White House Rules

First Daughter #2

by Mitali Perkins

In First Extreme American Makeover, Sameera showed the United States it was ready for a Pakistani-born First Daughter. With her brains and bravado,White House. Fabulous! Right? Actually, itâ s no fairy tale. The Secret Service and the paparazzi follow Sameera everywhere. She misses her friendsâ and even her schoolâ back home. So Sameera decides to escape. Will she be able to pull it off, or will her plan backfire on the entire First Family? This smart and funny novel continues the adventures of a Pakistani- American teen in the spotlight.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Contemporary, Teen, Middle Grade, Cultural, Realistic Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 24, 2008

About the author

Mitali Perkins has written many books for young readers as well as a couple for adults, including You Bring the Distant Near (nominated for the National Book Award) Rickshaw Girl (a NYPL best 100 Book for children in the past 100 years, film adaptation at rickshawgirlmovie.com), Bamboo People (an ALA Top 10 YA novel), and Forward Me Back to You, which won the South Asia Book Award for Younger Readers. Her newest novel, Hope in the Valley, received five starred reviews and was selected as a Best Book for Young Readers by Kirkus and Book Page. She currently writes and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area: mitaliperkins.com.

Reviews

[Nora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed... like the characters, good series for 8-12 grade girls. These Republicans sure are liberal.

[ava! · Rating 2 out of 5]

i’m gonna keep it real with everyone i read this when i was 10 and enjoyed it but upon rereading it have decided it is a little bit off the chain. the main characters are all republicans worried about being hate crimed due to the fact that they are south asian but it’s like Who do you think is doing the hate criming? sameera’s white family is extraordinarily ignorant but she’s portrayed as like Grateful that they’re just not directly racist towards her which is so whack bc adopted brown children shouldn’t need to be like relieved their parents aren’t gonna discriminate against them lol. love interest was a hindu nationalist? and sameera and him can only date bc she disavows her ethnic background as a muslim and is like “ok it doesn’t even count i go to a christian church” bro ? i read this to my gf over the phone and she was like I Have one question and the question was How tf was this written after 9/11? anyway 10 year old me wtf were u on lol . 2 stars bc i enjoyed it as a child. ALSO sameera almost went to berkeley i have to laugh a fictional bcr member......she was gonna b the girl inviting ann coulter to campus off the chainnnnn

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is insane for several reasons… just a mindless read

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perkins, Mitali First Daughter: White House Rules, 216 p. Dutton (Penguin), 2008.

Sameera, Sparrow, and her family have moved into the White House. Even with her cousin Miranda along for the first six months and a tutor who keeps the girls hopping, Sameera feels like something is missing. It may just be that public school may be the place for Sparrow, instead of the White House bubble. Add to that trouble with Bobby, the boy Sameera like, who has been very silent since Sameera's dad became the Commander in Chief and Sameera has plenty on her plate for her first few months in Washington DC.

Sameera's story is fun and easy, while still managing to tackle some pretty big topics. Not just for girly-girls, this is an all-around good read.

MS - ADVISABLE
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...

[Maria Copeland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read most of it in 10 minutes on my work break, so... well. It lacked plot focus, but it did thoughtfully develop some themes on faith, family, & fame. Not of high quality, but more uplifting than a lot of books I've seen around the YA section of the library recently.

[Libby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat fluffy, but with moments of depth. What would it be like to be the teenage child of the president - and an adopted young women of color at that? The fact that I wish there were more books in the series is always a good sign.

[Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book captures a real life, relatable anxiety I've felt about dating within contexts of race, culture and belief. It has a "you know what, just try and it'll work out" vibe to it. Disturbingly, the parents say a lot of cringy things. It has moments of tenderness that warm you up inside.

[Victoria J · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good easy read with a little hint of romance.

[Lucy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now that Sameera Righton's father has been elected President of the United States of America, Sameera, her parents, and her cousin Miranda are busy moving into their new home: the White House. Sameera is eager to explore all the new aspects of her new life--except the one thing that's missing. Bobby, the boy she likes, seems to have fallen off the face of the earth ever since her father was elected. Can Sameera be the girl who has it all if she's missing the one thing she wants the most?

It's hard to summarize this book properly because it really has no plot. The book feels a lot more like one long wish-fulfillment fantasy about being the president's daughter in a perfect world. Everything about it is picture-perfect. Sameera herself is as Mary Sue as they come--she's caring, intelligent, and always knows what's best for everyone around her. She can fix her parents' relationship problems, her cousin Miranda's cashflow issues, their aide Tara's dormant social life, the poor quality at her friend Mariam's school--if it's a problem, Sameera can fix it insightfully--with far more insight than any seventeen-year-old has a right to. She's worse than Elizabeth Wakefield.

Another thing that makes me groan is Mitali Perkins's portrayal of Republicans. Sameera's father is a Republican, and Sameera's friends belong to a South Asian Republican Students Association--and both claim that they're portraying a new breed of Republicans--Sameera's dad says he's a "crunchy conservative" and Sameera's SARSA friends say that they want to prove that Republicans can volunteer and do good things too. And nothing against Republicans at all--but these Republicans look, talk, act and walk like Democrats. It's like Mitali Perkins is trying to prove a point--by not proving it at all.

There's one scene where Sameera tries to set up two of her family's staffers--and one of them is hesitant when she realizes that the man in question is black. She says, "I've never dated anyone who wasn't white before." And Sameera is shocked. Shocked! She can't believe that in this day and age, that is still even an issue for people. She never even considered that it would be a problem.

