Votes of Confidence 2nd Edition

Votes of Confidence 2nd Edition: A Young Person’s Guide to American Elections

(Zest Books/Lerner, 2020)41MaM95x8BL._SX353_BO1,204,203,200_

About the Book:

Give young adult readers clear explanations about how our election process actually works, why it matters, and how they can become involved. Using real-world examples and anecdotes, this book provides readers with thorough, nonpartisan explanations about primaries, the electoral college, checks and balances, polls, fundraising, and more. Updated with facts, figures, and analysis, this edition provides the next generation of voters with essential guidance about the past, present, and future of American elections.

Praise for the second edition of Votes of Confidence:

ALA Booklist (Starred Review): “Fleischer clearly and understandably explains how the American government came to be and how it’s supposed to work. He describes the three branches, how a bill becomes a law, reasons for and against the Electoral College, primaries, and national, state, and local general elections. Political parties, campaigns, debates, financing, gerrymandering, voter suppression, and ballot initiatives are covered. The text emphasizes what young people need to know to vote, where to get accurate political information, and how to become more involved in politics…Fleischer avoids making the topic dry or boring by using conversational language and includes surprising facts that make this a very readable, engaging, and entertaining history of American elections and politics for young people. Highly recommended.”

School Library Journal: “Written in a conversational tone, the text reads like course notes from a beloved teacher. Fleischer presents a potentially didactic subject matter in a digestible and organized manner. A historical overview of the formation of our government contextualizes the current social and political climate. Provided resources will help readers navigate the information landscape in an era of social media and misinformation. Those interested in learning more about an aspect of the election cycle, voting rights issues, or ways of getting involved will find this book to be a satisfactory tool for their information needs. This title is a history lesson, civics compendium, and call to action combined in one engaging volume. ­VERDICT Recommended for middle to high school students, educators, and others interested in becoming civically informed and engaged.”

Kirkus Reviews: “Building around chapters on registering to vote, casting ballots, and getting involved in the political process as a volunteer or candidate, he offers broad looks at how the U.S. government has been organized and reorganized as well as relevant topics from the development of political parties to how primaries, the Electoral College, the legislative process, and campaign finances have been gamed (mostly by conservatives) through the years…He has plenty of illuminating stories to tell. Moreover, along with frequent sidebar glances at third-party races, the long history of voter suppression, fake news and ways to counter it, and more, he appends refreshed, annotated lists of helpful information sites, both nonpartisan and otherwise.”

Sarah’s Book Reflections: “This is a fascinating book. Any person over the age of ten should read it, including so-called ‘grown-ups.’…Teachers could spend several months discussing the whys and wherefores of elections and voting using this book.”

Where to Buy:

Indiebound
Amazon
Hardcover edition on Amazon
Kindle edition on Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Hardcover edition at Barnes & Noble
Nook edition at Barnes & Noble
Target
Walmart
Kobo
Books-a-Million
Book Depository
Anderson’s Bookshop
The Book Cellar
Left Bank Books
Blue Manatee
Bulk Bookstore
Copperfield’s Books
Greenlight Bookstore
Belmont Books
The Book Company
Blackwell’s (UK)
Indigo (Canada)
Amazon Canada
Amazon UK
Amazon Mexico
Amazon Italy
Amazon India
Amazon Japan
Mighty Ape (New Zealand)
FishPond (Australia)
Tanum (Norway)
Rakuten (Japan)

Interviews, Events, and Articles about Votes of Confidence 2nd Edition:

Publishers Weekly included the new edition in its Spring 2020 Roundup.

Publishers Weekly also discussed Votes of Confidence 2nd Edition in the context of new books to teach young readers about the 2020 election (subscription required).

Booklist from the American Library Association named Votes of Confidence 2nd Edition one of the Best New Books of the week for March 3, 2020.

Baltimore’s Child magazine includes Votes of Confidence in its “12 Resources for Kids Who Like Politics.”

I wrote a Q&A piece about the 2020 primary process for the Lerner Books blog.

The Guy Phillips Show on KTRS FM St. Louis had me on for an interview February 21 to talk about the book ahead of the launch at Left Bank Books.

Once again joined Anderson’s Bookstore for its annual Children’s Literature Breakfast, where I participated as a featured author for the sixth straight year, talking with librarians and teachers about Votes and other books.

The publisher, Lerner Books, featured the new edition on its “book birthday.”

Along with updating the book significantly for the 2020 election, I also created an updated teaching guide for teachers and librarians to use.

Had a St. Louis kickoff for the new edition at Left Bank Books in the Central West End, on Sunday, March 8 at 2 p.m. The event featured an interview by Gabe Fleisher of the Wake Up to Politics newsletter and podcast.

Held a Chicago kickoff at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square, which also hosted the 2016 kickoff.

The St. Louis event earned mentions from STL Jewish Light, local Fox 2 news, Do314, the Central West End neighborhood, the Belleville News-Democrat and the Webster-Kirkwood Times.

The new edition of Votes was a local best-seller in St. Louis in its first week of publication, as noted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The Chicago event earned mentions from literary magazine The Rumpus, Do312, and Chicago Now.