The President's Daughter [Paperback]

Ellen Emerson White (Author)

Book Description

Series: President's Daughter | Publication Date: July 22, 2008

Sixteen-year-old Meghan Powers likes her life just the way it is. She likes living in Massachusetts. She likes her school. And she has plenty of friends. But all that is about to change. Because Meg’s mother, one of the most prestigious senators in the country, is running for President. And she’s going to win.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The first incarnation of this book about a teen whose mother becomes president came out in 1984. Now White has updated it without doing a total rewrite, ensuring that some of the best parts, particularly the family interactions, remain. Sixteen-year-old Meg Powers is used to having a mother in office, but running for president is a horse (or donkey, in this case) of another color. Her candidacy seems like such a long shot that Meg and her younger brothers don’t worry much at first. Then she wins, and life as Meg knew it is over. With such a long time span to cover (primary season through post-inauguration), White sometimes tells rather than shows, especially during the first half of the book. But once the family moves to Washington, she vividly captures what it’s like to live under a microscope, especially for subjects who didn’t want the attention in the first place. Besides offering a solid look at the political system, this has very strong characterizations, especially of Meg, trying desperately to be her own person, and of her mother, who is both a cool, ambitious politician and a guilty parent who knows she is rarely giving her family what they want and need. Grades 7-10. --Ilene Cooper

Review

“Rarely have I read such a nuanced, realistic, understanding and forgiving mother/daughter relationship.”—A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy

“Her characters are sometimes sarcastic; they are also honest and vulnerable. Over and over, I believe her characters to be real; fully formed; I would recognize them on the street. They are flawed, they are funny, they are a mix of good and bad. They are complex.”—A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy on Ellen Emerson White

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 297 pages
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends; First Edition edition (July 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312374887
• ISBN-13: 978-0312374884
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,049,213 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ellen Emerson White has lived in New york City for many years, but still hankers for New England a bit.

She roots for the Red Sox, even when they are not at their best.

She is wicked private.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I've read this book 24 times...nuff said, January 21, 2001

By 

Taylor Allison Price (Overland Park, KS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The President's Daughter (Paperback)

White's "The President's Daughter" is undoubtedly one of the best books I've ever come across. Although there are 3 books in the series, most readers will enjoy the first book the most. Meg, a 16-year-old sophomore, is the focus of this book about a woman running for president in the early 80s. When her mother wins, Meg is thrown into a humorous and crazy whirlwind of political activities in addition to struggling with boy problems and french homework. She is one of the most endearing heroines in modern literature and her mother, Katharine Powers, exemplifies girl power. I first read this book in 5th grade and immediately fell in love with it. Now a sophomore in high school, I've read it at least 24 times and I find myself laughing through the whole book every time, even though I know most of the book by heart. In fact, I've got 2 copies of the novel because the pages fell out of my first copy after I reread it for the 12th time. I encourage all readers, especially females interested in politics, to take the effort to find the (sadly) out-print-novel. It is one of the best I've ever read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant, hilarious, and true-to-life, April 12, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: President's Daughter (Paperback)

The trilogy (The President's Daughter, White House Autumn, and Long Live the Queen) are my three favorite books from childhood...and some of the only ones I've kept and continue to re-read even now, at age 26. Ellen Emerson White succeeds in capturing the complexity of growing up and of relating to family and friends. But this isn't a book full of angst and self-pity! It's a joyous, funny portrait of a young lady who is coming into her own...the bumps in her life are not glossed over, but dealt with fairly and accurately. It's a timeless story, a pleasure to read at any age. I always wished for another couple books about Meg and her family.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Young Adult Fiction...for Grownups, May 13, 2005

By 

snarkypants (North Central Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The President's Daughter (Paperback)

I first read the first two books when I was in high school...in the 80s. I enjoyed them then, and sorely regret loaning them to a younger cousin when I got to college and was ostensibly 'too old' for them. My local bookstore didn't carry "God Save the Queen," so I've never read that one.

I'm 36 now, and I've read one heckuva lot of books. But two of that stay with me are "The President's Daughter" and "White House Autumn." Like the very best in young adult fiction (Harry Potter, etc.), the themes are universal, the characterization is excellent, and the glimpse into another world is fascinating.