Really? Not that I think there is any problem with interracial relationships, but is she really so naive (this from a girl who has been actively campaigning for her father and supposedly living in the real world) that she has never encountered pointless, deeply ingrained racial divides before? Sameera is living in a dream world. She is not a realistic character. She is way too perfect to be likeable or relatable. Too bad. It would have been nice to read a book on this topic that was done well.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

First Daughter White House Rules tells the story of Sameerah (also known as Sparrow) who is the daughter of the president of the United States.

Unfortunately, I picked this book up at the library without knowing this was a sequel. In this second installment, Sparrow moves into the White House and begins to adjust to life as a celebrity. Now that she is in the public eye even more, she needs to be aware of everything she says and does (and who she is hanging out with).

Sparrow loves her life on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but she longs for me. She wants to attend a real school and make friends with people her own age. She also struggles with her crush on Bobby and their quasi-relationship. She has a great relationship with her cousin, who also lives in the White House and helps Sparrow to make her blog even more popular by videoing footage of Sameerah and her family in the White House.

Even though I didn’t know this book was a sequel, I think the author did a great job of introducing characters that other readers might have already been acquainted with. The only thing I was confused about (and I’m guessing it was explained in the first book) is why everyone calls Sameerah Sparrow.

One thing I loved about the story was the different storylines. While the story centered around Sparrow, there were several other characters and plot lines that kept the book interesting.

I enjoyed the relationship between Sparrow and her cousin. I thought it seemed very realistic and I liked the depth it added to the story. I also thought the relationship between Sparrow and her mother was very interesting.

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I can’t exactly pinpoint why because there was nothing exactly wrong with it, but it just didn’t suck me in the way some other recent stories have.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed by Harmony for TeensReadToo.com

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.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, and I didn't hate it, but a lot of it didn't work for me. It has a plastic feel to it--all the characters are perfect and politically correct, whatever conflicts arise are solved in a politically correct fashion, and there's quite a bit of telling rather than showing to explain people's emotions. The biggest flaw, however, is the lack of focus. I couldn't tell what the point of the book was. Was it the main character's long-distance romance, that wobbled in and out of the book when, it seemed, the author remembered it? Was it her cousin's search for identity? Was it the main character's search for identity? Well, no--it couldn't be that because she knows herself just fine. Anyway, I had no idea where to focus my attention, and apparently the author didn't, either. If she'd just made it her theme to report on the main character's first few months in the White House, and how that affected everything about her life, I think it would have worked a lot better. And I did enjoy the details about the White House, but that's not enough to make me love a book. So, this is certainly squeaky-clean enough for 5th graders, but that's kind of the problem.

[Clickety · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this book as much as the first book, but it was still gently enjoyable - not a strawberry milkshake, like most of Meg Cabot's books - more like a cup of Warm the Heart Herb Tea with plenty of milk and sugar. There's not a lot of zing to it; it's just tasty and sweet with an undercurrent of flavors mingling together.

As another reviewer mentioned, Sameera strides fully into Mary Sue territory in this book, which reads like a personal fantasy of an idealized life in the White House.

The only real conundrum is why Sameera Righton doesn't annoy me as much as Bella Swan, or even Elizabeth Wakefield or Veronica Mars.

[Marnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was just as good as the first one, I hope the author will write more books about Sameera. I love Sameera, she's nice, bright, fun & very likable, everything a First Daughter should be, while still being a realistic teenage girl. She seems like a great role model for girls. I'd be proud if my daughter turned out like her. Even though the books in this series were written for teens, I really liked them & they held my interest. I liked that they werent too political, it doesnt go into detail about the president's views but it did talk about Republicans being caring & showed them in a positive light.

[Susan Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book in this series - about an adopted Pakistani-American girl whose dad becomes President of the U.S. It was good, but Ellen Emerson White's series is WAY better. I liked that Sameera (Sparrow) brings a multicultural aspect to life at the White House, and she is a wonderful, strong willed character. She keeps a blog detailing her life and challanges that just rocks. Should have started with book 1 however, and there's a lot of stuff that I didn't get.

[Sapphire · Rating 4 out of 5]

i thought this book was cute because it shows that love can make people do the craziest things , like i don't know, sneaking away from national security. it also shows how you or i can bring news to any where in the world just by writing about something interesting.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is there even such a thing as YA sequels that live up to the original? I spent most of this annoyed at her inability to distinguish between "public school" and "extra inadequate inner-city D.C. public school." There's elitism and there's simple logic.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing and quick.

[Karen Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

So great to read about a character who is strong, angst-free and a great role model for young girls.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

sparrow in limelight
blogging about white house life,
pining over boy.

[Kate Hastings]

SLJ 7-10

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, but i liked the first one better

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book- I read it when I was sick in less than two days.

[shruti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first one. It felt, essentially, like a wrap-up of the storylines from the first book, but it was entertaining. Quick read, finished it in a night!

[Noah · Rating 3 out of 5]

not as good as the first one, but it also makes its point about the power of ancestry and nationality very clear.

[Olean Public Library]

-This was a nice book taken from the view of a first daughter. The book incorporates religious/racial discrimination, family problems and being yourself. This book is a must read.

[bumblethunderbeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprising in its support of honoring your parents and being honest with them. I just appreciate the sassy narrator and her desire to help everyone have a voice.

[Sarah Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a serviceable sequel

[Lianne Mei · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the first one a lot more.