KIDS FOR OBAMA

yes we can show you specifics

2008-02-29T20:46:31-06:00

Obama has been criticized for being inspirational, but not having actual ideas. This is a false statement. Obama's hunger for change has great ideas backing it, as well as being inspirational. The Milwaukee Journal endorsed him by saying that,

The Obama campaign has been derisively and incorrectly described as more rock tour than political campaign and his supporters as more starry-eyed groupies than thoughtful voters.

If detractors in either party want to continue characterizing the Obama campaign this way, they will have seriously underestimated both the electorate's hunger for meaningful change in how the nation is governed and the candidate himself.

Here is a video that shows that Senator Obama has ideas and is not just "all talk."

Here is the actual Obama Blueprint for Change and here is a one-page flier about some of the main issues.

~Eli

a texas kid for obama reviews "barack obama, an american story"

2008-02-20T23:10:00-06:00

Upon Googling "Kids for Obama," I found a delightful blog by a young member of a Kids for Obama group that is part of TexansforObama.com. After a couple of phone calls and fun conversations, I received permission from Shawn Buchanan, the mom of Tomori Kailani Buchanan (pictured here with a Dog for Obama named "Wish") to reprint the book review below.

"Remember I was reading a book about Barack Obama for little kids. Well I finished the book. It was very nice, with just a few things I did not like. Oh I want to remind you the title is BARACK OBAMA, AN AMERICAN STORY.

Every page almost was this person is white or this person is black. People are not colors. In my family we say African or European, Asian or Native American. BLACK and WHITE is just crazy.

Also, when he was growing up he felt like he had a different life, I also feel I have a different life.

Some of the words are difficult to read like the Hawaiian words and Asian words, but I am only 6 so you older kids will not have a problem.

Barack Obama was so cute when he was a little kid. But some of the photos look sad. You can not believe this little boy is a big man now.

That's all I guess Okay Bye Bye" TOMORI

Thanks to David Kobierowski, a founder of Texans for Obama, for connecting me with Tomori's mom Shawn. (Both David and Shawn sounded tired from hard work but extremely excited about the March 4 primary and determined to win.) Shawn also told me about this delightful blog post by a fellow Chicagoan named Sarah Ramey. In reporting on a number of Kids for Obama, Sarah wrote that:

"Tomori age 6, ...invented "Take an Adult to Vote Day," with her local Austin,TX Kids for Obama chapter. Not only that, Obama also inspired Tomori to organize an Obama Colorado River Cleanup community service day, and she's even having kid-friendly versions of the Bill of Rights and the preamble to the Constitution printed up to give to local kids because she's passionate about letting everyone know -- 'Kids have rights too!'"''

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Know some young people or young people at heart who are Kids for Obama? Please help us spread the word! Please forward a link to this blog and tell them they can subscribe via email by clicking here. Thanks!

~Celeste, Eli's mom

kids for kerry founder, 15-year-old ilana wexler, endorses obama

2008-02-18T18:46:31-06:00

In 2004, when Senator John Kerry was the Democratic nominee for President, 11-year-old Ilana Wexler started a group called Kids for Kerry. She was noticed by the people campaigning for Kerry and even asked to make a speech at the Democratic convention (click here to watch it). In that speech she said, "Kids, this is about our futures. Make sure all the adults you know get out and vote."

And the Democrats didn't forget about her. For the 2008 election, Senator Clinton worked hard to get Ilana to endorse her, but Ilana decided to endorse Senator Obama. Ilana is now 15 and a student at Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California. She is working to get more people, especially young adults, to vote. Photo, right, by Mark Costantini of the San Francisco Chronicle.)

~Celeste, Eli's mom

presidents' day book picks from planetesme.com

2008-02-18T03:55:57-06:00

Abraham Lincoln is probably Barack Obama's favorite president. Before he became President, Lincoln was a Senator from Illinois. Obama is also a Senator from Illinois. Lincoln believed that it was important for Americans to work together and not fight each other. That is something that Senator Obama believes in, too, and he talks about that in many of his speeches.

In fact, Senator Obama announced that he would run for the presidency on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, where Lincoln made his famous speech that began with these words, "A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free."

Two of the books featured here are about President Lincoln. All of them are based on true stories and all are recommended by Esme Raji Codell, a dear friend and a great children's author. The text below is excerpted from a longer article (click here) that she wrote for her wonderful blog on children's books, the PlanetEsme blog.

Vinnie and Abraham by Dawn Fitzgerald, illustrated by Catherine Stock (Charlesbridge)

"Work has never been a labor, but an ecstatic delight to my soul. I have worked in my studio not envying kings in their splendor; my mind to me was my kingdom, and my work more than diamonds and rubies. If my encouraging words can help any struggling artist to have new hope, I shall be glad..." --Vinnie Ream

With so many men away fighting the Civil War, women were given new opportunities for employment, and fourteen-year-old Vinnie Ream took on work sorting dead letters in the post office. During her noon breaks, she slipped away to the Washington graveyards, cultivating her gift for sculpture. Realizing "I'll have to make my own opportunity if I ever hope to make art," she apprenticed herself out to a famous artist, who could not deny her talent.

Soon Vinnie reputation spread, and she was able to sculpt the likenesses of haughty congressmen, always putting out into the universe and into their influential ears her dearest wish: to sculpt the face of the brave President Lincoln, whom she often saw walking among the people despite many threats of assassination. Her wish was eventually granted, but bittersweet.

