If kids could address President Obama directly, what would they tell him? More importantly, what would they ask him to do for them? Released yesterday in honor of President's Day, Dear Mr. President is a free e-book that answers those questions. Composed of kids' direct requests for Obama -- 150 of them, selected from about 4,500 that were sent in -- the project is a collaboration of the National Endowment for the Arts and kidthing, a company that provides downloadable media players.
The kids' requests ranged from the profound ("no war ever again") to the sublimely ridiculous ("make it rain candy"). According to the AP, a special hardcover edition will be given to the President, although it's clear that unlike any of his predecessors or his opponent, he would be okay with viewing it on his BlackBerry.
It's clear that this new presidency has inspired American kids -- and kids around the world -- more intensely than any political event of the last quarter-century. We can only hope that their passion and interest is sustained, and then rewarded by smart, honest candidates when it comes time for them to vote. But it's not the first of its kind; if the project makes you want to dig deeper into the history of American children's involvement with political figures, a new book compiles letters from kids to Eleanor Roosevelt, and then of course there are the letters youngsters wrote to George W. Bush (and yes, that last one is a spoof, as if you couldn't tell from the letter ending, "Please put food on my family! Anything you can spare would be great. God bless!").
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