Dear Mr. President, by Sophie Siers and Anne Villenueve

Sam has a problem.  He shares a room with his big brother, but they don't get along very well.  He thinks the problem might be solved by building a wall between their two sides.  Sam has heard about the president's idea for a wall, so he begins a correspondence with the president.  Sophie Siers and Anne Villenueve record and illustrate his letters in Dear Mr. President.

This a cute idea, taking a political hot topic and giving it a mostly non-political, real-life application.  Sam weighs the pros and cons of building the wall, although he never can convince his parents or his brother that it's a good idea.  Sam's teacher points out that historically some walls "didn't quite work to plan," and Dad says that "communication and negotiation are always preferable to separation."  Eventually, their parents set Sam's brother straight and he begins to be a more considerate roomie. 

Sam never does hear back from the president, or at least that correspondence is not recorded in the book.  More than making a specific political point, Sam learns that when both sides work together, they can get along, and that coming to agreements and compromise is better than building permanent barriers.  It's a good lesson for domestic relations, but doesn't easily translate to international relations.  Still, this is a fun little book.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!