Review by Morgan Withrow

Did you know that as of 2018, women accounted for only 8% of national leaders? (Rutgers) Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio is a story of a little girl who is aiming to up that percentage, by taking the first step as president of her elementary school. The book follows Grace on her journey to “presidency”, while also intertwining relevant facts and statistics about the U.S. political system. Oh, and did I mention Grace is black?

Grace for President not only crosses the cultural barrier, regarding women in politics, but it also sheds light on another trend: the lack of people of color in the political system. For that reason, I think Grace for President is the perfect piece to add some multicultural literature to an elementary or home bookshelf. While reading the book, not only will children understand that a girl (woman) can be a political leader, but that a non-white person can be, too.

I believe the main purpose of Grace for President is to educate; there is a plethora of content surrounding the political and voting system in the U.S. and how it’s run. In addition to educating, Grace for President opens the door for conversations about race and gender inequality in the U.S. political system.

Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. (2018). Hyperion.

Morgan Withrow is working towards her master’s in education at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, after having received her B.A. from the U of M in 2013. In her free time, Morgan enjoys spending time with her two daughters, binging Netflix, and wanderlust daydreaming.