The Partial Jenna Bush Reader

No Child Left Behind is turning into a family affair. Jenna Bush has set her sights on a District of Columbia charter school for employment as a fourth-grade teacher. It’s an interesting decision, given the fact that several parts of the District have some of the worst primary schools in America, compromised almost entirely of minorities. What makes it even more compelling is that as No Child Left Behind has caused uproar in large urban school districts, individual schools have sought independence by becoming charter members of the state or district department of education. With her major being English, “Unpaid’ suggests some equally intriguing reading lists for Jenna Bush’s prospective students.

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry: I don’t know if Jenna cried for TJ, but this book definitely will resonate with her students. Themes of oppression, quiet strength, manipulation by whites, and economic hardship fit in quite well with the youth of Columbia Heights. One of the few Newberry Medal Winners with blacks and not white children as protagonists, “Thunder” is a great vehicle to push students to empower themselves no matter who the teacher is. But with Jenna’s school only a mile away from the African-American Civil War Memorial, in the heart of DC’s most renown black neighborhood, “Thunder” may become required reading.

The Whipping Boy: With Colin Powell unemployed, he has plenty of time to lead a discussion on Jemmy and Prince Brat. After all, no one can beat the Prince when he misbehaves, he or she can only beat the “boy”. When Jemmy finally decides he has had enough, he escapes, but the Prince tags along…and Jemmy realizes that he will blamed for abducting Brat. Once Brat recognizes he cannot take other people for granted, well Jemmy resigns from his position in the Cabinet anyway. It’s a cautionary tale for the children; fool me once shame on me, fool me twice shame on George Tenet.

Where the Wild Things Are: Jenna may be lacking a wolf-suit of her own, but her bad girl reputation now precedes the Bush Twins. While it’s aimed at a younger audience, even Jenna’s father can appreciate the idea that sometimes you need to admit you are wrong, no matter how vivid your imagination is.

Holes: This most recent publication of the list was so inventive it even won a movie deal. It’s a tale about crime, punishment, and most of all, ulterior motives under the guise of rehabilitation. It’s unlikely that her fourth graders will figure out it’s really allegory for how the older generation tends to treat the younger. (Be it by installing the draft, cutting welfare benefits, or leaving a big manure pile of federal debt.) But no matter, it’s still a viable way to teach children how to address conflicted feelings.

My Pet Goat: So riveting even the President could not put it down during a national emergency. Wait, that wasn’t why he kept reading even after Andy Card told him about the first terrorist attack? You’re kidding, right?