Votes of Confidence 3rd Edition: A Young Person’s Guide to American Elections
(Zest Books/Lerner, 2024)
About the Book:
Every four years, coverage of the presidential election turns into a horse-race story about who’s leading the polls and who said what when. Social media and the shift to online news have made it easy to spread false information (even by accident) and harder to know what’s accurate. It’s tough to get good information about how the election process actually works, why it matters, or how you can become involved. Civics education is becoming less common in schools, but young and future voters still need to know what’s going on. This newly revised edition includes updates and statistics from recent elections, along with plenty of clearheaded, nonpartisan analysis and explanation. Author Jeff Fleischer uses a fun, casual voice and lots of real-world examples to provide an essential resource that will remain relevant long after the next president is chosen.
Praise for the third edition of Votes of Confidence:
Foreword Reviews (five stars): “A masterful overview of the history and mechanics of US elections, Jeff Fleischer’s Votes of Confidence is a citizen’s guide to participating in the democratic process…A rigorous, unbiased introduction to US elections, Votes of Confidence combines historical analysis with actionable details about how to become involved in the political process.”
Stacey Abrams on Assembly Required: “A fantastic guide for young people who are engaging in elections for the first time or the second time.”
Where to Buy:
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Interviews, Events, and Articles about Votes of Confidence 3rd Edition:
The American Library Association included the book in this Inspiring Future Voters booklist for YA readers.
Voting-rights advocate and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams highlighted the book on her podcast, calling it “a fantastic guide for young people.”
The New York Public Library included Votes in its list of Recommended Books on Voting and US Democracy in 2016, 2020, and again this year.
The Seattle Public Library included the book among its recommended Election Resources on its Shelf Talk blog.
The DC Public Library in Washington included Votes among its Great Reads for Civics Season.
Publishers Weekly included the new edition in its Spring 2024 Roundup.
The publisher, Lerner Books, featured the new edition on its “book buzz” for upcoming titles.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters gave teens copies of the book as part of its teen guide to voting.
The Brooklyn Public Library included the book in its roundup new teen nonfiction.
Stafford Library in Connecticut featured the book in this handy guide of nonpartisan resources for elections.
So did the city of Thousand Oaks, California.
My publisher, Lerner Books, included both Civic Minded and Votes of Confidence in this roundup of civics books.
With the 2024 election tomorrow, it’s a good time for a roundup of recent praise for Votes of Confidence: A Young Person’s Guide to American Elections. Here are a few examples.
The Alameda County Library (which includes Oakland, California, briefly my home in 2024) included Votes in its election roundup of voting resources, Q&A, and suggested reading.
The Butler Children’s Literature Center at Dominican University included the book among its Recommended Reads to Foster Civic Engagement.
The Southern Tier Library System in New York state included Votes in its libraries’ Civics and Voting collection.
The Brooklyn Public Library put out this list of YA election books for 2024, including Votes of Confidence.
Clark County Library in Springfield, Ohio, included the book in its Government, Civics, and Law Resources.
The Burlington County Library System in New Jersey featured Votes in this article on Elections and Civic Life Books for Young Adults.
