Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Kayla Miller Website: https://www.kayla-miller.com/about

Kayla Miller Blog: https://www.kayla-miller.com/blog

Activities & Resources:

Learn-

Democracy

What is a democracy: https://www.ducksters.com/history/us_government/democracy.php

Test your democracy knowledge by taking this quiz: https://www.ducksters.com/history/us_government/democracy_questions.php

Democracy facts for kids: https://kids.kiddle.co/Democracy

Find out who represents you with this lesson created by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History: https://amhistory.si.edu/ourstory/pdf/suffrage/suffrage_represents.pdf

Protests

Learn about protests of the past in the back matter of the book.

Use the recipe in the back of the book to make mint chocolate chip-ins cookies.

Learn more about protest signs with this lesson created by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History: https://amhistory.si.edu/ourstory/pdf/freedom/lunchcounter_signs.pdf

Student Government

Learn about the importance of student council in schools: https://www.tasconline.org/what-is-a-student-council-

Create a campaign poster that promotes a cause important to you.

Trent and Sawyer’s campaign promised more pudding in the cafeteria. Help them make pudding cups more fun by creating “Beach Day” pudding cups: https://threesnackateers.com/beach-day-pudding-cups/

MakerSpace Activities:

Create a podcast using Garageband, Anchor, or some other type of podcast production app to interview students who are running for different student government positions.

Use a video editing program like iMovie or WeVideo to create a video that explains the difference between direct democracy and representative democracy.

Brainstorm and organize a bake sale to support a cause that is important to you.

Bake treats that will impress your bake sale customers (2:51): https://youtu.be/Rxwlrdwb-LE

Discussion Questions:

How did Mrs. Griffin explain the importance of the upcoming election for class representatives?

Why is running for class representative important?

Do you think Trent and Sawyer’s election strategy of wanting better snacks will be popular with the voters? Why?

Why did Beth hide in the bathroom while her classmates head to the bus for the field trip?

How does Olive feel about Hugh and Willow’s friendship? Why does she feel this way?

What are some things that happen at school the day after the field trip that makes Beth feel left out?

How did Chandra try to make Beth feel better?

What did Olive do when she found out that some kids didn’t go on the field trip because they couldn’t pay the cost of the trip?

How did Mrs. Griffin respond to Olive when she asks why the school can’t help pay for all kids to go on the field trip?

Trent and Sawyer believe the cost of the field trip is a school problem not a student problem. Do you agree?

Aunt Molly tells Olive that she should organize a protest. How does Olive’s mom respond? Why does she not agree with Aunt Molly?

Olive researches famous protests at the library. How does she feel about her ability to organize a protest?

How does Aunt Molly encourage and motivate Olive?

Why does Willow’s crush on Hugh worry Olive?

How do the 7th graders react when Olive tries to get them to sign her petition?

Why did Olive’s petition and sit-in not work?

What is Olive afraid will happen if she becomes more vocal about the cost of field trips?

How do Olive’s friends react when she announces that she is running for class representative? Is she surprised by their reaction? Why?

Why did Willow choose Trent and Sawyer’s campaign over Olive?

What happens once Willow starts promoting herself as the “candidate that cares?”

What happened after the election results were announced?

Book Talk Teasers:

Watch the TBA book trailer for Act.

Read the Readers Theater for Act.

Read Alikes:

Student Council

Paulsen, Gary. Vote. Fourteen-year-old Kevin impetuously announces that he will run for student body president, mainly to impress his girlfriend Tina, but soon gets excited about making a positive difference in his school and community. (Novelist Plus)

Winston, Sherri. President of the Whole Fifth Grade. To gain leadership skills needed to run a cupcake-baking empire when she grows up, Brianna runs for president of the fifth grade--expecting little competition--until a new girl enters the race. (Novelist Plus)

Friendship

Gudsnuk, Kristen. Making Friends. When she and her friends are placed in different classes and begin exploring separate interests at the start of seventh grade, Danny inherits a magic sketchbook and uses it to create a perfect best friend, with unexpected results. (Novelist Plus)

Jamieson, Victoria. All’s Faire in Middle School. Homeschooled by Renaissance Fair enthusiasts, eleven-year-old Imogene has a hard time fitting in when her wish to enroll in public school is granted. (Novelist Plus)

Johnson, Varian. Twins. Twins Maureen and Francine distinguish themselves for the first time by pursuing separate interests at the beginning of the sixth grade. (Novelist Plus)

Libenson, Terri. Invisible Emmie. The lives of two middle school girls, one a quiet artist, the other a popular overachiever, intersect on a day shaped by a misdelivered note, crushes, humiliations, boredom and drama. (Novelist Plus)

Reviews:

Act. Miller, Kayla. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2020.

School Library Journal

Miller, Kayla (author)

Aug. 2020. 203p. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $21.69 (9780892394234). Grades 3-7. 741.5.

Gr 3-7-Olive enters the world of small-scale politics when she decides to run for student council at her school. Spurred to action when she discovers that some students are being excluded from field trips because they can't afford the costs, Olive earns the trust of classmates who confide in her about their problems with the school, such as an unfair dress code. She's committed to making the school a better place for all the students, but the competition is fierce: Sawyer and Trent clown their way through the election, promising students more pudding, and Belinda's got politician parents influencing her performance. Olive's supportive mother and her activist aunt Molly help her research protest movements, which the back matter supports through brief historical summaries and a recommended reading list. While the stated moral of the story is that kids should take action to make a difference, Miller also emphasizes practical planning and teamwork rather than taking the easy way out or appealing to the lowest common denominator. What keeps the book from being overly didactic is its gentle, sensitive depiction of its core cast. Olive's diverse classmates support one another, which makes the occasional bruised ego all the more deeply felt. Friendships are tested along candidate lines, and readers will have many angles to consider before casting their own vote. Attractive coloring, paneling, and lettering ensure a simple, clear sight line through each page. VERDICT Olive's latest journey since Click and Camp is an eye-opening microcosm of the often bumpy democratic process.-Thomas Maluck, Richland Lib., SC © Copyright 2020. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Reprinted with permission from School Library Journal, 2020. http://www.slj.com.