WHITE HOUSE CLUBHOUSE

Siblings time travel to President Theodore Roosevelt’s era and try to save a tree in this debut by a former White House speechwriter.

Ever since their mother’s inauguration as president three months ago, the Suarez sisters—third grader Clara and fifth grader Marissa—have chafed at the lack of freedom in White House life. When the girls find a secret passage in the State Dining Room, they follow it to a candlelit room containing old-fashioned furnishings and a 1903 newspaper with an article about a 2,000-year-old giant sequoia that will be cut down to make room for a dam to supply San Francisco with electricity. They also find a piece of parchment entitled “White House Clubhouse” with signatures of children who lived in the White House before them. By signing, they “promise to make a difference, because we can”—and when they emerge, they’re back in the State Dining Room but during the presidency of Teddy Roosevelt. They meet first children Quentin and Ethel, and the four kids hatch a plan to stow away on the president’s train that is heading to California. Their plan: to save the giant sequoia. This engrossing, well-rounded story combines adventure, daring, humor, history, and uplifting, kid-centric messaging as it explores the power of nature and the importance of protecting natural resources. The Suarezes are cued Latine in a predominantly white cast. Lee’s crisp artwork adds to the humor and helps readers envision the historical setting.

Hope abounds in this clever, empowering story.