Bad Kitty for President, by Nick Bruel (ages 8 - 11) - kid tested, kid approved!

Bad Kitty is one of the most popular series at our school. Kids from 2nd through 5th grade love Nick Bruel's wacky humor and hilarious cartoons. But did you know that all of the Bad Kitty books blend different sorts of facts and information throughout them? Yep, Uncle Murray pops in throughout with his helpful facts. This newest Bad Kitty book continues the trend, and it's been kid tested and kid approved in our library.

Bad Kitty for President
by Nick Bruel
NY: Roaring Brook, 2012
available at your local library, my favorite bookstore and on Amazon

The Neighborhood Cat Coalition is set to elect their president and Old Kitty has decided to step down. Annoyed by the stray cats in the neighborhood, Bad Kitty springs into action when she realizes the potential power that can come with elected office.

The kitties’ campaigns follow the American electoral process, and so Bruel incorporates information about campaigning, fund-raising, media and debates throughout. Although the information is solid, the tone is always witty and full of word play.

At first, I was worried that there was too much information about elections and politics for kids' tastes. While some of the in-depth facts may go over the heads of younger readers, the best comment came from one fourth grader: "Yeah, I didn't really know what grassroots campaigns meant, but I talked about it with my mom." Isn't that great?! The humor and illustrations draw kids in, and they have fun with all the facts and information.

Definitely get this book to share for laughs, but also for conversation starters about elections, the process, and all the mess that politicians can stir up.

Have fun watching this trailer to get a quick sense of Bad Kitty for President:



Bad Kitty is definitely kid tested and kid approved. Bad Kitty Meets the Baby just won the 2012 Children's Choice Book Award for 3rd and 4th graders last week. My kids are definitely glad that Bad Kitty is getting the attention she deserves!

The review copy was kindly sent by Roaring Brook / Macmillan Kids to my local review group, the Association of Children's Librarians. Check out ACL's new blog Bay Views and More for the newest information on children's literature, with a northern California slant! If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

Review ©2012 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books