What's the Big Deal About Elections
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Info-packed, kid-friendly look at voting in the USA.
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What you will—and won't—find in this book.
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What's the Story?
WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT ELECTIONS presents the history of voting and how it's done in the United States and explains how government and elections work at the city, state, and national level, from electing a mayor or school board members to electing the country's president. Fun historical facts and anecdotes about politicians and leaders mix with pages showing kids and adults standing up for what they believe in, wearing "Vote" T-shirts and putting up signs like "No More Stinky Pollution!"
Is It Any Good?
This information-packed picture book does a great job of explaining elections and the history of voting rights in the United States amid lively illustrations sure to draw kids in. What's the Big Deal About Elections takes on a potentially dry subject and makes it entertaining and compelling. Kids will get the message that voting is important and pick up a lot of fun historical facts about the country and its leaders.
Interspersed with the giddy enthusiasm about voting are some notes about kids getting involved in serious issues. For example: "When African Americans were denied the chance to participate in elections, children protested for the rights of their parents and grandparents. In so doing, they were marching for their very own futures too."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how voting is presented in What's the Big Deal About Elections. Why is voting important?
Can you see the connection between voting for something at your school and voting for a mayor of your city or president of your country? Why do regular people and families need a representative in government?
Even though you can't vote till you're 18, what can you do in your school and your community to stand up for what you believe?
Book Details
- Author: Ruby Shamir
- Illustrator: Matt Faulkner
- Genre: History
- Topics: History
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Philomel
- Publication date: August 28, 2018
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Number of pages: 32
- Available on: Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: February 4, 2020
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