Operation Clean Sweep [Hardcover]

Darleen Bailey Beard (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Mom for mayor!

Election day is fast approaching, and twelve-year-old Cornelius Sanwick discovers a secret: his mom is running for mayor! That would be pretty neat, except that his dad is the incumbent. Corn feels torn -- surely he should warn his father. But if he does, his mother won't stand a chance. In 1916, Oregon is one of only eleven states in which women can vote, and they have to take office by stealth. Corn wonders what kind of mayor his mom would make. Would she be able to get the streetlights turned back on? Would she corral the chickens and keep their poop off the streets? And what would she do if the pickpocket Sticky Fingers Fred showed up in Umatilla?

Friendship, first love, and above all filial devotion play their parts in this charming story set during the Great War and based on a true episode in the history of Umatilla, Oregon -- the female takeover of the town's government.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7–Cornelius Sanwick, 12, is in a quandary. His father is mayor of Umatilla, OR, and running for reelection. Now Corn has found out that his mother is secretly campaigning for the same position. The year is 1916, and Oregon is one of only 11 states that have given women the right to vote. The boy doesn't know which parent to support, but he realizes that his mother is likely to win because the town has more women than men. Should he tell his father about his mom's secret plan? This story is based on an actual event that brought national attention to Umatilla and women's suffrage. The story moves along quite well and is fueled by several subplots concerning a villainous pickpocket, Cornelius's interest in a classmate, and various school assignments that give readers not only a sense of the time period, but also common experiences with which to identify. Most fiction titles on women's suffrage are from a girl's viewpoint, so Corn's point of view gives the subject another dimension. The boy's dilemma keeps him thinking and questioning where he stands on women in politics and his decisions seem realistically made as he begins to change his attitude. The book has larger-than-usual type and is lots of fun. A great addition to historical-fiction collections.–Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. When 12-year-old Cornelius Sanwick overhears his mother and her friends discussing the upcoming election in Umatilla, Oregon, he learns that she is secretly running for mayor against his father, the incumbent. The women are disgusted with the way the men have managed municipal issues and now that it's 1916, they intend to make a clean sweep of the local public offices. Corn is caught between agreeing with his mother about the town's problems and feeling disloyal to his father by keeping secret what he knows. Beard's story, based on real events, features believable characters, strong local color, and a plot that gently makes its point without offending anyone. Subplots--involving a good friend with an annoying habit; Corn's first love; and a notorious pickpocket, Sticky Fingers Fred--round out the action. A timely choice for classroom read-alouds, this might spark discussions about equal rights, suffragettes, or campaign tactics. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); First Edition edition (August 26, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374380341
• ISBN-13: 978-0374380342
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,905,781 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Down Home War Between The Sexes, March 6, 2007

By 

Mel Odom (Moore, OK USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Operation Clean Sweep (Hardcover)

Cornelius, "Corn" to his friends, is a welcome and genuine narrator in this story based on real political events early in the 20th century. Corn's dad is the town mayor, but he doesn't know that the women in town are tired of dragging their dresses through chicken poop in the streets and stepping over holes in the wooden sidewalks.

A secret coup takes shape among the women as they intend to run for office. Corn is astounded to learn that. But even worse is the fact hat his mom is going to run AGAINST his dad for mayor.

The writing is tight and clean. It lends itself to being read aloud to young listeners. Corn's troubles are the kind that every kid goes through, and he relates them in a matter-of-fact kind of way that's endearing. His infatuation with Birdine is warm and funny, and progresses naturally.

The friendship between Corn and Oatmeal (Otis) is a riot. Oatmeal has fallen in love with his tape measure and is constantly measuring things or poking people with it. The boy humor is just as real as the historical setting.

I read this one aloud to my nine-year-old and he cracked up a lot. In addition to the political war at home, Corn's problems with Birdine, and struggling to write his essay on the Great War (World War I), Corn also has to deal with Stick Fingers Fred, the worst pickpocket in the area at the time.

Darleen Bailey Beard has written one of those timeless books that school libraries should have on their shelves and parents should enjoy with their children.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Fiction can be a hoot!, September 5, 2004

By 

J. Fields "Kids Bookaphile" (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Operation Clean Sweep (Hardcover)

In Operation Clean Sweep, Darleen Bailey Beard shows us some important things about how attitudes toward women have changed, but she does it with humor and good fun. Cornelius and his best pal Otis are determined to figure out what the women are up to during secret meetings to formulate a plan to take over town government -- but figuring out what to do about the sister suffragists doesn't occupy all their time. Cornelius also learns how to talk to a pretty girl (imagine her with boogers -- lots of boogers) and a thing or two about catching desperate characters. All the pieces come together to make this a lively story with enough history to make it good for you.