If I Ran the Country: An introduction to politics where YOU make the decisions
£7.90£8.50 (-7%)
‘The perfect book for our times … that young people will love (and parents will learn from too!).’ – Matthew Syed
‘A lovely, clever and fun way to help kids understand government by making them think what they would do if they ran a country. Hopefully it will engage and encourage some cracking leaders for the next generation!’ – Miranda Hart
Congratulations! You’ve just become the leader of your own country! There are a lot of decisions to be made, and not long to make them.
The good news is you’ve got your hands on this funny, fact-packed book, covering everything you need to know to rule effectively – no matter where in the world you are.
But it’s not just about political systems, elections, climate change, justice and all those other things we hear politicians talking about. You also need to learn how to lead.
With essential life and leadership skills and tips – from teamwork, confidence and compassion to discovering who you are and what you believe in – If I Ran The Country answers all the questions most often posed by first-time top dogs like you. You’ll be ruling like a pro in no time!
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Additional information
| Publisher | Wren & Rook (5 Aug. 2021) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 176 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1526363720 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1526363725 |
| Reading age | 9 – 12 years |
| Dimensions | 15.2 x 1.6 x 21.4 cm |
by Jane
This is a great little book. It’s proved invaluable for the project work my son has been doing with his tutor (who also thinks it’s brilliant) and I’ve found it really informative too.
by Lola
Very nicely put together book. The illustrations are lovely.
by I Read, Therefore I Blog
Rich Knight is an award-winning BBC journalist. This is a light-hearted but informative guide for children aged 9+ about the serious subject of government with fun and inclusive illustrations by Allan Sanders. Knight runs through different types of government, key policies, international co-operation and economic systems in a way that emphasises how politics is about choices and compromise but without ever being patronising to readers.
The first thing to say about this book is that I really liked Knight’s conversational writing style – he addresses the reader directly and packs the text with information (including through the use of footnotes) and also throws in some dad jokes here and then. It’s a really good way of communicating what is actually a complicated subject that adults like me can struggle with understanding but he does it in a way that you don’t feel talked down to. This style is well complemented by Allan Sanders’s illustrations – while pick up on things Knight mentions and expands out some of the dad jokes in a way that made me smile. Full marks to Sanders, incidentally, for depicting people of different races and those with disabilities too. It’s great to see efforts made for inclusivity and representation – especially when it’s a book like this about governing and leading.
Knight starts by running through the different types of government – democracy, anarchy, monarchy, absolute monarchy, constitutional monarchy, dictatorship – and then runs through how democracy works, different ways of carrying out elections and who can vote. He then moves on to structuring government departments (which department does what activity) and the importance of having good teams and international trade and working with other countries. From there he discuses policies – making the reader think about what they stand for and explaining different types of ideologies (liberal/progressive, conservative, libertarianism, nationalist, feminist) and what capitalism is and how it works. I particularly liked how he emphasises that as leader you are not able to make everyone happy and this idea of choices and compromises is one that runs through the book. There’s a chapter on fairness and what that means, using it to explain taxation. There’s also a chapter on big world issues including climate change, artificial intelligence, and poverty before the book concludes with some advice on how readers can participate now in politics and government.
Each chapter ends with a little To Do Checklist for readers to complete, some of which draws on the subjects that Knight has been writing about but some of which is also the more “run” bits of running a country, like designing a flag and deciding on a currency. It works really well to make readers think about what they’ve just been told and work out what they’d like to see happen if they were in control and I think it also gives useful things for younger readers to talk about with adults.
All in all, it’s a well done book that covers the big issues and has enough conversation points in there for children to find out more and ask adults about. As such, it’s definitely worth a look if you have children in the 9+ age group who are interested in the world around them and how we are governed.
by chris smith
Worked our way through this book daily, at breakfast time as a family. It skilfully outlines the intricacies of world political systems from the point of view of the young reader, who is tasked with running the country. I am learning quite a bit too. Thank you so much for filling this information gap for young and older minds alike! The dry humour makes it a fun read for all ages. Will be purchasing many more copies as gifts for 9 – 15 year olds. Surely everyone needs a hand book like this to make sense of it all. Top job!!!
by Sam Tyler
Many of the issues that we have with politics is that people are not engaged and therefore make decisions based on an obscured picture. I can understand, it can be a little dull. Rich Knight and Allan Sanders have tried to rectify this for 9-12 year olds by creating ‘If I Ran the Country’ an introductory book to politics that tries to engage and entertain.
There is a lot of interaction in the book. You are posed with questions in what you would do in a given situation. It then tells you the positives and negatives of that decision. It is a great book in getting across the idea that sometimes it is the least worst choice that is taken in politics.
The book has fun illustrations but is black and white. The book is broken up, but still has lots of writing. I think it would work best with a child who is already engaged a little and like to discover and learn. Despite its fun tone, it will still be dry to an uninterested child. If you do have a keen youngling, this book may just be the perfect primer to set them up on a path into politics or political observation. It is very well written and treats the kids with respect and intelligence.
by Caroline Hukins
Every kid should read this… and probably their parents too. Its clear, thought provoking, easy to read; shows what government and politics is all about, in a fun way.
by Paul McCartan
My 10 year old loved this book, finding it highly engaging yet at the same time incredibly informative. Not only did he learn from reading it but so did myself and my husband! This book provides not just fantastic ideas about being in a position of power but also ideas about what you can do to help the environment and the people in it whatever age you are.
by Zoe author of Everywhere and other books
We are working our way through slowly. It has lots of activities along the way so we’re all taking part creating our own countries and learning how to rule. As an adult I’m also learning and politics has become fun and clearer for me as well as for my kids.