The Best Kids Books About Voting, Presidents, Democracy, and Citizenship
Election time is here once again. Here are some great books for conversations around voting, presidents, being a citizen, and democracy. Several of these feature ways for kids to get involved now! You are never too young to make a difference!
I don't know if it's just me, but in the past few years the stakes have never been so high in elections. With all the buzz, kids are overhearing discussions and naturally curious about what's going on. Well, these are our future leaders and with elections just around the corner, I wanted to share some of my top book picks for kids to learn more about voting, elections, and the government. So happy to see so many great reads for kids come out as of late due to all the buzz! Read on because knowledge is power!
This list is a little different than my previous lists, as I grouped books in this list by topic. Each topic will still have books listed from simple to more complex to help you decide what might be best for your reader. So if there are good board book choices, they'll be towards the top of the topic and middle-grade reads will be towards the bottom. The topics are voting, presidents, democracy, and citizenship.
Voting
This board book is so fun with its interacting sliding feature that encourages little hands to vote no matter how small the issue. Readers get to vote by sliding the voting square between two options throughout the book, like voting dog or cat.
Picture book with a great first insight into the world of voting. Leo's dad, who just became an American citizen, is voting for president for the first time. Leo learns more about voting with his dad and at school with his class's mock election. More information about voting is shared in the back matter.
If you're looking for a book that explains what voting is, why it's important, and what happens from the results of a vote, look no further. This book does an overview of voting and gives examples of how voting can affect kids and what they can do, even when not able to vote. Extra information in the back about voting. A simple and fantastic read about voting for kids.
Love how this one relates to kids and helps give them tangible ideas about how to help with voting. Stanton Elementary School is closing for a day to turn into a polling station on election day. Kids ask why people vote, who can vote, and what they can do. The students go out into the community to help voters register and know more about where and when the voting will take place. Kids respond to voters' excuses not to vote with real ideas, like voting by mail if you cannot be there in person that day. The back of the book explains why voting is important and gives information on some of the different Acts of Congress that have been made to improve the future.
Elephant and Donkey argue over who should get the reader's vote. The argument escalates and gets ridiculous, resulting in hurt feelings between the two. Will they be able to be friends? Who will win the vote? A silly read to share around election times.
This book celebrates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The fight for equal voting rights has been a long struggle and one we're still working on today. As Lillian, an older African American woman, climbs the steep hill to vote, she thinks back to what her family and others have gone through to gain the right to vote. She thinks back to her great-great-grandparents being sold as enslaved people in front of the courthouse, when the Fifteenth Amendment was added and her great-grandpa Edmund could vote, her grandpa Isaac being charged a poll tax to vote he couldn't afford, her uncle Levi being forced to take ridiculous "tests" to vote, the Nineteenth Amendment passing and Lillian going with her mother to register and being chased away by an angry mob, and more. Lillian's tales recounting the past makes for such a moving read. Be sure to check out the author's note at the back of this book.
Students are shocked when they arrive at school to see their ancient monkey tree about to be cut down for a school expansion. Developers and Millennials each make their points; everyone votes, but there's a tie in the end. Now, what will happen, and how can they decide? An example of the voting process and how it can help with decision-making.
About the long struggle to fight for equal voting rights for all citizens. The back of the book features voting-related amendments and legislation that came about after people's protests, marches, and determination.
Presidents
Could baby one day be president? Cute board book takes a playful look at what it takes to be the leader of our country.
When Lion, the King of the Jungle, reroutes the river to make a pool for himself, the other animals decide to have a demonstration to protest. When Lion doesn't respond to the demonstration, the animals decide to change to a democracy and hold an election. Through debates and more, the animals are finally ready to decide their new leader: who will it be? A fun and informative look into deciding on a new leader.
Where are all the girls? Grace asks her teacher when sharing a post of the past presidents. And that sparks the idea of a mock election with Grace running as her class's candidate. Will Grace be elected? Readers learn more about the election process through the mock election.
Sophia was a go-getter from the time she was young, doing as much as she could for her family and neighborhood. When a chase after Pup leaves Abuelo injured after falling down Mount Trashmore, Sofia decides to do something about it. Can she make a difference by getting rid of Mount Trashmore and getting a new park built? So not solely focused on the presidency, but implies that actions like Sophia takes in the book could help her to grow up to be president.
I love how readers can view themselves as the ones running to be the President in this one. It teaches readers all about the different aspects of running to be President in a simple way.
Telling stories and facts about past presidents, this read gives a quick history of the men who have served as president. It tells about what the presidents were like as children. Looking ahead at the same time, it also predicts what the future president might be a part of and how many future presidents are alive at this very moment. The back of the book tells about the requirements for becoming president of the United States. It gives a brief description of the changing face of the president and an inspirational message that the reader may be a future president, making the presidency more tangible and relatable to kids.
Learn more about each of the 46 presidents America has had so far in this interesting nonfiction picture book. Each page spread features a different president, a quote that president said, what was happening in the world the year of that quote, what the president meant by the quote, the impact of the words of the quote, and some fun facts and context about each president.
Interesting insight into many women who helped pave the way for other women to get into politics. This board book highlights the important decisions women have made throughout the course of time and continue to do so, highlighting that, as always, women have always been and continue to be as fit or, in some cases, even more fit for positions in politics.
This middle-grade novel looks at four different presidents and the journeys they each took growing up to choose leadership roles during turbulent times.
Democracy
From the Baby Loves board book series, this cute read helps young readers learn about participating in a democracy and shows ways even the youngest readers can get involved, like by making signs or attending rallies.
What is a democracy, and why does your voice matter? Readers learn more about both answers in this informative nonfiction picture book. Gives kids ideas on how to help get their voices heard!
Breaking down the five protections from the First Amendment, this book summarizes each in an understandable and relatable way to kids. It also highlights the importance of each one. The back of the book explains even more about the First Amendment.
Citizenship
Kids are citizens and they can play a role in helping shape things, whether it's something in their school, neighborhood, city, state, or country. I love the specific reach out to kids here, highlighting kids in all illustrations and showing tasks that kids can do. The text is rhyming and shorter, both asking and answering questions along the way. There's a touch of humor when a bear is recognized as a citizen. It's thought-provoking and leaves plenty of opportunities for discussions. There's diversity in the kids that slowly join and increase in numbers. The story is told throughout a day, and the kids work on building and creating a playhouse, with each kid bringing something to add to the creation. This book highlights that citizens come together, take action, and make the world a better place.
This book is so needed for kids and adults in today's world and the debate on facts. Silly, simple, and engaging, this book helps draw kids in and understand the difference between facts and opinions. Through robots, questions are asked to the reader to help them understand the difference between facts and opinions. Questions like: "Are there three robots?", "Is one blue?" and "Which of these robots is the most fun?" The book dives a little further and has readers wait for more information before answering a question. It also brings up having differences in opinions, ignoring opinions, and working to get along when we respect the opinions of others.
Readers learn more about what an activist is and how to make a difference to create long-lasting change by taking one step at a time. So many ideas and information in there, just perfect for inspiring those future and present day leaders!
