First Daughter: White House Rules (Hardcover)

by Mitali Perkins (Author) "Sameera checked her watch again..." (more)
Key Phrases: young cougar, White House, First Lady, Secret Service (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
This picks up where Extreme American Makeover (2007) left off, with 16-year-old Sameera now living in the White House. The new president’s daughter, adopted from Pakistan when she was three, finds pluses and minuses in being First Daughter. Chick lit with a political edge (and a nod to the Princess Diaries series), this offers some interesting takes on the pressures and pitfalls of celebrity, and Sameera’s relationship with a boy from India brings international tensions to a personal level. Although Perkins tries mightily to incorporate backstory, knowing the first book in the Sameera series will be helpful. Grades 7-10. --Ilene Cooper

Review
... an entertaining political fantasy. Mitali, born in India, now an American, understands Sparrow's character well... -- KLIATT, January 2008

All the elements of a good romance: smart main character, sympathetic sidekick, and a luscious boyfriend ... Readers will get a glimpse of what life is like inside the White House for a teenager. -- VOYA

Chick-lit with a political edge (and a nod to the Princess Diaries series), this offers some interesting takes on the pressures and pitfalls of celebrity, and Sameera's relationship with a boy from India brings international tensions to a personal level. -- Booklist

Sameera's world is one of diverse political persuasions, faiths, and ethnicities, where kindness and understanding allow all people to get along. Readers who enjoy Meg Cabot's "Princess Diaries" (HarperCollins) and others of the same ilk will enjoy reading about Sameera. -- School Library Journal

Sparrow's actions and thoughtful blog posts paint her as a likable character and great role model. -- Kirkus Reviews

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (January 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525479511
• ISBN-13: 978-0525479512
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #553,304 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, March 4, 2008

By	TeensReadToo.com "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

In the second book of the FIRST DAUGHTER series, Sameera is unpacking boxes and exploring the White House with her cousin, Miranda. Sameera loves living in the White House. She gets to explore, learn to waltz, and she stills keeps writing in her blog.

But she's also beginning to realize that life in the White House may not be a fairy tale. Bobby, her friend and the guy she likes, stopped calling after her dad became President. When she learns it's because of religious beliefs, she's outraged, just as Bobby is.

There's also a comment left on her blog that leaves her wondering if she really could survive in the real world. She soon hatches a plan to find out -- and it seems that to make life a fairy tale, people have to be willing to take some chances.

To be honest, I love all of those movies about the President's daughter (Chasing Liberty especially), so I was sure I'd love a series of books about the First Daughter, too. I was right!

This book was great. Sameera is one of the best characters I've read about in a while. She's spirited and daring, but she's also honest and she knows when to stop. All of the other characters were amazing, too. WHITE HOUSE RULES is a fun, quirky read and I'd recommend it to anyone, even if you're not a fan of these types of movies.

Reviewed by: Harmony

4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed the book..wish it was longer, June 14, 2009

By	S. I. Porter "SIP" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Only problem with the book is that it was too short. I found the characters interesting and endearing, and thought it was a good story. The First Family was terrific, and I hope that there are more novels from this author about this First Family.

4.0 out of 5 stars Worthy Sequel To The First In The Series, March 4, 2008

By	Jocelyn "jocelyn (teen book reviewer)" (Asheville, NC USA) - See all my reviews

In this second book in Mitali Perkins' First Daughter series, Sameera "Sparrow" Righton, the smart, articulate adopted Pakistani daughter of a Republican presidential candidate whose blog helped her father win, is back. This time, though, instead of trying to help out with her father's campaign, Sparrow is moving into the White House!

In White House Rules, Sameera is continuing to adjust to life in the spotlight. Even more than that, really; with the constant presence of the Secret Service, privacy is hard to come by when you're living in the White House. Aside from the fact that she's the President's daughter and dealing with all that comes along with that territory, Sameera also has normal teenage girl stuff to deal with-like guys. She and Bobby were getting really close before, but now he's mysteriously stopped calling.

White House Rules is a worthy sequel to the fun-yet-serious first book in the series, Extreme American Makeover. I felt like the characterizations also got better in this second novel, though Sameera is still a little too perfect to be real a lot of the time. Again, though, Mitali Perkins manages to deal with real, thought-provoking issues (like religious prejudices) in a really fun, quick read. Perkins is a good writer; the pacing and flow of her story are quite good. And it takes a talented author to have a book about romance, friendship, religion, politics, family, bigotry, and more, without any of it seeming odd or forced or out of place. I wasn't quite blown away by White House Rules, but it was an engaging read, if not exactly unforgettable. I'll look forward to book number three in this series, and, in the meantime, maybe look up some of Mitali Perkins' backlist.