Kids' Letters to
President Obama.
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In January 2009, McSweeney's and 826 National published Thanks and Have Fun Running the Country: Kids' Letters to President Obama, edited by Jory John. Since the publication of the book, Mr. John has continued to collect kids' letters to Obama, and occasionally some of them will appear here.
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Installment One.
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Dear Obama,
I'm an expert on how to stay fit. Do you eat a lot of junk food? Is it good for you? No! Instead, eat vegetables, carrots, broccoli, and fried spinach. It's easy to swallow. You could turn the bowling alley into a gym. You can exercise on a running machine. But don't eat junk food.
Your expert,
Noemi Martinez, age 8
New York
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Dear President Obama,
I hope you will enjoy your four years as president. I'm sure you are going to try your best to help us out of this situation. I wrote to ask you a few personal questions outside of being president. Trust me, it helps to get your mind off work once in a while.
I'm only in sixth grade and sometimes thinking about school drives me over the deep end. Anyway, I think it's tough to be president because of the fact that no one sees you as a real person anymore. If you can take a minute, please read the following questions and comments so maybe your mind can drift a little bit.
First, I'd like to ask you what candy you like. My favorite are those gummy bears that come in a whole variety of flavors. Orange flavor is my favorite. I bet you like grape. Then again, you may not even like gummies.
Something unique about me is that I'm an honor-roll student with a grade average of 4.0. For fun, I like to climb high into my willow tree and then find a firm branch and sit on it. It is peaceful. Will you have a peaceful place to sit in the White House?
Lastly, I'll tell you about the big city of Ann Arbor and how things flow there. Two thousand eight was a large year for doing such things as going to the symphony and eating out for dinner. The museums are packed and everyone is complaining about the Wolverines' season. I guess that's Ann Arbor for you.
I thank you for taking the time to read and hope you have a marvelous 2009!
Thank you,
Alex Maranville, age 11
Ann Arbor
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Dear President Barack Obama,
I live in Chicago. I am 9 years old. I think your daughter is 9 years old, too. I hope you like your new house. I hope you miss Chicago. You are very famous. Can you invite me to your new house to eat pizza? Obama, you rock.
Sincerely,
Bryan Montalban, age 9
Chicago
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