Tagline: This First Daughter makes her own rules.

Like all politicians and family members of politicians, Sameera Righton, the President’s daughter in Mitali Perkins’s First Daughter series, does seem a little too good to be true. She’s pretty, outgoing, poised, confident, full of fun, athletic, intelligent, loyal, and well, you get the picture. But, really, even if it is a bit of a fairy tale, First Daughter: WHite House Rules is a lot more fun to read than a journalist’s walk through the seamy side of politics. Why couldn’t at least one celebrity/political person be a wholesome all-American teenager?

The inside details on life in the WHite House are fun, too. And of course, as a blogger myself, I like the way Sameera uses her blog to communicate, hone her writing skills, and authenticate herself. An honest and transparent blog, written by the daughter of the United States of America, would be nearly impossible to monitor and maintain, but again it’s fun to imagine.

Then, Ms. Perkins has Sameera attending a public high school in Washington, D.C. I can’t wait to read what looks like the next book in the series: First Daughter: The School Diaries.

So, bottom line, I may be a cynic, but I have trouble believing in a First Daughter who’s as free, open, and unspoiled as Sameera (just as I have trouble believing in a certain presidential candidate’s kind, gentle, positive and hopeful image), but I like imagining that it could be so. It’s well-written teenage romance and adventure with a subtle, understated message of anti-racism, acceptance and respect for other cultures. What’s not to like?