The Kid Who Ran for President

October 2, 1996
It doesn't take much for sixth-grader Judd Moon's best friend, Lane, to convince him that a kid rather than a grownup should lead the U.S. into the new millennium-and that Judd is just the boy for the job. Fast-talking Lane grabs the reigns as his pal's campaign manager and the intrepid duo quickly obtains the necessary signatures to get Judd on the ballot for the Presidential election of 2000 (the novel opens in 1999). Lining up a blue-eyed, blond classmate as his "First Babe" and a wise if cynical elderly African American woman as his running mate, Judd establishes the Lemonade Party (named for the commodity sold at his first fund-raiser) and promises to abolish all homework if his peers can convince their parents to vote for him. As the rookie politician's campaign takes off at a rollicking clip, readers will be caught up in the inventive absurdity of Gutman's (Taking Flight) plot. Despite the preposterous premise and the characters' endless stream of unrealistically clever quips and wisecracks, the author pulls off a feat as impressive as Judd's victory: he actually makes his hero a credible 12-year-old. This snappy, lighthearted farce will win kids' votes. Ages 9-13.