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Well-read citizens make good politics
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Published: October 12, 2008
I was saddened to see the obituary of Dewey Yarborough in the paper last week. I met Dewey when doing a story on his vast collection of antique tools. Then he invited me out to Arbor Acres to speak to his civic club. Tall, reed-thin and ever-smiling, Dewey was passionate about many things; but collecting board books for Smart Start was one of his latest and most significant projects. His influence will be missed in our town.
People like Dewey Yarborough are who make America. We are inundated by political pundits spinning opinions; but bailouts and bickering aside, it's really people like Dewey Yarborough or you or I who truly can make a difference in our communities. While we do need leaders, we need daily compassionate citizens even more. And caring cannot be elected, just called from an inward moral compass to do what is right and what is helpful for one's fellow man -- like collecting board books when one could be playing shuffleboard.
Already Hannah has figured out that the next presidential election will be her first to cast her vote. Her younger sisters Kilby and Marlee calculated that they have to wait until 2016. I'm glad that they care that their vote is their voice, but I hope they realize that community responsibility lasts all year, every year -- not just on a Tuesday in November.
BALLOTS FOR BELVA: The True Story of a Woman's Race for the Presidency. By Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. Abrams. Ages 7-12. $16.95.
Hannah was unfamiliar with Belva Lockwood and her quest for women's equality until she read this book. Lockwood was our nation's first female lawyer and ran unsuccessfully for president against Democrat Grover Cleveland and the Republican candidate.
Women could not vote at the time, so Lockwood felt that her candidacy would help with the women's suffrage movement. Instead, many women, even the suffragists, did not embrace Lockwood's methodology. Before Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin, Belva Lockwood blazed the campaign trail to the White House.
IDA B. WELLS: Let the Truth Be Told. By Walter Dean Myers. HarperCollins. Ages 5-10. $16.99.
Look for this in the coming weeks on bookstore shelves. Ida B. Wells (perhaps you recall the 1990 stamp commemorating her) was born a slave in Mississippi but was freed at age 3 when the Thirteenth Amendment declared slavery illegal. She became her siblings' caretaker after her parents' death and turned to teaching for an income.
Her feisty nature and belief in equality spurred her to refuse to move to a different train car. She was removed forcibly and later sued the railroad. After writing about the incident for a church paper, Wells began a career in journalism, tackling racism long before Rosa Parks' name became synonymous with equality.
She campaigned long and hard for women's right to vote as well as the right for black people. She ran for the Illinois state legislature in 1930, but lost the election. She died in 1931, a formidable influence on American politics.
WE THE PEOPLE: The Story of Our Constitution. By Lynne Cheney. Simon & Schuster. All ages. $17.99.
The basis of our freedom to elect leaders rests with this document, this precious wording that keeps our country free. Lynne Cheney, wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, has spent her time in Washington turning out fabulous picture books chronicling our nation's history. We the People, her fifth historical picture book, does not disappoint.
SEE HOW THEY RUN: Campaign Dreams, Election Schemes, and the Race to the White House. By Susan E. Goodman. Bloomsbury. All ages. 96 pages. $9.95.
This clever book explores the way our government operates. Explanations about the way the government was formed, visuals of earlier campaigns and details of how the parties were formed make this a strong selection for understanding political campaigns and their results. Cartoon-style illustrations help young readers grasp heavy topics.
THE GREAT WHITE HOUSE BREAKOUT. By Helen Thomas and Chip Bok. Penguin. Ages 6-10. $16.99.
Helen Thomas, the dean of the White House Press Corps, has been a fixture on the political scene for decades. Chip Bok, an editorial cartoonist, was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. The venerable pair have teamed up to write and illustrate a very, very funny book about Sam, a fictional "First Son" whose mother is the president of the United States. Sam yearns to be free from the trappings and stifling atmosphere that surround his family. He escapes and makes his way around Washington with Secret Service agents (very penguin in nature) providing hilarity as they attempt to find Sam and bring him home to safety.
PRESIDENT PENNYBAKER. By Kate Feiffer. Simon & Schuster. Ages 4-8. $16.99.
Completely hilarious! Luke Pennybaker decides to run for president after his father won't let him watch television. Determined to make life "fair," Luke forms the Birthday Party in response to the Democratic and Republican parties. His dog Lily runs for vice presidential. After Luke wins and the White House is painted orange, Luke discovers how hard -- and unfair -- being the president of the United States really can be. Luke packs up and goes home, leaving Lily in charge.
■ Monica and Hannah Young can be reached at cyoung9@triad.rr.com. View book reviews at the Journal in Education site at www.jie.journalnow.com.
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