letters, or that it was harder to come by kids from strong Republican families in these cities (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, etc.).

It's fun seeing the disparity between kids' letters through only about a five-year difference. You have young kids fascinated with the role of President and living in the White House, listing off details about themselves oblivious to what a President would find interesting (except that maybe Nintendo DS's were in full swing), and you have the older kids that are already turning into mini-activists. While most of the kids' concerns are simplified views of news buzzwords (please stop pollution and war), it's fun seeing the state of the world through the eyes of these kids. I was surprised to see kids repeatedly mention the environment (when I was their age, I was cynical about any and all adults and media hammering to kids to be green), homeless (city-dwelling kids must be affected by homeless in ways that city-dwelling adults have found ways to shut out and justify away), and requests to lower the gas prices (even though most of these kids seem to come from largely liberal families, they ask Obama to lower gas prices more often then they bring up making fuel efficient or hybrid/electric cars, which I found funny).

Remarkably, only one kid devoted his letter to demanding the truth about Area 51 be revealed. More power to him.

A fun short read, and thought-provoking. And like 2 dollars on the McSweeney's garage sale, along with its sequel. Recommended for anyone interested in politics or who want to remember what being a kid (around ages 7–12) was like.

[Amy Wilder · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 perhaps the young just bounce back and rally behind the new leader of the free world more quickly than the old.

It's hard not to laugh at letters that advise the president-elect to wipe his feet when he arrives at the White House or recommend having a donut on a list of ten things to do as president.

Then I started tearing up as I read between the lines "you should lower the gas bills because some people have to borrow money to pay the bills." It's hard out there for a little pimp these days.

Then I got all philosophical about how clear things are for children. They believe in their own intelligence and the dignity of their humanity so deeply. They understand what war is, and pollution, and homelessness and they see these as straightforward problems with clear solutions. Don't fight, clean up after yourself, take care of people who need help. What is the hold-up? Why are you adults not fixing these problems?

Suddenly I remembered clearly the letter I wrote to President Reagan - I was 12 in 1988 when Bush was elected so this must have been 10 or 11-year-old me writing. I offered that if Reagan and the other adults were having a hard time ending the Cold War, maybe they'd better just step aside and give kids a chance. Actually, I think that might not be a bad idea. I can imagine a panel of 11-to-13-year-olds doing a better job in the middle east than the current leadership. They could hardly do worse.

In response, I got a pamphlet from Nancy Reagan, urging me to "Just Say No" to drugs. I was insulted. Not only did they not want my help or my advice, they had the audacity to imply that I might someday sample illegal drugs.

On second thought, perhaps I underestimate the Reagans. Clearly they did know a few things about the world that I had yet to learn.

Thanks, CC! I'm inspired to create a shelf of books that are just fun to pick up - how great would that be a whole shelf of twitter-wit and children's funny letters and books of interesting quotations? As of today the collection is begun!

[Philitsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 jobs to be gone because then we will be left with no money and no food to eat. We want no guns or violence on the street because they have killed many innocent people. I think you should get a lot of rest and eat healthy because you have a really big job commitment for this.

Sincerely,

Edgar Gomez, age 11
San Francisco

Dear President Obama,

Congratulations on the election. My name is Moses Williams. I am twelve years old and I want to be a director. The job of president is kind of like being a director. Director of the country! I think if I were older, more experienced, and in this position I could help you with relationships with other countries because, well, most of the world doesn't really like us and a lot of my friends were people who didn't like me at first. Thank you for reading.

Sincerely,

Moses Williams, age 12
New York

[Anina · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Heather G Gentle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super cute. Makes me remember the innocence of ( most ) kids and how if we all just thought simply like they did-- we'd probably be a lot better off:)

Just as a curiosity- page 23 and 75 have the same letter..

[Amber Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

This one might be my favorite:

Dear President Obama,
My name is Kevin. I have one brother and one sister and their names are Anthony and Dayanara. My favorite food is soup and my favorite breakfast is cereal. My favorite fruit is a pear and my favorite thing at the store is hot Cheetos.
Sincerely,
Kevin Romero, age 7

This sounds like kid stuff but some of the letters are surprising. They touch on the economy, on green alternatives to gasoline, on health insurance, on immigration, on race.