After the deed of John Wilkes Booth, Congress sought to hire a sculptor to create a memorial statue of President Lincoln. Could Vinnie's image of the president as a kind and gentle man compete with other visions of Lincoln as a warrior or saint? Would the bias against her age and gender stop her from giving the gift she wanted to create for her country?

Besides being a tribute to a woman who never gave up, this is an extraordinary story of friendship and admiration, of two parallel lives converging in a way that resonates through all time. The graceful writing in this book lends itself to smooth storytelling, and almost euphoric levels of inspiration. (7 and up)

Abe Lincoln: The Boy Who Loved Books by Kim Winters, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (Simon and Schuster)
They thought he was lazy, this boy who would take a book out of his back pocket to read at the end of each row he'd plow. In fact, bigger things were in store for this young dreamer who was destined to become out 16th president. Readers are treated to a homey glimpse of this hero's boyhood, leaning on his father's lap by the fireside as yarns were spun, splitting wood, shivering with his sister in a drafty log loft. It chronicles both the dark days (like when Abe's mother dies of "milk sickness" when he is nine) and exciting adventures (such as the great wrestling match between him and Jack Armstrong, which was met with cries of "Body slam! Body slam!" by my second grade listeners). The story stops where most others begin, as Lincoln takes his seat at the White House. (6 and up)

George Washington's Teeth by Deborah Chandra and Madeleine Comora,illustrated by Brock Cole (Farrar Straus and Giroux)
What was the biggest challenge for the father of our country? The invasion of British troops? Winter at Valley Forge? No, it was toothaches that ultimately brought poor George Washington to his knees! Starting at age twenty-four, Washington lost a tooth a year (spitting out two as he crossed the Delaware) and by the time he took office, he had only two chompers left! No wonder he didn't smile for his portraits! Told in witty verse, we follow the immortal general as he battles this mortal and mortifying malady....It is unusual to find history told in a way that is so accessible and compelling to young children. How resonating is this book? After we first read this some years ago, my son came up to me wiggling a tooth and announced joyfully, "Ma! I'm just like George Washington!" (6 and up)

A Big Cheese for the White House: The True Tale of A Tremendous Cheddar by Candace Fleming, illustrated by S.D. Schindler (Farrar Straus and Giroux)
Jefferson wasn't the only big cheese in the White House in 1801, thanks to the town of Cheshire, Massachusetts. I liked the persistent undertone of the town "downer," Phineas Dobbs, throughout the story ("It can never be done!" "I told you it could never be done!") as the town sought to create a ridiculously enormous cheese, weighing 1,235 pounds! The success of the endeavor suggests that diligence is all that's really necessary to overcome cynicism and make ideas come to fruition...or is it cheesition? Kids will melt over this funny, exciting and true story. (6 and up)

P.S. to Parents: Esme believes that reading -- particularly reading aloud -- is one of the best ways to change that world and "our best hope for equalizing education in America." Visit her website to learn more about how you can change the world through reading!

P.P.S. to Parents: Doesn't the Big Cheese book, above, seem especially appropriate for this election year, when we've seen the triumph of hope -- and hard work -- over cynicism?

~Celeste, Eli's mom

a super kid on super tuesday: a 12-year-old precinct captain for obama

2008-02-14T21:51:59-06:00

Neal Kornreich, a 12-year-old boy living in Boulder, Colorado, is a precinct captain for Barack Obama. There was a story about Neal in the Rocky Mountain News on Super Tuesday, February 5, when Colorado had its caucuses. (Obama won!)

As a precinct captain, Neal makes calls and visits people at their houses (he always goes with an adult) and encourages them to vote for Obama.

After doing a report about him, Neal found that many of his and Obama's views were the same. Neal wrote a letter to Obama stating issues in the world that meant a lot to him, and after a bicycle accident that put him in a wheelchair, he received a personal letter from Barack Obama himself. Now Neal is back on his feet going door to door to inform people about Obama.

When asked about his beliefs about Obama, he said, "He's the symbol of a new generation. He believes in ending the war in Iraq responsibly - we need to make sure it doesn't end up in mass domestic chaos....if we elect the right people and we help the President, we can turn this country around."

Here is a cool slide show with audio showing Neal in action. It will give you some good ideas for what YOU can say and do in order to get votes for Obama.

Great job, Neal, and keep up your support for Obama!

~ Eli

it's time to revive the kids for obama blog -- and you can help!

2008-02-09T14:09:00-06:00

Hello, everyone. Eli started this blog when he was nine and when Barack Obama ran for Senator in Illinois. We are reviving it now because our family has known Barack Obama since Eli's uncle organized with him in Chicago in the 1980s and since Eli's mom met Michelle Obama in the 1990s through an organization called Public Allies.

We believe that Barack Obama is our best hope for making our country and our world a safer, more just place. We are also very excited about the fact that CNN and Time Magazine conducted a poll (that means they asked a lot of voters what they thought) and they found out that Obama would have a better chance than Hillary Clinton of defeating the Republican candidate, John McCain.

We hope to post here at least once a week (there is a lot of homework in 7th grade!) and let you know about other kids who are supporting Obama. But most important, we want you to participate. Please let us know:

if you're a Kid for Obama who would like to write a post for our blog
if you know about other Kids for Obama that we should write about
if your school held a mock election that Obama won

Please talk with your parents and contact us by sending us an email or posting a comment. We will publish your post (and if you like, your photo) but we won't publish anything that will make it unsafe for you on the Internet.

Thanks so much, and get together with your parents to call everyone you know to tell them to vote for Obama for President in 2008!

Eli and Eli's mom, Celeste