How Not to Run for President

A 12-year-old boy unwittingly becomes an overnight media darling after being interviewed by a TV reporter during a third-party presidential candidate’s visit to his Ohio town. Aidan (whose mother has recently been laid off) tells the reporter and the candidate, Bettina Brandon, that if she is elected he hopes she can keep manufacturing strong and save jobs—and then makes a dramatic tackle to protect her from a falling campaign sign. Brandon’s ratings get an immediate bump from the news footage, and Aidan is recruited to join her on the campaign trail. Making the trip bumpy is Brandon’s disgruntled daughter, Emma, who has no interest in living in the White House and uses Aidan to try to sabotage the campaign. Clark (Love and Other Things I’m Bad At) includes some tidbits about presidential politics and the 24-hour news cycle, as well as lots of silliness along the way—there’s a Facebook movement to recruit Aidan for the v-p slot, and the media launches a smear campaign to undermine his credibility. A lighthearted election-year romp. Ages 8–12. (Jan.)