Show Up and Vote by Ani DiFranco, illustrated by Rachelle Baker (Rise x Penguin Workshop, 48 pages, ages 4-8). A young girl looks back at the end of Election Day, recalling how she was reluctant to go out on a rainy November morning, but her mother told her that they were on a mission. At the polling station, the girl recognizes friends and neighbors, realizing that voting is a community event. In the voting booth, she watches her mom make her selections, and as they finish, the two of them imagine people across the country doing the same thing. Proudly wearing their “I voted” stickers, they walk home, and the girl sees her neighborhood with new eyes, as a place where people work together to create a community, and “showing up to vote is how it all starts.”

Singer and songwriter Ani DiFranco has created an accessible introduction to voting and Election Day with rhyming text (and no capital letters) that reads kind of like a folk song and colorful illustrations that resemble retro posters. Readers will learn a bit about voting and be empowered to get involved in their communities.

Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 256 pages, ages 12 and up). Dyson and Favreau continue their exploration of American history that they began in Unequal with this story of voting rights from the founding of the United States to the present. There are inspiring narratives about Black, female, Latinx, and Native activists who worked to get the vote for their communities, alongside less inspiring ones such as how white women largely refused to help Black and Native women once they had secured their own right to vote. And there are downright depressing ones that continue to this day like the Citizens United Supreme Court decision that has encouraged huge amounts of spending across the political spectrum and the gerrymandering of districts for political gain. The list of “People-Power Ideas” at the end (get rid of the electoral college, expand the House of Representatives, introduce ranked-choice voting, among others) seem commonsensical yet depressingly unlikely to happen. There are also ideas for student activism, a voting rights timeline, additional resources, and an index.

I found this book both extremely depressing and surprisingly hopeful, seeing that our current threats to democracy are actually part of a centuries-long plot to keep voting and power concentrated in the hands of a few. The struggles that have ensued to give more people the right to vote have resulted in torture, imprisonment, and murder, yet ordinary people have persevered and often ultimately met with success. Seeing ourselves as part of this long history rather than poised at some do-or-die moment gives me a glimmer of hope to continue the struggle.

Reminder: I have an Election Day and Voting Rights book list if you’re looking for more. I haven’t had a chance to add these two books yet!

Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of the American Indian Boarding Schools by Dan SaSuWeh Jones (Scholastic Focus, 304 Pages, grades 5-8). Dan SaSuWeh Jones tells the story of his family’s history with the Chilocco Indian Agricultural (boarding) School, beginning with the forcible capture of his grandmother Little Moon There Are No Stars from the Ponca reservation in 1885 at the age of four. The Chilocco school, run by Quakers, did not condone the physical abuse found at other Indian boarding schools, but it did use strict, military-inspired practices to force the students to assimilate to white culture. Little Moon There Are No Stars, renamed Elizabeth, stayed on for several years after her graduation to work as a school matron, and sent her own daughter there as well. By the time the author’s sister attended the school in the 1950’s, there had been many changes, becoming a vocational school that provided a positive experience for many (although certainly not all) of the students. The 1960’s and 1970’s saw political movements that helped the school and its students embrace their various cultures and languages. While the author didn’t attend the school, he worked there after it closed in 1985 as part of a maintenance crew trying to preserve the buildings and grounds. In his final chapter, he writes of the appropriateness that those buildings have crumbled, leaving the land to its natural state, a metaphor for the enduring nature of Indigenous cultures that have survived so much trauma yet still continue to live on. Includes an introduction by Denise K. Lajimodiere (Turtle Mountain Band, Chippewa), photos throughout the text, and a long list of additional resources.

Reading this book caused me to reflect on how much this blog has educated me and changed my views on American history. I’m not sure I knew anything about Indian boarding schools ten years ago, but I’ve learned from children’s books over the years, and this one added a lot to that knowledge. It’s masterfully written, weaving together a personal family memoir and the history of boarding schools in North America. The author writes unflinchingly about a multitude of abuses and deaths of children at many different schools, while at the same time acknowledging that some students had positive experiences and learned to embrace their heritage, particularly in the later years of the schools’ histories. The final chapters give hope that some of the many, many crimes and trauma committed against indigenous people are finally being at least brought to light and possibly, in some cases, addressed and healed. There are some horrific descriptions of child abuse, so be aware of that element when sharing this book with kids. I hope this book will be considered for awards, especially by the Sibert committee.

This Land: A History of the Land We’re On by Ashley Fairbanks, illustrated by Bridget George (Crown Books for Young Readers, 40 pages, ages 4-8). “This is my house. I live here with my family,” the narrator begins. “Before us, another family lived here.” Other families lived there, too, but further back in time, a whole community lived on the land before they were forced off by Europeans, something that happened all across the country. The narrator has a friend who is Anishinaabe (like the author and illustrator), and he and his grandma remind the boy of the Indigenous people who once lived there: their food, their songs, and mostly, the way they considered the land to be sacred. Now, as he travels around the U.S. with his family, the boy learns about different Indigenous groups who lived in those places and remembers how they once honored the land they were on. Includes additional information about land acknowledgement, discussion questions, and ideas for learning more about local Native people.

This straightforward story reminds readers to learn about the history of the land they now call home and recall that it once belonged to people who were forced to leave their homes. I really liked how the book acknowledges those who lived on the land of well-known sites like Mount Rushmore and New York City. I read in a review that the title calls to mind the controversy around the song “This Land Is Your Land,” a song that is considered problematic by many Indigenous people. I wasn’t aware of this and was reminded once again of how much I have learned from reading books for this blog.

Leo’s First Vote by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Isabel Roxas (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 48 pages, ages 4-8). Leo’s excited that his dad has recently become a naturalized U.S. citizen, which means Dad gets to vote in the upcoming presidential election. Leo plans to go with him to the polls, but in the meantime, his class is having a mock presidential election. The kids learn about elections, and at home, Leo watches conventions and debates with his family. Everyone’s talking about the upcoming election, and when Leo hears a cousin say he’s not going to vote (“What’s the point?”), he feels deflated. But when his class’s mock election is determined by one vote, Leo finds his enthusiasm again. The last page shows Dad reading a newspaper with a headline declaring, “Historic turnout!” Also available in a Spanish language edition, ¡El primer voto de Leo!

Lots of facts about elections are woven into Leo’s story, and the excitement around voting will have kids eagerly anticipating Election Day. Personally, I am feeling so jaded about the day (Leo’s cousin really spoke to me) that I almost didn’t write this review, but good for Leo and his dad (and Christina Soontornvat) for having such enthusiasm about it.

Presidential Elections and Other Cool Facts: Understanding How Our Country Picks Its President by Syl Sobel, J.D. (Sourcebooks Explore, 5th edition, 48 pages, grades 2-5). This straightforward introduction to the presidency tells how elections work, as well as giving interesting facts about campaigns, the electoral college, First Ladies, and the order of succession should the President die or become disabled. There’s a list of all the U.S. Presidents, along with the years of their terms, and party affiliations. Includes a glossary, index, and lists of resources.

Rumor has it there’s an updated version of this book, but interlibrary loan has only been able to send me older ones, so I got to travel back to a time when Barack Obama was President, and Ronald Reagan was the oldest person to have been elected President at age 73. It’s a good introduction to the presidency and the election process, and although the writing and illustrations aren’t particularly exciting, it includes the kinds of facts and trivia kids (and adults) enjoy learning.