We the People

May 4, 2020
Sargent and Lewis lead readers through a breezy, informative tour of the preeminent U.S. legal document, opening with a contextualizing note: “because it was written by a small number of white men with power, we have to read it critically.” Short chapters dedicated to each article and amendment are punctuated with “Fast Facts” (the Senate has “100 members”), quiz-style questions (“How many presidents have served in the United States?”), and open-ended prompts (one about whether “people who don’t agree can still be friends and respect each other”). Stylish design breaks complexities into digestible ideas, highlighting key words and phrases and interleaving historical asides, accented throughout in Lewis’s modish digital illustrations. The creators’ progressive lean is evident: Democrats dominate the capsule biographies, and concepts such as intersectionality, the prison-industrial complex, and privilege are centered. Still, it’s an engaging introduction to a document that continues to shape American lives. A glossary and list of further reading concludes. Ages 10–14.

June 1, 2020

Gr 5-8-This detailed overview of the U.S. Constitution incorporates engaging facts and profiles. Lewis and Sargent thoroughly explain various aspects of the government in a way that pops. Bright cartoon-style illustrations complement the organization of the book. The text features a mix of short passages, sidebars, discussion questions, lists, and profiles of important politicians and activists. The authors provide context that goes behind the basics. For example, in the section about the 19th Amendment, they point out that not all women were given the same freedom; the section describes the many ways women of color have tirelessly fought for equality, and offers an easy-to-understand definition of intersectionality. A glossary, an index, a search-and-find, and further reading are included. VERDICT An enlightening addition to upper elementary and middle school collections for its in-depth look at the Constitution and the U.S. government.-Molly Dettmann, Norman North H.S., OK

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2020
An introduction to the U.S. Constitution, with case studies, commentary, and debate questions to spark rumination and discussion. Using simplified language, as the original is replete with "old-fashioned terms and some of the loooooongest sentences you will ever see," the authors go over select parts of each article and amendment in turn. Along with blowing off originalists by characterizing the document as designed "to be reinterpreted and revised over time as our society evolves," they point to ways racial and gender inequities, beginning with enslavement, have so often been "silently woven between the lines" and caution readers to be wary of historical "whitewashing." They also profile notable reformers, women who have served in Congress and/or run for president, and hot-button issues such as gun control and abortion rights. Budding political activists are encouraged at the close to get involved: "Power is fun!" Lewis populates the pages with mixes of stylized individual portraits and thoroughly diversified clusters of small figures waving protest signs, marching, or, like a rainbow row of women celebrating the 19th Amendment and the biracial couple raising glasses at Prohibition's repeal, posing in triumph. Occasional bobbles notwithstanding--the Federalist Party was hardly "the nation's financial system," Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation did not "end slavery," and it's not 100% true that "police shootings of Black people...continue unchecked"--this view of the foundational document of our national system is both nuanced and reasonably easy to understand. Buoyant if occasionally simplistic, with a distinct lean to the left. (glossary, index, reading list) (Nonfiction. 9-11)

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June 1, 2020
Grades 5-8 If asked to respond affirmatively, how many U.S. citizens could say they have read and understand the Constitution? Probably not many. What Lewis and Sargent have accomplished is to break the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and amendments into manageable chunks, rendering each section approachable for upper-elementary and middle-grade students. Each article and amendment is featured on a two-page spread, where the left page provides its name, number, and date of adoption in a large, decorative font, with the text of the document printed in smaller type and broken into small sections with headings. The right page expands the document's meaning with explanations, examples, and questions to ponder. An additional spread for some amendments is required. Appealingly formatted and designed, this book makes especially good use of color to enhance and organize its content?from page backgrounds to headings to vocabulary words?and delightful contemporary drawings of ethnically diverse people shown in a variety of settings. Back matter includes a Seek and Find section and additional reading. An excellent resource.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)