Bad Kitty for President

Gr 3–5—Bridging the gap between illustrated chapter book and graphic novel, Bad Kitty returns with a book perfectly timed for the upcoming election season. As usual, she's quite a bit of fun. After two terms, Old Kitty's presidency of the Neighborhood Cat Club is ending. When Bad Kitty learns of the powerful possibilities of the office, she decides to run. The story closely follows the timeline of a real election, including a primary, campaigning, and a debate—all in anticipation of engaging the electorate. Black-and-white cartoon illustrations splash across every page, merging with the text to set a lighthearted mood. There is a surprising amount of detail at times (527 committees for kids, anyone?), with Uncle Murray popping up to provide sections of in-depth facts. While this occasionally slows the pace and may go over some readers' heads, the goofy spirit remains intact. A glossary of election terms is humorously brought to life by the elderly Edna Prunelove. While there is no doubt that Bad Kitty for President will provide some good-old page-turning enjoyment, readers should come away with some election knowledge to boot.—Travis Jonker, Dorr Elementary School, MI