MORE LETTERS FROM
THANKS AND HAVE FUN
RUNNING THE COUNTRY:
KIDS' LETTERS TO
PRESIDENT OBAMA.
- - - -
BUY THE BOOK
ABOUT THE BOOK
BULK SALES
- - - -
Shortly after the election of Barack Obama, Jory John, who runs the drop-in tutoring at 826 Valencia, began asking his students to write letters to their new president. The results were, by turns, hilarious, heartrending, and even practical. The project was expanded to include students from all over the country, and McSweeney's and 826 National have collected the letters in a book, Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country: Kids' Letters to President Obama. We're happy to announce that the book is now available. Last week, we ran some of the letters on the site, and today, to mark the book's release, we're sharing some more. Today's New York Times also features a sampling of letters from the book. To learn more about Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country, click here. Proceeds from the book will benefit student programming at the 826 centers. To inquire about bulk sales, e-mail Heidi.
- - - -
Dear President Obama,
When you are president, don't eat junk food. Junk food makes you fat. Your family shouldn't eat junk food, either, because it is not healthy. Obama, you rock.
Amy Ramirez, age 8
San Francisco
Dear President Obama,
Are you going to be pictured on our money? How do you get in the White House? Do you like Abraham Lincoln? Do you have a big backyard? Martin Luther King Jr. had big fans. How many fans do you have? You could help us by giving us food. I am Luis Ramirez. I go to school at Mayberry. I like to play video games.
Luis Ramirez, age 8
Los Angeles
Dear President Obama,
I am 10 years old. I am a nice girl and I like to write. I wish you could be the first president of all the world. Obama, when I went trick-or-treating on Halloween, people were giving me candy and telling me to vote for you. Obama, I think it will be better if you tell the people that sell TVs, and all those things, to sell them for a lower price, because my mom and my dad are not working and not getting a lot of money. I want people that are not in a house and don't work to get something for Christmas. Obama, if I were president, I would change a lot of things in this world.
Paulina Rojas, age 10
Los Angeles
Dear President Obama,
Be a good president. I voted for you because you are nicer than the others. Me and my family think you are more helpful than McCain. Obama, if I were a president, I would copy the same things you are doing, because you are helping people who are from Mexico. Good luck, President Obama, on being a president. I am happy you are the new president. Obama, my sister is intelligent and so am I. I like to play my Nintendo DS. We are working hard for you. You are more intelligent than the others.
Sincerely,
Citlali Mora, age 9
Los Angeles
President Obama,
You should not smoke when you are president! There are simple reasons. Because you will die by smoking, and then you will not be president! But I want you to be.
Your No. 1 fan,
David Lopez, age 7
Los Angeles
Dear President Obama,
I want to meet you at my tutoring program with my teacher, Bonnie. Did you ever go to a tutoring program after school like me? What age are your daughters? Are they 11 years old like me? Are you going to help people like my parents find good jobs? I want to tell you that I learned to ride my bike. That is good because I get exercise and play with my friends. It would be cool if everybody rode bikes, because they don't use gasoline and they don't make the air dirty. If I were a president, I would give people jobs.
Furthermore,
Karla Mora, age 11
Los Angeles
Dear Obama,
I like you because you won. We saw you on TV. I hope I am your friend.
Sincerely,
Edwin Martinez, age 6
Los Angeles
Dear Barack Obama,
I have a great idea for you: you should set up a special phone, a special place just for kids to call the president if they find things that are dangerous and can affect people, like someone smoking. This would be a special place for kids to talk to Barack Obama and let him know what's going on.
Another important thing that I want to talk to you about is cars and buses. There is a bus called the Galactic Wizard which runs on biofuel or vegetable oil. I think, instead of polluting the environment, scientists should work on those buses. You should make it so that everyone turns off any light whenever they are not in the room—that way we can save the environment and also pay less on our electricity. We can't just use up the environment until we have nothing, or we will starve to death. Nobody wants that, do they? I want to tell you, Barack Obama, if one day I could travel around the world and help people, I would definitely do it.
Dhamaril Nunez, age 9
Boston
- - - -
To buy
Thanks and Have Fun
Running the Country,
click here.
- - - -
OTHER McSWEENEY'S FEATURES:
- - - -
More Letters From Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country: Kids' Letters to President Obama
Crisis-Aversion Index Cards That Get Me Through a Normal Day By Ted Travelstead
A Literary Critic Reviews My Résumé By Kent Woodyard
From The Clog: Manchester, Vermont's Insider Gossip Blog for Plumbers By Teddy Wayne
I Am the King of Household Design By Rosser Clark
Red dot denotes content that is new today.
Black dot denotes newish content.