Bill Adler - Kids Letters to President Obama

F orty-six years ago I edited Kids' Letters to President Kennedy, who was, until now, the American president most admired by children. Without the Internet, without email, faxes, or even easily available photocopiers, there was only one way to compile a book like this: I had to go to the White House.

Can you imagine calling the White House now, in 2009, and asking if you could sit in the mailroom for a day or two to go through the letters they received from children for a book you wanted to compile? But that's exactly what I did. I called the White House. It was a vastly different world back then. When I called I was put through to the president's press secretary, Pierre Salinger, who thought that Kids' Letters to President Kennedy was a terrific idea. Come on down, he said.

When I arrived at the White House, a marine guard asked for identification. Not being a licensed driver, all I had was a photostat, as they were called, of my army discharge paper. That was good enough and I was ushered into the White House mailroom.

Lacking a portable scanner, digital camera, or any instrument other than a pen and paper, I had to copy each letter by hand. It was slow going, as you can imagine, so at 6:00 pm when the White House mailroom was about to close, I still had hours of transcribing to do. I asked if I could stay to continue my work. Yes was the answer. Just turn out the light when you're done.

And that's how Kids' Letters to President Kennedy was done.

While we had all the speed and convenience of technology to help us put together Kids' Letters to President Obama, I think one thing is still very much the same: the smart, funny, idealistic, and ingenious kids who are the authors. That shines through in their letters to the president just as brightly now as it did in 1962.

Bill Adler, Sr.

New York, N.Y.

I ve written or edited more than twenty books and I can't think of one that has brought me as much joy as Kids' Letters to President Obama. The sheer outpouring of excitement, hope, and inspiration is overwhelming. From concerns about littering and pollution to wondering what it will be like to be the first African American President; from suggestions on how to care for a dog in the White House to ideas for making America a better place; telling the president what their own life is like, these letters touch the mind and the heart. The thoughtfulness and genuineness in these children's minds is evident in their letters.

You'll also note that some of the kids' letters include their spelling mistakes, while others, even from very young children, are error-free. Our general rule was to present the letter with the child's inventive spelling preserved; however, if the parents had already fixed the kids' mistakes or took down the letter from the child's dictation, then the letter is presented as edited. At the back of this book you will find a glossary just in case you need help with the translation from kids' English to standard English.

The ideas, of course, are completely the kids' own. They love to suggest how to make the world better. Some of the children's ideas may seem a bit goofy (but then again so are some of the ideas that adults have about trying to run our government); some of these ideas are, well, let's just say less than practical. But some are brilliant! President Obama may want to put Kids' Letters to President Obama by his night table for inspiration and reference.

I hope you enjoy reading Kids' Letters to President Obama, and I hope that this book brings a smile to your face, as it did to mine. In a way, this book has been forty-six years in the making. I know that President Kennedy would have been proud to have read it.

Bill Adler, Jr.

Washington, D.C.