c.2024, various publishers
$18.99 each
various page counts
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Truth Contributor
So, who will you vote for?
That’s easy: nobody yet, because you’re still a kid – but you have your opinions. Even so, how much do you know about this important grown-up job? Learn more by reading these three great books on voting…
It was a cold and rainy early November day when Mama said they had to go out. They had a job to do “that, by definition, no one can do for us…” In Show Up and Vote by Ani Di Franco, illustrations by Rachelle Baker (Penguin Workshop), the job is done in a big, official building that’s staffed by friendly people. Mama knew a lot of folks there because a lot of people come to vote, and “no matter the weather we do this together…”
Step by step, this book takes little readers from beginning to end of the voting process, showing them how important the “job” is and the many people involved. Adults will love the pride that oozes from these words; kids ages three to five will love the artwork.
Once was a time when the right to vote was shaky, at best. If your child needs to know that history, then The Day Madear Voted by Wade Hudson, illustrated by Don Tate (Nancy Paulsen Books, Penguin) is the book to find.
It’s 1969, and Charlie and Ralph’s Madear has been looking forward to this day for most of her life. Up until then, Black people had been turned away from the voting booth, but on this day, the boys’ mom dresses up and heads out, taking them along. This is important!
It was “just like being at church” because people were dressed nicely and they were very excited! Most of them never thought they’d see the day they’d be allowed to vote. When it was over, Madear came out of the booth with the biggest smile on her face! Ralph and Charlie asked her what it felt like, and her words peek into the future.
This look at a chapter in American history is perfect for kids who are trying to grasp the realities and processes of voting, and the act’s importance. Your five-to-seven-year-old will love it.
Here’s another story of a big milestone: Leo’s First Vote! by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Isabel Roxas (Knopf).
Leo’s Dad just became an American citizen and this fall, he’ll be able to cast a vote for the President! Leo knows how great this is, and he’s very excited – but there are a lot of things he doesn’t understand. His teacher holds a mock election, which helps. Leo’s father helps, too, as he tries to learn all about the issues that are important. Leo listens as the adults debate politics and oops! his dad almost didn’t get registered, which is essential.
For parents of kids ages five-to-seven who want to understand the process, so is this book.
If these aren’t enough to satisfy your young reader, check with your librarian or bookseller for more. In this election year, these books should get your vote!
“Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion” by Anne Chow
c.2024, Simon & Schuster
$28.99
272 pages
The last kid picked.
If you were ever in that position, you probably remember what it was like. Being out of the loop, the last person tapped, the one left out, none of this feels good – whether you’re a kid or an adult and an employee. So how do you ensure that your team belongs? Read the new book “Lead Bigger” by Anne Chow, and choose it.
When Anne Chow started working at AT&T years ago, she was often the only: the only woman in the room, the only woman in the department, the only Asian-American in the building. Because of that, as she moved up the ladder to a better position, she decided that old ways of leadership in business just didn’t work anymore.
She began to expand her outlook into what she calls “leading bigger,” which is “really about inclusive leadership…” DEI leadership, she says, is “more narrow” than leading bigger, and the latter seems to work better for employees and stakeholders (a term Chow prefers). Leading bigger isn’t a “task,” but “a refreshing and revitalizing way to approach work…”
The first step to leading bigger is to know your company’s purpose and identify those who have a stake in its success. Bring your team together and be curious about their viewpoints. Define the values you want your company to reflect. Look hard at the places in which you’re selling, including online and on social media.
Be flexible, but intentional.
Knowing that you may lead several generations of workers, be aware of the differences you’ll face, including their well-being, physically and mentally. Know that inclusive support is more than just for LGBTQ individuals and those of other races, but also for those needing childcare and eldercare. Connect with your employees often and ask for feedback but don’t allow derogatory comments. Remember that we all have unconscious bias. Give employees room to be authentic. And finally, remember that you’re not just leading today’s workers. You’re setting up employees for the future.
At first glance, you may think “Lead Bigger” is quite wordy. You’d be right on that. There’s a considerable bit of repetition, too, and a lot of the commonsensical. And yet, find this book and you’re about to be schooled.
Being inclusive may feel like a minefield these days, but author Anne Chow offers useful, usable guidelines that may need some outside buy-in but that can be implemented right now, today. Her ideas are carefully curated and may surprise readers who aren’t used to thinking in a bigger circle; they cover a wide variety of concerns and cautions, and present things to think about. This gives the savviest of readers the chance to take the process further by tailoring it to their business and by including cultures and issues that aren’t addressed.
If an old-school style of management isn’t working, or if you’re struggling with inclusion or being included, you may find the solutions you seek here. If you need a book to help, “Lead Bigger” should be the first one picked.