Cover Reveal: The Campaign by Leila Sales

Happy, President’s Day! Seems to me today is a holiday filled with mixed emotions. And since this is an election year at that, I think the best possible plan of action is to swerve our attention away from national politics and towards (what else?) middle grade novels.

If the name “Leila Sales” rings any bells, it may be because this clever author started her career as an editor at Viking. In fact, she was one of my editors on my funny female middle grade anthology Funny Girl, even submitting a piece for the book. Now she’s coming out with a timely tale, and I’m the lucky son of a gun that gets to do the book jacket reveal. In a nutshell, here’s the plot:

A hilarious and timely political comedy—like Veep for tweens—about a twelve year old who runs her babysitter’s campaign for mayor

If you ask Maddie Polansky, the only good part of middle school is art class. It’s definitely not the other kids, who think she’s weird, or the teachers, who think she’s a troublemaker. And though she’s never paid much attention to politics, when she learns that the front-runner for city mayor plans to cut funding for the arts, she knows she has to do something to stop Lucinda Burghart, art-hating bad guy! She can’t run for mayor herself—she’s just a kid. But she can get her babysitter, Janet, to run against Lucinda. 

Soon, Maddie is thrust into the role of Janet’s campaign manager, leading not only to humor and hijinks but to an inspiring story about activism and what it takes to become an engaged citizen. As she leads the campaign from rallies to debates to Election Day, Maddie discovers that she has more of a community than she’d ever imagined—and that sometimes a “troublemaker” is exactly what this world needs.

The book will be out this coming August, just in time for Election Season.

And now, for one and all, the book jacket as illustrated by Kim Balacuit:

Thanks to Leila, Kim, and my agent Stephen Barbara for the cover reveal.

Filed under: Cover Reveal