Nonfiction Book Review: Madam President

 NONFICTION BOOK REVIEW: MADAM PRESIDENT 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Thimmesh, Catherine. 2004. MADAM PRESIDENT: THE EXTRAORDINARY, TRUE ( AND EVOLVING) STORY OF WOMEN IN POLITICS. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin

2. PLOT SUMMARY 

MADAM PRESIDENT  follows a girl who goes against the norm of other girls her age to say she wants to be president when she grows up. In five different circumstances,  other children and even adults try to persuade the girl that it cannot be done, and that she would be better off doing something else in politics instead. Some of the government options that were introduced to her were: a President’s wife, the ability to vote for a president, a position in congress; a position in a presidential cabinet;  a vice president, or even a foreign government official. All are presented to the young girl as far better alternatives to the position of President for a woman. Showing determination and tenacity, the young girl introduces the reader to a handful of capable  women in each of the alternative government  positions and their powerful stories of a life in politics. 

After introducing the twenty-three women, and their roles in politics, the girl asks what are the exact rules for running for president, and what does the United States Constitution say about it. She learns that there are only two rules: a person has to be an American citizen born in the United States, and she must be at least thirty-five years old. When all of the people who told her she couldn't be president agreed that those were the two rules, the last page shows the young girl as an adult, being referred to as Madam President. 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

Award winning author Catherine Thimmesh needs no introduction to the world of writing literature about strong and capable real women. Thimmesh is known for her books GIRLS THINK OF EVERYTHING and THE SKY’S THE LIMIT, both of which are books to empower girls with the knowledge that women can do anything and everything. As one of her earlier works published in 2004 , MADAM PRESIDENT was written with the intention of inspiring girls to seek leadership roles, and encouraging them that women can become president, even if it hasn’t been done before. At the end of her book, Thimmese provides a timeline of events of women involved in politics since 1776, and a completed sources page where she sought and found information regarding the historical twenty-three women mentioned in MADAM PRESIDENT.

The layout of the story is clear and logical, and while the women are not presented alphabetically in each section, but chronologically, the point of the collections and its subjects remains evident to the reader. The sequence of events are presented in a clear manner. There are patterns within the story sections that help introduce and inform the reader of each of the women, and their accomplishments in politics. 

One pattern that is noticeable throughout the stories is that every woman is introduced with information presenting her main passion and how it is connected to her main achievement in her position in politics. It is then followed by a quote of the subject that supports the theme of what she felt passionately about, and in the end, the short biography concludes with the results of the subject’s efforts, and what they have done for women today. 

Another pattern is that in each of the five sections there is a witty interpretation for an introduction to each section. From the beginning of her journey ( her statement of her goal to become president) to the end (her being the President as a grownup), each section depicts the young girl being approached by someone who attempts to persuade her to do something else, other than being President of the United States. With each catty remark the girl responds with an example of a woman who did succeed,  and how they were vital in politics, but she still wants to be President when she grows up, noting  how each of the women paved the way for girls like her to become President. 

While the illustrations depicting the historical women are lifelike and realistic, some of them only just barely resemble their intended subject, and may be misrepresenting to the unknowing reader. However, while unique, each illustration depicts these women as real and vital in bringing women's rights forward to the area of politics, both past and present. The illustrations show unique characteristics of the women, and may encourage the reader to research the subject on their own to learn more about them. 

For example, for Lady Bird Johnson, wife to President Lyndon B. Johnson, the information regarding her mentions how she called for the beautification of the capital, focusing on beautifying the nation’s highways, as well as lending her voice to help advance the causes of women. Her accompanying portrait illustration shows a true likeness of Lady Bird, with her watering a beautiful pot of flora, signifying her passion to make the nation a beautiful place.

Finally, the tone of the biographical information presented in each section is lively, witty, and almost childlike.The information on each woman is short and sweet, but enough to inform the reader on the importance of the subject, as well as provide unique information. The tone  matches the story itself, because the narrator, a middle-grade girl, is telling her story on how she wants to be president when she grows up. She informs the reader of the women in history who paved the way and made it possible for her to reach such a goal. The word choice is perfect for readers 9 + to understand, as well as relate to the humor. 

