Scholastic News Election Reporters Learn About Life at Home and on the Campaign Trail with Children of Presidential Candidates, Ages 6-37

New York, NY (January 24, 2008) -- What are the kids of the current presidential candidates like? Emma Claire Edwards likes Webkins; Bridget McCain loves hanging out with friends; Malia and Sasha Obama can’t wait to get a dog; and Tagg Romney sometimes fights with his brothers. The Scholastic Kids Press Corps, a team of student reporters ages 10-14 who are covering the race to the White House and reporting for Scholastic News, discovered that the kids of candidates are not so different from the Kid Reporters themselves!

Scholastic Kid Reporters interviewed many of the candidates’ children and spouses to find out more about them and to learn what it’s like to have a parent running for president. Their interviews are published at Scholastic News Online (www.scholastic.com/news) and in upcoming issues of Scholastic News (for students in grades 1-6) and Junior Scholastic (grades 6-8).

Here’s a peek at what the Scholastic Kids Press Corps learned about the candidates’ kids, ages 6-37:

New Hampshire Kid Reporter Molly Wienberg, a 15 year-old who also covered the 2004 election, asked fellow campaign trail veteran Cate Edwards, 25 year-old daughter of former North Carolina Senator John Edwards, how this year’s campaign is different from the last. “Around this time in the last election, a lot of people did not know who John Edwards was. Now they do, so it makes the job easier.”

Eight year-old Jacob Schroeder, a Kid Reporter from New Mexico, had an exclusive interview with Bridget McCain, 16 year-old daughter of Senator John McCain. Bridget was in second grade when her father John McCain ran for office in 2000. Now a sophomore in high school, she spends a lot of time playing sports like basketball and volleyball. Bridget thinks of her parents as her role models: “My Dad’s best achievement is being a dad and also running for president at the same time. He always puts family first!”

Gabyliz Machado, a sixth grade Kid Reporter from Chicago, Illinois, asked Michelle Obama, wife of Senator Barack Obama, what her daughters Sasha Obama, 6, and Malia Obama, 8, are like: “Malia just started taking acting classes. She recently performed a monologue from Anne of Green Gables as her final project, which was excellent! Both of the girls love sports and music—they love to play. They laugh a lot together and they crack Barack and me up all the time.” They balance the demands of the campaign by keeping Sasha’s and Malia’s school and after-school activities as routine as possible, said Mrs. Obama adding, “We talk every night to Barack using webcams so we can see each other and talk about our days.”

Nine year-old New Hampshire Kid Reporter Chloe Conway asked Elizabeth Edwards, wife of John Edwards, what her youngest daughter Emma Claire Edwards, also 9, liked to do when they were home: “Emma Claire really likes the computer and Webkins. She really loves animals. We have three dogs and she always talks about what other types of animals we can get. … One of the things she has been doing recently is taking pictures of animals and animal tracks. She has a tree house and has been decorating the inside, painting the walls with things like flower pots and her name, of course.”

In Des Moines, Iowa, Scholastic Kid Reporters Autumn Daniel and Marilyn C. Lo, both 10, spoke with Sarah Huckabee, 25 year-old daughter of former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. As Field Director for her father’s campaign, Sarah enjoys the diversity that political work brings: “The best part of the job is that no two days are alike, so you never get bored. And you get to meet people from all over the country and see people from so many different perspectives.”

Fifth grader Kyle Nowak, a student reporter in Nevada, got a chance to meet Chelsea Clinton, 27 year-old daughter of Senator Hillary Clinton, at a campaign event for her mother in a Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas. Though Chelsea is firm about not talking to press, including Scholastic News, she is always happy to pose for pictures and sign autographs. A page in Kyle’s reporter’s notebook now reads “To Kyle, Support Hillary!”

At a Mitt Romney event in Bedford, New Hampshire, 12 year-old reporter Elizabeth Conway talked to the former Massachusetts governor’s oldest son Tagg Romney, 37, about growing up in a family of five boys: “We’re typical brothers. We fight every once in awhile, but we love each other.” Tagg said the best part was “being able to play basketball together.” When asked how Tagg feels about having his father run for President of the United States he replied, “I think it’s awesome!”

Parents, teachers and students can look for occasional interviews with the Scholastic Kids Press Corps on NBC News programs and at MSNBC.com as part of a partnership between Scholastic News and NBC News to report on the 2008 Presidential Election. Scholastic News election coverage includes lesson plans for teachers and election resources and activities for families.
Scholastic is the largest publisher of educational magazines, with 32 publications for grades PreK-12, reaching over 25 million students and teachers across the country.

For more information about Scholastic or the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps, please visit www.scholastic.com/news

Contacts:
Scholastic
Jennifer Boggs
212-343-6619
jboggs@scholastic.com

Scholastic
Sarah Trabucchi
212-343-6424
strabucchi@scholastic.com