The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America's Presidents

By Kate Messner and Adam Rex

An inspiring and informative book for kids about the past and future of America's presidents.

Who will be the NEXT president? Could it be you? When George Washington became the first president of the United States, there were nine future presidents already alive in America, doing things like practicing law or studying medicine.

When JFK became the thirty-fifth president, there were 10 future presidents already alive in America, doing things like hosting TV shows and learning the saxophone.

And right now—today!—there are at least 10 future presidents alive in America. They could be playing basketball, like Barack Obama, or helping in the garden, like Dwight D. Eisenhower. They could be solving math problems or reading books. They could be making art—or already making change.

• A breezy, kid-friendly survey of American history and American presidents
• Great for teachers, librarians, and other educators
• Kate Messner's nonfiction picture books have been lauded by critics and received a variety of awards.

For young readers and students who loved The New Big Book of Presidents, Lincoln and Kennedy: A Pair to Compare, and Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America's Presidents.

A helpful addition to curriculums of 5th- to 8th-grade students studying U.S. History and civics and the federal government.

• For readers ages 8–12
• S. history for kids
• Students, librarians, teachers
• 5th–8th-grade kids

From award-winning author Kate Messner and New York Times bestselling artist Adam Rex comes a timely and compelling compendium about the U.S. presidents—before they were presidents.

Kate Messner is an award-winning author whose many books for kids have been selected as Best Books by the New York Times, Junior Library Guild, IndieBound, and Bank Street College of Education. She lives on Lake Champlain with her family.

Adam Rex is the author and illustrator of many beloved picture books and novels, including Nothing Rhymes with Orange and the New York Times bestseller Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich. He has worked with the likes of Jon Scieszka, Mac Barnett, Jeff Kinney, and Neil Gaiman. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chronicle Books Digital
• Release date: Mar 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9781452175034

Kate Messner

Kate Messner is the award-winning author of more than a dozen other books for young readers, including Over and Under the Snow, Up in the Garden and Down in the DirtOver and Under the Snow, Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt, and How to Read a Story. When she's not writing, she loves spending time outside. Kate lives in New York with her family.

Book preview

For Tom, Jake, and Ella —KM

To Henry, Amanda, and Alexis— who aren’t allowed to be president, but you’d be lucky to have them —AR

NAME THE PRESIDENT

of the

UNITED

STATES.

No matter when you read this book, there’s only one right answer to that question, because America only has one president at a time.

But no matter who holds the job right now, the presidents of tomorrow are always out there somewhere.

Some already know they’d like to run the country one day. Some are learning how government works as members of Congress or representatives in state, local, or student government.

And some don’t have a clue yet

Reviews for The Next President

[salsabrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What an intriguing thought, that 10 of our future presidents may be alive right now, including those who are just children with no thought or concept at all of leading the country! Author Messner shows the proof in the pudding by looking at the years 1789, 1841, 1897, and 1961; and who the presidents were at the time, and which someday-soon presidents were alive then. There are plenty of easily digestible fun facts throughout, ideal for poring over. It closes with the tantalizing question "where is the next president and what are they doing right now?" Who knows, you might be the one who becomes president!

[sweetiegherkin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this unusual book, the author discusses some of the many men who have been presidents of the United States while also having an inspirational message that the next few future presidents are currently out there dreaming and doing.This book came across my radar when my supervisor mentioned there was some controversy about it regarding an illustration showing enslaved people building the White House. When I looked up reviews, I found instead everyone harping on how there's a picture of Hillary Clinton and not one of Trump. (This latter point is not entirely true; Trump is shown a boy in the 1960s on one page spread where several others who were going to grow up to become president. On a different page spread, Hillary's portrait is shown in a museum gallery with a young girl looking up to her, alongside some text noting how most the presidents have been men but Clinton became the first female candidate of a major political party. This comes right before the final pages noting how future presidents are out there right now, basically encouraging all children -- male or female, able-bodied or disabled, of any religious background, of any racial/ethnic background -- that they could have political aspirations to make change in their world.)So, I absolutely loved this book and thought the so-called controversies were nothing. I've already noted how the Hillary Clinton one was overblown above. As for the illustration of enslaved people building the White House, that is simply showing an uncomfortable truth that some people don't want to face. That problem lies with the reader, not with the text. We should be talking about the problematic parts of our country's history in order to learn from mistakes and do better in the future. The text also notes how many of the first presidents had enslaved people on their plantations, despite their ideals of an equal and just America. Again, hard truths but ones we need to confront. It is done in a child-friendly way that is factual and not graphic or gratuitous.In keeping with the idea that the next president is already among us, each time the book moves forward chronologically, it will note the then president and what other future presidents were around at the same time, including what they were doing. For example in 1841 when William Henry Harrison was sworn in as president, James Garfield was a child working on his family farm. So it does follow a timeline going forward, but it leaps ahead to different years, not necessarily doing a mini-biography for president 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... all the way to 45, like many other children's nonfiction books about presidents. Those other books certainly have their place, but I like that this one is a little bit different. For each president mentioned, only 2 to 3 sentences worth of information is given. It's generally some major highlights about their birthplace/hometown, education, jobs held, and/or some random interesting trivia. I learned some new facts, and it was all done in a super interesting way that kept me engaged with the text.The illustrations are well done, with a swooshing line often seen connecting various thoughts, text bubbles, and illustrations. Each president has their number listed somewhere near their illustration, with increasingly more clever ways of doing this. For instance, young Trump has "45" on a model airplane he is holding, while teen-aged Roosevelt has "32" on the boat he is sailing. For the sections that talk about how future presidents are among us, care is given to show people as diverse as Americans are.Backmatter includes an extensive bibliography and some notes with additional information such as data on presidential birthplaces and a list of the Constitutional requirements for becoming president. This is again done in a way to encourage the reader that anyone -- including themselves -- could be the next president.

[abrahamray · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great children’s book about the presidents up to and including trump. It also includes the rules for becoming president.

[melodyreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

fun American history