For example, when speaking about Edith Bolling Wilson, the young girl introduces her: 

“It was quite the ventriloquist act. The Edith and Woodrow Show: she talked: he, supposedly, supplied the words. She hadn’t been elected, and her actions were illegal according to the US Constitution, but for all intents and purposes, First Lady Edith Bolling Wilson was in fact the president. When President Wilson suffered a paralyzing stroke in 1918, Edith (secretly) stepped in and assumed the presidential duties.”

Following the rest of the bibliography, the illustration accompanying the story shows Edith sitting on her husband’s lap, reading from a list of information she needed to say, in a similar fashion to a ventriloquist and his doll. 

4. CONNECTIONS 

Awards and Recognitions: 

• Amelia Bloomer Lists - Middle Grades Nonfiction: 2005

• Minnesota Book Award Finalist 

• New York Times Notable Books: Children’s Books: 2004

Reviews:

Publisher’s Weekly 

“...The author effectively incorporates the women's own voices with quotes (set off in blue type). Pages presenting pictures of and dialogue among contemporary kids amount to superfluous filler. First-time book illustrator Jones contributes spare, colored pencil portraits featuring a subdued palette, which occasionally bear little resemblance to the subjects. A notable exception is a remarkable double-page rendition of the White House, an intricate mosaic composed of photos of children's faces. A lively introduction to women's political achievements.”

School Library Journal

“… a girl and her friends discuss the possibilities of her presidential aspirations, providing a clever backdrop to 23 brief biographies of First Ladies, congresswomen, world leaders, and other significant women in politics. The entries are lively and informative, and each one includes at least one well-chosen quotation from the featured figure. Entertaining pencil drawings, colored with Photoshop, shift deftly from humorous scenes of the girl and her friend to more stately depictions of the women, maintaining a distinctly entertaining style throughout.”

Similar Books: 

Ages 9-12

• Chambers, Veronica. FINISH THE FIGHT! THE BRAVE AND REVOLUTIONARY WOMEN WHO FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHT TO VOTE. ISBN: 9780358408307

• Roberts, Cokie. LADIES OF LIBERTY: THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED OUR NATION. ISBN: 9780060782344

• Woodward, Kay. WHAT WOULD SHE DO? 25 TRUE STORIES OF TRAILBLAZING REBEL WOMEN. ISBN: 9781338216400

• Zimmet, Susan. ROSES AND RADICALS: THE EPIC STORY OF HOW AMERICAN WOMEN WON THE RIGHT TO VOTE. ISBN: 9780451477545

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Ages 13+

• Frazer, Coral. VOTE! WOMEN’S FIGHT FOR ACCESS TO THE BALLOT BOX. ISBN: 9781541528154

• MacKendrick, Stephanie. IN GOOD HANDS: REMARKABLE FEMALE POLITICIANS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WHO SHOWED UP, SPOKE OUT AND MADE CHANGE. ISBN: 9781525300356

• Rob, Lucinda. THE SUFFRAGE PLAYBOOK: YOUR GUIDE TO CHANGING THE WORLD. ISBN: 9781536210330

• Schatz, Kate. RAD AMERICAN WOMEN A-Z: REBELS, TRAILBLAZERS, AND VISIONARIES WHO SHAPED OUR HISTORY… AND OUR FUTURE! ISBN: 9780872866836

Connections Activities: 

• Compare and contrast how history textbooks speak about the women in politics, and how these books mentioned above, and any others, draw attention to how truly vital women are in the political area. 

• Use the EBSCO tool, NoveList Plus, for students to find similar books. 

• Wreck this Journal Activity:
  Have the participants create an entry in a bound notebook, and using scrapbook paper, markers, sharpies, pencil- really anything that strikes their fancy- to create a creative and original entry and illustration about a women in politics they admire, and why.