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YOUR VOTE MATTERS

HOW WE ELECT THE US PRESIDENT

An accurate, necessary read for young voters-in-training.

A succinct, snappy look at U.S. presidents, their duties, and voters’ crucial responsibilities in electing them.

Packed with facts, this primer is notable for its clear, coherent font choice and its colorful, clean images that make it stand out among similar titles. Small callout boxes along the way clarify points for anyone newer to the ins and outs of American government, while persuasive, age-appropriate writing effectively makes clear why the book’s contents are so significant. Katzman also lays out the differences between the Democrat and Republican Parties (and looks at several independent parties), explores primaries and caucuses, and discusses campaigning. The book also doesn’t have a recency bias, since the author includes facts about a variety of presidents, such as George Washington and William Henry Harrison (who gave the longest inauguration speech in history and was the first president to die while in office). This history is balanced well with more recent leaders, including Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and Donald Trump, which will resonate with young people hearing and reading the news today. Children reading quickly might be tripped up by a slightly confusing timeline, but the text’s exploration of fairness in politics, including well-written and thorough explanations of gerrymandering and voter suppression, makes this a highly recommended addition.

An accurate, necessary read for young voters-in-training. (glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 7-10)

Pub Date: May 7, 2024

ISBN: 9781339046501

Page Count: 112

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 2024

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2024

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50 ADVENTURES IN THE 50 STATES

From the The 50 States series

Go adventuring with a better guide.

Find something to do in every state in the U.S.A.!

This guide highlights a location of interest within each of the states, therefore excluding Washington, D.C., and the territories. Trivia about each location is scattered across crisply rendered landscapes that background each state’s double-page spread while diminutive, diverse characters populate the scenes. Befitting the title, one “adventure” is presented per state, such as shrimping in Louisiana’s bayous, snowshoeing in Connecticut, or celebrating the Fourth of July in Boston. While some are stereotypical gimmes (surfing in California), others have the virtue of novelty, at least for this audience, such as viewing the sandhill crane migration in Nebraska. Within this thematic unity, some details go astray, and readers may find themselves searching in vain for animals mentioned. The trivia is plentiful but may be misleading, vague, or incorrect. Information about the Native American peoples of the area is often included, but its brevity—especially regarding sacred locations—means readers are floundering without sufficient context. The same is true for many of the facts that relate directly to expansion and colonialism, such as the unexplained near extinction of bison. Describing the genealogical oral history of South Carolina’s Gullah community as “spin[ning] tales” is equally brusque and offensive. The book tries to do a lot, but it is more style than substance, which may leave readers bored, confused, slightly annoyed—or all three. (This book was reviewed digitally with 12.2-by-20.2-inch double-page spreads viewed at 80% of actual size.)

Go adventuring with a better guide. (tips on local adventuring, index) (Nonfiction. 8-10)

Pub Date: Oct. 6, 2020

ISBN: 978-0-7112-5445-9

Page Count: 112

Publisher: Wide Eyed Editions

Review Posted Online: July 27, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020

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ALL ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES

STORIES, SONGS, CRAFTS AND GAMES FOR KIDS

The large format and attractive, cartoonlike illustrations provide an inviting look at a country not often included in many...

Three cousins representing the diverse cultural groups who inhabit the Philippines take readers on a tour of the many islands that make up the archipelago.

Mary, Jaime, and Ari are the offspring of three sisters from the Ifugao people of Luzon, but their fathers are of Chinese, Spanish, and Muslim Arab descent. This device lends an artificial, idealized spin to the diversity question, but it gets the job done. No mention is made of the contemporary rise of Muslim separatists, although the section on history notes that the Americans “impos[ed] their style of democratic authority.” The emphasis is on cultural activities, including religious holidays, and favorite foods (with recipes for pancit, a noodle dish; polveron, a candy made from powdered milk; and halo-halo, a combination of fruits and beans with ice, sugar, and milk). There are descriptions of games including sipa, which is similar to hacky sack, with directions for making your own sipa, and sungka, also known as mancala in Africa and the Middle East. Unfortunately, instructions are not clear enough to really play. The only craft is a modified parol, a Christmas decoration. A creation myth and one song are included, but the book’s real strength is the description of activities and life in different parts of the country.

The large format and attractive, cartoonlike illustrations provide an inviting look at a country not often included in many other resources for children. (websites, index ) (Nonfiction. 7-10)

Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-8048-4072-9

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Tuttle

Review Posted Online: July 26, 2015

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015

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