Local Champaign-Urbana elementary schools, get your wallets out now: President Barack Obama has a new book hitting the shelves on Nov. 16.

‘Of Thee I Sing,’ inspired by the President’s own children, details 13 Americans whose lives and lifestyles changed the United States.

Among these profiles are those of the first president, George Washington, feminist and artist Georgia O’Keeffe and Jackie Robinson, the first black MLB player.

“I think it’s a good idea,” said Carly Hinrichsen, senior in Education. “It’s always great to introduce kids to history early, so a book like this would provide a valuable learning opportunity for young students.”

Information announcing specifics on the other 10 profiles has not been released. Just two days after being announced and months before its scheduled release, both amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com had ‘Of Thee I Sing’ on their list of Top 25 books.

“I think it is wonderful that our president wants to inspire our children in this way,” said Deb Newell, the district library coordinator for Urbana School District 116, in an e-mail.

Proceeds from sales will be put into a scholarship fund for the children of soldiers who have been killed or disabled during their service.

“Our students need positive role models to counteract people acting badly that they see in the media,” Newell said.

Hinrichsen added that she “believe(s) anything published by a president of the United States is an important cultural artifact.”

Hinrichsen said the bipartisan nature of his subject matter explored in the book is refreshing in the face of Washington’s partisan politics.

“This book could also be beneficial because it emphasizes our shared history. Hopefully it could be somewhat of a unifying event,” she said.

With the struggling economy, war abroad and other national issues, some said they feel Obama should be putting his efforts elsewhere.

“I think it sounds interesting,” said Claire Mogren, freshman in DGS, “but I’m not sure (publishing the book is) what he should be focusing on.”

The writing for the book was completed prior to Obama taking office and is included in a three-part book deal Obama signed in 2004 after his senatorial election, according to a press release by the book’s publisher, Knopf Books for Young Readers.

“The Audacity of Hope” is one of the three included in the deal. The final book is another non-fiction work in progress that will not be released while Obama is in office.

“I believe the premise of it sounds great — to showcase Americans of all races who dreamed big and succeeded,” Newell said. “This can certainly motivate students to do the same thing.”