Here's a bit of one letter that I thought was interesting:

"My dream is to become a veterinarian or a zoologist because I love animals and I think I will get more connected to our planet. I have dreams that I want to achieve that are why my parents, my brother and I immigrated to the United States. My neighbor thinks that I'm just another Latino that is going to ruin her life. But they are so wrong. I want to go to great high schools. I want to graduate from college and show my mom that I worked my butt off."
-Yoselin Teresa Martinez Xonthe, age 13

[J.M. Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of letters written by a group of children and adolescents (ranging in age from 6 to 18 years) to Obama when he was elected to the U.S. presidency on November 4, 2008. The letters in this collection are funny, tender and insightful. As I was reading, I found myself really moved by how thoughtful and compassionate these writers are. At its core, this book reflects the many deep issues that plague our society today, including problems associated with poverty, education, immigration, race, and violence. The voices of these writers are compelling and compassionate. Together, they paint an authentic picture of what America really looks like today.

I think this book dispels any myths equating age with wisdom. Many of these writers are 1/3 the age of our current politicians; yet I find their thoughts on the struggles of our society much more clear-sighted and sympathetic than those often held by our supposed leaders. Our politicians certainly have much to learn from these young writers (especially regarding having COMPASSION for fellow human beings)!

In a nutshell, this is a wonderful, whimsical book that makes me feel happy and hopeful about humanity and our future! (sentiments that are rather uncommon for me these days...)

:].

[Stephen Theaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 rise to power can't help but be reminded of Blair in 1997 - you can't count the similarities without using your toes... And that tempers your excitement. Like Blair, I'm sure Obama will do a lot of good. But he's also bound to end up breaking hearts, making mistakes and shattering dreams.

But this is a wonderful and inspired book, despite my cynicism.

I've just realised I've read 100% of my McSweeney's Book Club books (and this one only arrived last week). I don't know if that's the variety, the fancy packaging, the excitement of having books delivered from the US, or just because they're short - but I do know that they are enriching my life.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 crime in their neighborhoods and the struggles their families have gone through.

I am a little curious if Obama may actually read this book (would he actually consider installing a couch made of pudding that he and his guests could eat with a giant spoon?) But I think it is telling how aware children are of war, the recession, and crime. And it is clear that the tone of is presidency will be a formative influence in the political opinions of these kids.

It is a quick read, less than an hour, even reading out loud. It's worth taking a look at.

[DB · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 environment. For the kids, printing so many of them is fine. They get to see their names on a page. For readers, it seems there would have been opportunity to reflect more diverse perspectives. At the same time, it's an interesting reflection of the President's campaign posts and how deeply affective those messages were among families in the urban centers where 826 operates.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 hilarious: "As president...I'd have a couch made out of pudding that you could eat with a giant spoon. And I'd have a pizza carpet. After we'd eaten all of our furniture, we'd buy real furniture."

It's a quick read and definitely worth it!

[Lesley Looper · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 group 826 National--I'd never heard of it before.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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"

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Hans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really great workshop idea that translates to a great book...though just a little too long. After a while, the letters started to feel repetitive. Though I'm not a "bathroom reader", this book with short letters to the president (sorry for that spoiler) is better digested in brief intervals...which is why it took me about 6 months to read.

Five stars for 826 tutoring programs that led to the book. Three stars for the actual reading experience.

Oh! Nice inclusion of drawings too.

[Karschtl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perfect 'bathroom-book' because of its short letters. Quite amusing to read what children of all ages write to their new president. Of course, all are happy that he has won and can now reign their country. And they all hope for a change for the better, since they all seem to be from lesser fortunate environments. Some letters from older kids are even very smart with good advices.
I wonder if Obama really read all those letters. Maybe he could persuade his daugthers to answer those kids.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of what the kids say is very funny, like the kid who would fill the White House with root beer and drive through it on a boat. Other things make me wonder about how kids think or what we teach them - one of the kids thought that freedom of speech should be more limited, for example. That scares me.

[Anthony Tenaglier · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think what was more entertaining than the kids expressing the way the felt about the president being elected, was that you could see through what the kids were saying and recognize what their parents believed in... (Parent likes Obama = kid watching t.v. next to parent will most likely like Obama.) Although they are at an age where they can begin to formulate their own thoughts.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great! Among my favorite comments and questions were:
"How would you avoid shoes being thrown at you?"
And in a list of suggestions for improving the world:
"Fire the governor of California."
Kids are a trip and their take on Obama and the presidency is priceless!

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Sven Eberlein · Rating 5 out of 5]

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...

[Peter Wolfley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kids who wrote to the president are so full of optimism and idealism that this book is a splash of cold water to even the most hardened political cynics. I think the big lesson here is for parents to be careful when wildly throwing around political venom. The children are listening.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book, I figured it would be a nice read considering the election was coming up next month. It is always interesting to see things from children's points of view. If you are looking for a quick, entertaining read then this is perfect!