Emma Calderon

Rocky the Raccoon: Pursuit of the Popular Vote - Rocky the Raccoon Emma Calderon

Meet Rocky the Racoon! He is a nine-year-old who currently lives with his military parents aboard the USNS Grace. Rocky and his family travel the world, bringing medical supplies and medical care to those in need. As a military child, new sights, new sounds, new smells, and new cities are the anchors of Rocky's naval life as he sails around the world looking forward to new adventures. Rocky has grown accustomed to saying gutting goodbyes to old friends and heartfelt hellos to new friends, and he always looks for ways to grow in new places. How will Rocky challenge himself in this port that he will call home for a year?

In a day and age where the "winner-takes-all" mentality looms large, Rocky the Raccoon inspires us to think and behave graciously, even when everything is at stake.

In "Rocky the Raccoon: Pursuit of the Popular Vote", Rocky begins third grade at his fourth school in five years as a military kid amidst a civilian population. This story tells the tale of Rocky's desire to win an election at his new school in order to gain popularity. While pursuing the position of classroom representative, Rocky makes a memorable friend and amasses a slew of insightful observations about what it means to strive for goals competitively and constructively. In the end, Rocky decides that sometimes the "winning" strategy is recognizing the strengths in others to get the job done.