First day of early voting in Texas!!!! It's 6:45 am and I'm waiting in the drive thru line, which is LONGGGGG. So I want to talk about elections in my new book A Thousand Questions.

From start to finish, this book has a national election theme running through it. When Mimi arrives in Karachi, she sees election signs and banners everywhere. They remind Pakistanis to vote!

But Mimi, being a young American kid, doesn't know much about the election process, nor does she care about it. She's only 11, and this is all just a fun experience for her. Why should she even care?

During the course of her vacation - and the book - she learns why she should care. She watches candidates make fiery speeches. She hears people say their view doesn't matter. She witnesses apathy and dejection.

She also learns that no age is too young to care about issues. Sakina, her new Pakistani friend, is passionate about the election. She's got opinions about the candidates and their corruption. She sees how voting affects her everyday life.

The election story in A Thousand Questions is only the backdrop. A thread running through the entire book that shows readers another way we are all the same, even if we live in different countries.

Today as I wait in the longest freaking line I've ever waited in to cast my vote, I'm reminded that democracy is fragile. It depends on each one of us. It requires effort and passion. It's enemy is apathy.

This is a lesson every character in A Thousand Questions learns, even the adults. This is a lesson all my readers should learn. Especially the kids who think they're too young for election discussions. Especially the adults who think that.

Please consider reading A Thousand Questions to have honest, important discussions about voting and elections and democracy. It's available in hardcover, audio, and digital.

And finally, if you're eligible: