The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and
Unwritten Future of America’s President
by Kate Messner, Illustrated by Adam Rex
Chronicle Books (March 24, 2020)
Nonfiction * Biography * Presidents
Audience: Ages 8 to 12
Indiebound | WorldCat
Description from GoodReads:
An inspiring and informative book for kids about the past and future of America's presidents.
Who will be the NEXT president? Could it be you? When George Washington became the first president of the United States, there were nine future presidents already alive in America, doing things like practicing law or studying medicine.
When JFK became the thirty-fifth president, there were 10 future presidents already alive in America, doing things like hosting TV shows and learning the saxophone.
And right now—today!—there are at least 10 future presidents alive in America. They could be playing basketball, like Barack Obama, or helping in the garden, like Dwight D. Eisenhower. They could be solving math problems or reading books. They could be making art—or already making change.
Quick thoughts on the book:
Over the past several months, I have been looking at nonfiction picture books from the perspective of the choices that authors and illustrators have to make when creating a book. What should be kept in the book and what needs to be left out? Whose voice should narrate the book? What angle will uniquely highlight the most important facts without making things unclear. It is how an author answers those questions that often leave me in awe.
Kate Messner’s recent book The Next President happens to be one of those books that left me admiring the choices that she made. Most nonfiction survey books about all of the presidents often focus on a similarity that all of the presidents shared or some quirky fact about each one. However, Messner takes a unique look at the presidents by grouping them around a specific president in office and what future presidents were alive at the time. Did you realize that forty-five presidents can be divided into four groupings?
In addition to these four groupings, Messner includes fun facts and snapshots about various presidents, and other pieces of presidential history to engage readers. Additional resources about the requirements for being a president, and further reading suggestions are included at the end. A fabulous book to add to your classroom library and to share as we look towards our upcoming election in November.
And during this time of #stayhomestaysafe, consider supporting your local indie bookstores .
Check out this video of Kate Messner as she reads aloud The Next President:
About the author: Kate Messner is an award-winning author whose many books for kids have been selected as Best Books by the New York Times, Junior Library Guild, IndieBound, and Bank Street College of Education. She lives on Lake Champlain with her family.
About the illustrator: Adam Rex is the author and illustrator of many beloved picture books and novels, including Nothing Rhymes with Orange and the New York Times bestseller Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich. He has worked with the likes of Jon Scieszka, Mac Barnett, Jeff Kinney, and Neil Gaiman. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.
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