In this day and age, I think it's incredibly important that children and teenagers learn about current events and how they can get involved. The Campaign is a quirky book that manages to impart a lot of information about elections without being too dry or preachy. Maddie learns a few lessons along the way about friendship and being true to herself -- I think a follow-up about what life is like AFTER the election could be really fun, too.

In The Campaign, art is one of the only classes at school that Maddie likes. When she discovers that the town’s only candidate for mayor plans to slash funding to the arts, she is determined to make a change! She persuaded her babysitter to run for mayor and enlists the help of other artsy kids at school to run her campaign.

This was a really cute read! As a teacher, I love to bring in books where kids are making a change and getting things done, and that’s a major theme here. Not only do the kids go above and beyond to get things done, but they also put aside their differences to work together for the greater common good.

One of the things I really liked about this book was that the main character, who was a loner, was perceived by other characters as being a snob (while she thought this about them). This is a trait I haven’t seen explored a lot but rings very true.

I did think that it might be a little confusing at times for kids in the lower age range - at the beginning, Maddie calls three of the characters Molly, Polly, and Holly, and they reveal that two of them aren’t even named that, but she continues to call them that throughout the book. I thought that kids in fourth or fifth grade might not understand that entirely, but it was a funny addition.

Seventh-grader Maddie Polansky is concerned that the woman running unopposed for mayor plans to eliminate funding for the arts in her city’s public schools. So Maddie persuades her babysitter, Janet, to enter the race for mayor. This book offers a good overview for young readers, in how elections work — but adults may wish to point out differences in the way that their own local schools are funded.

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.

This was a really cute read and the illustrative style makes this perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid! I thought that overall pacing and storyline were engaging and this was an overall enjoyable read.

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!

A well written read that shines light on politics for middle grade readers. I can’t help but think this fun and informative story will engage many middle grade readers while encouraging them to stand up and fight for their beliefs. It truly brings merit to the thought that regardless of age, becoming involved and informed in the democratic process is a duty and privilege for all Americans. I can’t wait to share this story with my students!