THE CONSTITUTION KIDS by Gary Gabel – US History, US Politics, Educational
The Constitution Kids by Gary Gabel aims to make learning the United States Constitution not only easy, but fun, too!Plenty of adults in the US—even well-educated ones—have a limited knowledge of what’s in the US Constitution. Children and teens are even less likely to know much about the country’s foundational set of laws. That dense legal document, plus its 27 amendments, doesn’t exactly make for peaceful bedtime reading. Still, the Constitution helps explain how the US is meant to function, and what’s happened when that functioning breaks down. While it’s aimed at younger readers, adults can also get a worthwhile education from picking up this book.
At just under 200 pages, The Constitution Kids is appropriately short and approachable. However, it’s also comprehensive in its examination of the Constitution and its every amendment.Some of the most interesting sections deal with lesser-known amendments, which readers may not be familiar with. For example, in the 1960s, the 24th amendment banned poll taxes in elections after a successful push by John F. Kennedy’s administration. Before the adoption of that amendment, people often had to pay to vote, which was a major barrier to equity.Gabel recounts the reason for the 24th amendment in vivid, memorable prose. He shares how poll taxes were often used to block Black Americans from voting and even connects this history to ongoing issues now. “Although this amendment made a big difference, even today states get involved with various strategies to reduce minority turnout at elections.” (pg. 166)Gabel cleverly employs historic figures as characters who recount how the Constitution and every amendment came to be, and why they matter.
The Constitution Kids centers on three American high schoolers who go looking for information about the Constitution. In the process, they discover a magical library book, from which these historical characters emerge and take them on journeys into the past. Famous people like Benjamin Franklin and John F. Kennedy, as well as lesser-known figures like Quaker suffragette Alice Paul, guide the “Constitution kids” through American history.The Constitution Kids doesn’t read like a typical, plot-driven novel with vivid descriptions of the settings and events as they unfold, but this simple style of storytelling excels in highlighting the core information. The historical figures explain different constitutional arguments with a quick and focused pace.
We follow the kids through their favorite activities as they learn about the Constitution, like browsing the library, ice skating, and a bit of teenage rebellion, but the book’s not really about the kids themselves—it’s about what they learn. Teachers could easily use chapters of The Constitution Kids in a school lesson plan.The greatest strength of The Constitution Kids is its use as a reference guide. The Constitution takes center stage rather than active scenes of character development. When a certain amendment pops up in the news, or when historical curiosity strikes, this book is an excellent source of information on constitutional issues. Many families, whether with kids in the house or not, would find The Constitution Kids by Gary Gabel a valuable addition to their bookshelves.
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