A Kids' Guide to America's Bill of Rights: Curfews, Censorship, and the 100-Pound Giant

This book is wonderful for teaching the Bill of Rights to kids at any age level! I even learned something new! The only thing I saw wrong with it is that when it is talking about Freedom of Religion, it mentioned a case called "Wisconsin v. Loder (1972)." However, the actual case is Wisconsin v. Yoder.

With all the craziness that is the U.S. political system these days, I decided I needed to know more about our foundational documents. I started with this book, because I wanted an easy intro before I started delving into the hard stuff. (I am an adult with a college degree.) Even though the book is written for kids -- maybe BECAUSE it's written for kids -- it's an enjoyable read for adults. The explanations and examples made it easy for me to memorize those first 10 amendments, in addition to understanding what they're all about. I think the only criticism I have is that SOMETIMES opinions are presented as facts . . . mostly in the case of whether the Constitution and Bill of Rights are living documents or not. The author presents them as such, and the only reason I knew about dissenting views in the matter is that I have a good friend who will argue until she's blue in the face that they are NOT living documents. For this reason only, I gave the book 4 stars rather than 5.

This book really helped my 13year old son. He loved reading it and the Teacher was very pleased with reviewing the book. An excellent choice and easy reading.

In this well researched, well-written book, Krull describes the history of the Bill of Rights and remarks on its significance, historically and for our future. She begins by giving props to James Madison, the "100 pound giant" responsible for creating the Bill of Rights and goes on to relay the explanation behind each amendment, and weaving in recent issues to show how relevant the 462 words of the Bill of Rights still are today.Krull is a strong youth advocate. Many of the court cases she mentions revolve around kids: censorship of school newspapers, illegal locker searches, prayers at school functions, and banned books. Krull points out that the words are open to interpretation, and explains how some amendments were interpreted differently in the past to show the true staying power of the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Krull devotes a separate chapter to the other 17 amendments, with a date and brief explanations for each. She includes a quick explanation of the ratification process, and speculates on what sorts of proposed amendments the future might bring. The final chapter acknowledges problems with the Bill of Rights.Divito's illustrations are whimsical, and the lettering for the amendments that head each chapter is elegant and dignified. Bullets, quotes, and drawings break up the text. See-also type entries on influential people, precedent setting court cases, and other appear in different fonts and separated from the narrative with bars. These sections are always related to the subject, and surprisingly don't interrupt the flow of the writing. Krull has a knack for finding little known gems of information and relating them with enthusiasm. Her writing style is very engaging. This is a great book to browse or read in one sitting, and the thorough index can be used to look up just one fact. U.S. history teachers will no doubt find it useful. The list of further reading is contemporary and extensive. Websites are mentioned throughout the book and not compiled in a single list. Every library should own this book that brings history alive and makes the daily impact of the Bill of Rights real.

My high school senior students love this book as a jumping off place for their study of the Bill of Rights. The minute they read about the drug-sniffing dog, or Mary Beth Tinker, they begin to understand the importance of their own rights under the law. By using cases involving teens, the author brings the language and beliefs of the 18th century into the lives of 21st century teens. A great classroom resource, especially for reluctant readers.