Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie Kingsley
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Fun civics lesson inspires kids to be involved and engaged.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Miss Greer's second graders are getting a pet In SOFIA VALDEZ AND THE VANISHING VOTE, and they're holding an election to decide if a bird or a turtle will live on the shelf in their classroom. Sofia is the election commissioner, trying to facilitate a fair process from nominations to campaigns to voting. The kids make posters, give speeches to the class, and fill a newspaper with ads and articles, all of which lead to fights and hard feelings. Sofia thinks it will get better when the votes are tallied, but with the results tied and one vote missing, she has to figure out how to solve the problem fairly. At the end of the book, there's information about journalism, how to identify real news sources, some history of the voting process and workers' strikes in the United States, and a section about why voting is meaningful.
Is It Any Good?
In her fourth installment of the Questioneers chapter books, author Andrea Beaty aims to educate and entertain, and does both spectacularly well. Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote combines a fun, relatable story and tons of practical information about the election process and history in the United States. Sofia's abuelo listens to her troubles and offers a lovely sounding board, helping her see how her grappling with what "fair" means fits in the context of history, and the precious right and responsibility of voting.
Among the many practical tips for navigating an election is the kids' discussion about how to know what information is factual and true vs. biased propaganda, and why voting matters, which is an important concept for future voters to grasp.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what voting means to them, like Abuelo did in Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote. Do the adults in your home vote? Why or why not? Do you plan to vote?
In what ways can you be sure you're ready to make a decision on an issue? What do you do to learn about something and weigh your options?
What other books have you read about voting and elections?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : David Roberts
- Genre : For Beginning Readers
- Topics : Activism , Friendship , History
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Henry N. Abrams
- Publication date : October 20, 2020
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 6 - 9
- Number of pages : 144
- Available on : Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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